Well, we made it through, and Christmas is now on our doorstep.

The Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme is ending on 15 January 2022. Although eligible tenants will no longer be entitled to rent relief after this date, tenants and landlords will still have access to support via the Victorian Small Business Commission.

Thousands of businesses providing educational experiences for Victorian schoolchildren will be given a boost under the Victorian Government’s $112.9 million Positive Start in 2022 initiative. The funding, announced by Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Education James Merlino, aims to get children back enjoying the experiences they missed out on during Victoria’s lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

As Victoria emerges from COVID-19, the State Government has bolstered the confidence of organisers of creative, sporting, business and community events to plan and stage events with an interruption insurance scheme and restart package.

Australia really is the lucky country. We are spoilt with some of the most beautiful landscapes and natural environments in the world. From beaches to snowfields, mountains to desert, we have it all.

Over the next three years, the Victorian Government’s $64 million Digital Jobs program aims to produce up to 5,000 job-ready candidates with up-to-date digital skills that will help Victorian businesses thrive.

Just when we thought it was smooth sailing, we’ve hit a slight bump with the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. I know many of you may be experiencing familiar feelings of anxiousness this week with the news of Omicron emerging across the world and here in Australia.

Hindsight is a funny thing. Had we known the COVID-19 wrecking ball was coming for us, we would have ducked for cover. We can’t use that excuse anymore.

Businesses in the tourism sector with project ideas to bolster the state’s visitor economy are encouraged to apply for the latest round of Victorian Government funding – as Chamber member Dal Zotto Wines outlines how a grant helped propel its business growth.

Grab your family, grab your friends, and grab your workmates - it’s time to celebrate and enjoy our state again! The Victorian Chamber was delighted by today’s State Government announcement that it will lift the majority of restrictions across the state which will give all our businesses the best chance to roar back.

How good was it seeing our state roar back to life over the weekend? It was so exciting to see crowds at events and smiles on the faces of so many as they celebrated Victoria’s reopening over the past few days.

The Victorian Chamber in partnership with the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions has launched the Victorian COVIDSafe Business Awards to recognise and reward Victorian businesses that have put an enormous amount of hard work and effort in responding to the pandemic through COVIDSafe measures.

After enduring the world’s longest lockdown and inconsistent periods of extended closures, Victorian businesses are ready to leave the last two, difficult years behind them as they begin reopening under COVID-Normal conditions.

The State Government has today given the green light for all Victorian businesses to welcome back customers and staff from 6pm on Friday, 29 October as we prepare to hit the 80 per cent fully vaccinated target. Importantly, once we hit the 90 per cent vaccinated target there will be only minimal restrictions in place, meaning it will be a spectacular summer.

Sunday was a good day for most when we heard the State Government’s roadmap had been bought forward. I cannot wait to see the smiles on the faces of business owners, staff and customers when we start to emerge from lockdown in Metropolitan Melbourne this week.

The Victorian Chamber is proud to partner with the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR) to deliver the fourth round of the SummerTech LIVE program, which matches businesses with tertiary students to tackle real, digital technology problems.