Advocacy groups lay out business priorities

CLEAR support for the vaccinated economy, increasing the number of residents in central Geelong and support for workers facing aggression from the community as they check vaccination status are among the key actions arising from a business forum.

Last week, local business advocacy organisations released a list of actions generated from September’s Geelong Small to Medium Enterprise Forum, which provided a chance for business to speak directly to government representatives about the experiences and challenges they have dealt with during the pandemic, lockdowns and restrictions.

Hosted by the Committee for Geelong, the Geelong Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine, the forum brought all levels of government together with the business community.

The candid discussions ranged from the experiences operators have endured to their recommendations for rebuilding the region and hardest-hit industries in the coming months and beyond.

Actions emerging from the forum included:

• Local support for the vaccinated economy approach, including the event hosts leading positive vaccination messaging throughout their networks
• Significant government funding to support residential living in Geelong – population density is critical for CBD retail, hospitality and services as the worker bases is predicted to decrease
• Urgent programs for businesses on improving COVID safety alongside clear advice about Occupational Health and Safety obligations and protections
• Dedicated focus on dealing with aggression toward frontline workers as they implement COVID safety protocols and manage vaccine requirements for patrons
• Continued financial support for businesses until they can operate at full capacity, and
• For events, an insurance scheme for pandemic-enforced cancellations to support organisers to plan with confidence and a manageable level of risk.

“This forum was a terrific opportunity for us to facilitate a direct line of communication between business and government,” Committee for Geelong chief executive officer Jennifer Cromarty said.

“The honest conversations acknowledged issues faced to date and, more importantly, shared ideas and forward-looking priorities.”

Geelong Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Ben Flynn said all participants came together with a genuine willingness to participate in finding solutions.

“The forum was a wonderful way to support the Geelong business community to identify and communicate what they need to get back to business sooner, and stronger.”