The One Stop One Story Hub Pilot Program aims to ease the burdens faced by people experiencing vulnerability by providing a single access point for a range of support services.

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.

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.

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.

Industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain, auDA, has released its inaugural Digital Lives of Australians 2021 Report. The report finds Australian consumers and small businesses benefit immensely from the Internet, but cybersecurity threats continue to pose a huge concern.

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.

The need to be fast, agile and ahead of the curve on all levels of customer service is no longer a ‘nice idea,’ it’s a business imperative. This tipping point has created an abundance of work for IT teams in Australia and around the globe, and a backlog of work that needs to be delivered now, not next year. If you, like so many companies, didn’t jump early into this digital race, how do you catch up? While I’m here to advise Australian organisations (small, medium or large) on how to do this, you must first understand that the crisis isn’t over.  

A third COVID-19 vaccination is now required for workers within certain essential industries, and close contact isolation arrangements have also changed for food and beverage distribution workers, as part of Victorian Government pandemic orders announced today.

Additional sectors will be relieved from close contact isolation requirements to ease supply chain bottlenecks and workforce shortages after an announcement today by the Victorian Government.

The .au domain name space is undergoing significant change in 2022. The Victorian Chamber recommends that businesses with an online presence join us for an explanatory webinar in partnership with .au Domain Administration (auDA), the industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain.

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the State Government’s extension of rent relief and protections for commercial tenants and landlords for another two months due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Energy Saver Program is supporting Victorian small business owners to save on energy-efficient equipment. It will deliver $5 million in discounts to small businesses across Victoria that invest in upgrading their systems.

Throughout early 2022, the Victorian Chamber has been encouraging businesses to review their employment contracts, practices and alerting them to the support available.

The State Government has eased several restrictions around density limits, QR check-ins and surveillance testing, with changes to office settings flagged, but yet to be formalised.

The State Government is encouraging Victorians to experience the state’s renowned hospitality, tourism and creative industries with more than $100 million in rebates and vouchers, while businesses are also in line for $100 million in stimulus programs.

The State Government is dropping the ‘strong recommendation’ that Victorians work from home, while masks will no longer be needed in offices and most other indoor settings, following the latest update to Pandemic Orders.