Welcome to our first edition of Victorian Chamber News for 2022. We know that staff shortages, supply chain issues, isolation requirements, density limits and lack of accessibility to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) continue to cause difficulty and stress and the Victorian Chamber team is working hard to ensure your voices are heard and practical solutions can be found.

In partnership with Crown Melbourne, the Victorian Chamber is running free online seminars designed to help regional businesses bounce back after consecutive lockdowns and sparse tourism.

If you were lucky enough to get in a break over the school holidays, you would have noticed the crippling effect that Covid-19 is having on our small businesses across the state.

It’s the report that you helped us create, and one that might well sharpen the focus on what Victoria needs to do to be the best state to operate a business in. I’m very proud of to release the Cost and Ease of Doing Business in Victoria Taskforce Report.

Great news this week with several positive developments to set us on a cracking pace for our state’s COVID-19 recovery.

Yesterday we celebrated International Women’s Day, a global event marking the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and amplifying the call for diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.

Habits can be hard to break and I’m sure we all felt a bit uncertain last week as office workers started to return after the better part of two years working from home.

The Chamber is working overtime to ensure business remains our number one priority. As we have done right through the pandemic, we are continuing to advocate strongly on behalf of our members with all levels of government in what will be a critical year with both federal and state elections.

It’s hard to describe what an incredible feeling it is to finally be able to move around our great state again and enjoy all Regional Victoria has to offer, whether it’s our beautiful towns, beaches, lakes, rivers, wineries, golf courses or restaurants.

It’s Grand Prix week in Victoria and the excitement and energy is palpable. It will be extra special in 2022 as we remember the dramatic circumstances under which it was cancelled in 2020 when the reality of COVID-19 hit us like a wrecking ball. How far we have come since then as Victorian business continues to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

I’m sure you are all delighted with today’s State Government announcement on the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions. It’s exactly what Victorian business needs to really get moving with our post-pandemic recovery.

The Victorian Government is inviting the tourism industry to help shape the future of Victoria’s visitor economy.

I love Melbourne. It’s the best city in the world. But COVID hasn’t been kind to our CBD and it’s becoming more obvious that our recovery is taking longer than we hoped.

The Victorian Budget was announced this week, and I'm sure you will have different views of what it means for you.

As we know, it’s been a challenging two years for many businesses in Victoria. The good news is there is a range of assistance available through various State or Commonwealth programs to help your business as we move out of the pandemic.

Australians will go to the polls this Saturday after what will have been an exhaustive 40-day federal election campaign. A record 4.34 million Victorians will cast their vote, with thousands already having voted through postal voting or one of the early voting centres which opened last week.