Victoria is open for business with the Victorian Government announcing the state’s new priority sectors and the members of the newly-established Premier’s Business Council as part of its Economic Growth Statement.
These high-potential sectors will provide business and industry the confidence to invest, while at the same time sharpening Victoria’s competitive advantage. They include:
- Advanced manufacturing and defence
- Health technologies and medical research
- Circular economy
- Digital technologies
- Agribusiness
These sectors have been carefully chosen to align with the Statement’s four key actions: open doors, cut red tape, build new skills and reach every community.
The Victorian Government will turbo charge these five priority sectors with a new $20 million Victorian Industry Development Fund. This fund will encourage investment from industry by delivering matched funding through grants and providing loans to innovative Victorian start-ups and scale-ups and will be released in early 2025.
The new Boosting Business Skills Mentoring Program will also be established, providing up to 1000 small businesses across the Government’s five priority sectors with free mentoring sessions from an experienced professional.
There will also be the establishment of the new Premier’s Business Council – providing a direct line of engagement between business and government. Ahmed Fahour AO, CEO of Gurner Group and former CEO of Australia Post, NAB and Latitude Financial Services will serve as the Council’s Chair.
The other members of the Council are made up of leading businesspeople from multi-nationals, small businesses, and from a diverse range of sectors including manufacturing, finance, education, retail, the arts, sports, housing, media and philanthropy. These members are:
- Andrew Dillon, CEO of the Australian Football League (AFL)
- Andrew Irvine, CEO of National Australia Bank
- Anthony Pratt, Chairman of Visy
- Bihong Wang, President of Asian Australian Business Association of Whitehorse
- Carol Schwartz AO, Chair of Equity Trustees and Our Community, Director of Trawalla Group, Member of Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia
- Carolyn Viney, CEO of Assemble
- Elizabeth Lewis-Gray, Co-Founder and Chair of Gekko Systems
- Lisa Barron OAM, Founder of Lisa Barron, Melbourne Made Womenswear Designer
- Mark Mentha, Co-Founder and Partner at KordaMentha
- Mike Schneider, CEO of Bunnings
- Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, Founder and Director of Mind Blowing Films
- Nick Reece, Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne
- Penny Fowler, Chair of Royal Botanical Gardens, Tourism Australia and the Good Friday Appeal
- Professor Sharon Pickering, Vice-Chancellor and President at Monash University
Invest Victoria is committed to helping businesses and investors capitalise on the opportunities and initiatives outlined in the Economic Growth Statement.
Contact us to explore the opportunities Victoria has to offer
