Our Melbourne Chamber member, the Herald Sun, has been running the feature over the past two weeks, and the lunch gives us an opportunity to engage with key speakers. It was wonderful to hear directly from Herald and Weekly Times Chairman Penny Fowler and Herald Sun Editor Sam Weir at the event.

Victorian Minister for Development Victoria and Minister for Precincts, The Hon. Colin Brooks, gave an impassioned address and our keynote speaker – renowned urbanist and social change expert - Lucinda Hartley captivated the audience with her insightful presentation.

After providing a keynote address, I was fortunate to moderate our panel, featuring Crown Melbourne CEO Mike Volkert and John Holland CEO Joe Barr, while our Chief of Staff Chanelle Pearson was MC for the proceedings. The event was a testament to the collective commitment we share in taking on the responsibility to enable a vibrant and prosperous future for Victoria.

My keynote focussed on the next phase for Victoria, which I termed “Victoria’s Transformation”. We have an opportunity to capitalise on what we have and to progress further from that again. It’s our view that there are six major parts to the transformation, namely Housing, Transport, Regional, Event & Tourism, Net Zero Energy and Private Public Partnerships (PPP’s). It’s critical that the State works with the private sector, and it’s critical that the debt is addressed without further taxes and impost on business or citizens. You can see elements of the coverage here.

I caught up with the Victorian Government’s Commissioner for Victoria to the Americas (US West Coast and Latin America) Nigel Warren to discuss opportunities he has identified in the US for Australian businesses. We look forward to working closely with him and his team to bring more prospects to Victoria’s business landscape. We also explored an opportunity to learn from what’s occurring in the US and I will update on that once I have some further plans.

The Australian Cyber Conference 2023 is just around the corner! This essential event will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 17 - 19. It’s a golden opportunity to gain valuable insights into the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity. I’m particularly proud that our very own Victorian Chamber Executive Director - ICT, Glenn Goodwin, will be presenting on our recent Cyber Security and Scams Policy Position. His expertise and dedication have been instrumental in shaping our approach to this critical issue.

It was great to catch up Jeremy Crawford, CEO Geelong Chamber, this morning. Jeremy is certainly ensuring Geelong and surrounds-based members are well represented at every level and it’s no surprise that membership is growing under his leadership. We are enjoying the relationship with Jeremy and the Geelong Chamber, and there is so much more we can do together. The Chamber movement has a strong role to play in Victoria and we are much more effective for our members and customers when Chambers find a way to leverage our strengths together. It’s a commitment we are driving at the Victorian Chamber.

It’s an exciting week as the 2023 Caulfield Cup Carnival kicks off this Saturday with Caulfield Guineas! It’s such an electrifying time of year, and I wish all the best to Melbourne Chamber members, Melbourne Racing Club, in particular Chairman Matt Cain, and CEO, Josh Blanksby.

Don’t forget, most Australians will head to the polls on Saturday to have their say in The Voice referendum. Whatever your position, it’s crucial that you participate in what will be our first referendum since 1999.

And finally, I’m sure like me you are feeling shock and sorrow at the tragic loss of innocent lives in the unprecedented events in Israel– as well as deep concern about the uncertainty that now faces the region.

As you may recall I was in Israel in March this year. It’s hard to believe that some areas I visited on business no longer exist. I am in contact with some of the Israeli people I met on my trip, and the details are quite frightening.

The Victorian Chamber is playing an active role in supporting where we can. This includes providing Qantas with the required trade documentation for repatriation flights to bring Australians home from the conflict zone.

The Chamber’s thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted, and we condemn the violence against the Israeli people. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this situation and extend our support to the people affected by this turmoil.

Have a wonderful weekend.