This week we published the results of our recent energy survey which revealed that the overwhelming majority of our members are increasingly concerned about the impact of energy prices and want government support to transition to a net-zero economy.

The findings included:

• 42 per cent of respondents would like government support in the transition to a net-zero economy.
• Seven out of 10 respondents believe that the transition to a net-zero economy should be used as an opportunity for government to help drive green manufacturing in Victoria.
• Under 10 per cent of businesses are currently measuring their carbon emissions, while almost 70 per cent are not planning to.

A major concern is that only eight per cent of businesses surveyed believe Victoria is adequately prepared to reach 95 per cent renewable energy use by 2035. We have presented these results to the State Government and will continue our work in this area. You can read more about the survey results here.

You may have caught my piece in Tuesday’s edition of the Herald Sun, in which I strongly advocate for certainty for business in this area. The challenges we are facing by rising costs of energy and insecure energy supply is having a detrimental impact on businesses of all sizes and sectors, but felt particularly hard by small, medium and family businesses who are more vulnerable to fluctuations in energy prices. Having met with the Premier today, I can assure you that the Government is clearly focused in this area.

The Victorian Chamber also released our 2023-24 Federal Budget Submission this week which, among the 38 localised and specific priorities captured for Victoria, advocates for the provision of tax incentives to business to invest in energy efficient technologies. Initiatives like this a will ensure Victoria’s economic prosperity and the health of our business community while also addressing the high cost of living impacting our economy.

Innovation and trade are the foundations of our state, and it was an honour to be able to discuss these areas with the Honourable Linda Dessau AC CVO, Governor of Victoria, Mr Anthony Howard AM KC and The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Nicholas Lyons at a dinner at Government House Victoria last Thursday night. We also managed to get a tiny bit in about the upcoming Ashes series in England, of course!

I am proud to be representing our members tomorrow on Neil Mitchell’s Cruise for the Kids as we commit to raising funds for the Good Friday Appeal. You can donate via our personalised fundraising page here to help us reach our target of $5,000.

Finally, how good has the AirShow at Avalon been?! Some of our team have been present over the last few days and its clear the level of investment and opportunity that will be generated off the back of this event will be significant. Hope you might get to enjoy it over the weekend too.

Have a great rest of the week.