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December 2024 Edition of the Alpine Business Newsletter

3 December 2024

Alpine Business Newsletter
 Information for business 27 March 2024
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Alpine Business Newsletter

Welcome to the December edition of the Alpine Business Newsletter!

Welcome to the December issue of our business newsletter where you can find exciting news about upcoming events, grants and other valuable resources for your business!

  • That's a wrap for our Agriculture and Food & Beverage roundtable events for 2024.
  • We are running two free 72 Hour workshops for farming enterprises. 
  • Explore grant funding opportunities such as Agriculture Victoria's Farm Business Resilience Program and LaunchVic AgTech Grants Program. 
  • If your business offers vouchers, reach out to us to get your business listed on our tourism website.
  • Check our new resources available on the Sustainability Hub like our Circular Economy tool for businesses. 
  • Final reminder: renew or apply for your Local Laws Permit
  • Beyond Blue have developed NewAccess, a program to provide small business owners with free and confidential mental health coaching.


Thank you for being part of the Alpine Shire business community. Stay tuned to Alpine Shire Business Hub for more updates and resources to help your business thrive. 

Alpine Shire Business Hub is your one-stop shop for up-to-date information on events and news 
The Business Hub has been curated as a one stop shop for business owners and operators in the Alpine Shire to access support resources and stay up to date with the latest grant opportunities, workshops and events. 
 
We highly encourage all businesses to sign up to Engage Alpine and follow the Business Hub to stay in the loop for information and opportunities related to businesses in the Alpine Shire.
Sign up here
That's a wrap on the 2024 Agriculture and Food & Beverage Manufacturing Roundtables

In 2024, the Economic Development Team facilitated three roundtable events with representatives from businesses within two of our largest sectors; Agriculture and Food & Beverage Manufacturing. The events aimed to facilitate connection and collaboration among stakeholders to ultimately contribute to a thriving Alpine Shire business economy. 
Representatives from more than twelve businesses attended as well as industry representatives and guest speakers. The discussion enabled the identification of key issues affecting these sectors and actions to address challenges.
Thank you to all that attended these events.
Upcoming events
The First 72 Hours - Free Workshops for the Farming Sector
Wednesday 12th February 2025 @ Mount Beauty Community Centre 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Tuesday 18th February 2025 @ Myrtleford Senior Citizens Centre 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

The Economic Development team in collaboration with the Emergency Management team are excited to facilitate two workshops in February 2025 to support farming enterprises to identify potential impacts to their business and what can be put in place to minimise consequences. Participants should only attend one session.

Additional workshops will be announced for other key sectors. 
Carbon Neutral Wine and Grapes - Oxley
Thursday 5 December 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Oxley Shire Hall

Hosted by North East Catchment Management Authority, this workshop aims to support growers and wine businesses in North East Victoria to understand carbon farming and the opportunities and risks to grape-growing and wine-making businesses. 

For more information and to register, head to North East Catchment Management Authorities events page. 
Tourism North East Industry Forum - December
Tuesday 10 December 2024
Online

Join the Tourism North East team for the final industry forum of 2024. The session will cover key data insights and emerging trends across Victoria's High Country, updates on the 'short stay levy' and how you can leverage the 'It's A High Country Thing' marketing campaign. 

For more information and to register, head to the Tourism North East website.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Victoria is likely to experience a hot summer, with hotter than average temperatures expected across the state. Early preparation in case of a natural disaster can help businesses to respond and adapt and minimise disruption. Read Business Victoria's 9 essential steps to prepare for a natural disaster:

https://business.vic.gov.au/learning-and-advice/hub/9-essential-steps-to-prepare-for-a-natural-disaster
Grant funding opportunities
Agriculture Victoria - Farm Business Resilience Program
This program aims to support farmers to improve their farm business and its' resilience to the impacts of a changing climate by providing resources, tools and courses. The program covers a range of topics including profitable decision-making, business and workforce planning, climate adaptation and emergency preparedness.

This program is open on an ongoing basis. For more information visit the Agriculture Victoria website.
LaunchVic - AgTech Grants Program
This program aims to support early stage AgTech startups across Victoria by providing working capital to help build capacity and growth. Grants of $50,000 (ex GST) are available per startup ($48.500 as a cash grant, and $1,500 will support the cost of a professional startup mentor). 

Grants run for six months and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

Applications close on 30 June 2025. 
To find more information about these grants and more, visit the Alpine Shire Grant Finder at: 
https://grantguru.com/au/alpine
Employment news
The Pay Equality Toolkit
Equal pay matters for all Victorian workers. Progress toward an equitable workplace creates benefits for employees and business performance. Generally speaking, contributing to a more satisfied and productive workforce. The Pay Equality Toolkit is comprised of 8 different tools created to help business make progress on pay equality. 

For more information, visit the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission website.
Changes to the Fair Work Act
There are new workplace laws as part of the Closing Loopholes Act 2023 which will take effect at different times from December 2023 to 2025. Some of the changes include changes to the definition of casual employees and functions relating to the right to disconnect.

Stay up to date with the latest news on legislation changes and award change, and download a copy of the timeline of changes by visiting the Fair Work Commission website. 
Other news
THE GIFT OF TRAVEL!
Christmas is just around the corner, and what's better than giving the gift of travel. Many businesses within the Alpine Shire offer vouchers - from accommodation, restaurants to activities and produce. If your business offers vouchers and you'd like to be featured on our website, please reach out to the team by emailing tourism@alpineshire.vic.gov.au
https://www.visitbright.com.au/plan-your-trip/gift-vouchers/
Environmental weeds impact on native vegetation and agricultural productivity. Under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, landholders have a legal responsibility to manage noxious weeds on their property. There are many ways that you can prevent and manage noxious weeds. Read more about this on our Sustainability Hub:
https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/community-hubs/sustainability-hub/weed-management
In an effort to support businesses to reduce waste, we have developed a Circular Economy tool which aims to support businesses to connect and reuse materials. This helps to keep products in use, keeping them out of landfill and reducing the need for new materials. Read more about this tool on our Sustainability Hub:
https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/circular-economy

Final Reminder: Renew or Apply for Your Local Laws Permit

A friendly reminder that it's time to ensure your Local Laws Permit for on-street dining, trading, or signage is up to date. Permits are required annually under the Community Local Law and renew each year on 1 July. 

You may recall we sent out reminders earlier this year, followed by a renewal notice with an invoice or instruction to apply if you didn't previously hold a permit. A second reminder was also issued recently. 

If you haven't renewed or applied for your permit, now is the time. The next step will unfortunately involve issuing infringement notices. 

What to do next:
  • Pay your invoice by BPay, over the phone by calling Council on (03) 5755 0555, or by visiting our Customer Service Centre in Bright, Mount Beauty Library or Myrtleford Library; or,
  • Complete your permit application form and return it to Council.
Permits need to be paid by Sunday, 15 December. Infringements will be issued after this date. 

If you have any questions or require any assistance, please reach out to us directly by emailing info@alpineshire.vic.gov.au or calling (03) 5755 0555.
Business support services
NewAccess for Small Business Owners
Beyond Blue have developed this program to give small business owners free and confidential mental health coaching. 

Delivered over 6 sessions, a NewAccess coach will work with business owners to provide support and practical skills to manage stress during difficult times. 

To find out more about the support available, visit: 
https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/newaccess-for-small-business-owners


 
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Alpine Shire Council · Great Alpine Road · Bright, VIC 3741 · Australia