The Victorian Chamber will continue to promote its State Budget Submission, calling for pro-business policies promoting growth in Victoria. Our full list of recommendations is available to view here. We are also calling for policy makers to prioritise the agribusiness sector, which employs 190,000 Victorians, through increased investment, infrastructure, education and training.

The launch of our Agribusiness Taskforce Report, Harvesting Growth for Victoria, this week received significant attention in the media, with many of the recommendations key to the future success of agribusiness in our state. These include reducing red tape and fast-tracking infrastructure, to improving workforce skills and increasing quality and innovation across the agribusiness supply chain.

Agribusiness exports account for 29 per cent of all Australian good and fibre exports and a significant 47 per cent of all Victorian goods exports, so this is a very important issue on which the Victorian Chamber will continue to advocate.

You may also have seen some commentary around a Melbourne Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the MCG last week, featuring Dow Chemical’s Chair and CEO Andrew Liveris. The MCC members in attendance were extremely enthusiastic to hear such an accomplished speaker, who is one of few people to have served under the former and current President of the United States and is now Chair of the American Manufacturing Council, a crucial role to the future of our global economy.

Mr Liveris spoke about domestic energy issues here in Australia, and specifically echoed the Victorian Chamber’s policy position against the moratorium on onshore conventional gas exploration. Mr Liveris called the situation we find ourselves in an “existential energy crisis”, and called for Governments to abandon short termism and address energy supply and price issues.

While Mr Liveris’ address was an invitation-only event, we hold many high-calibre events throughout the year with some of Australia’s most engaging and informative speakers. The next is our post-Budget Lunch with Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas MP and, with seats filling fast, I encourage you to book now or risk missing out.