Current News

Drought Community Support Initiative up to $3,000 per household (tax free)
Closing December 31st
If you are currently living in an eligible drought affected area in QLD, NSW, Vic, SA, Tas or WA please feel free to reach out. A list of the eligible local Government areas can be found here. The Salvation Army is working together with St Vincent de Paul Society to deliver the Drought Community Support Initiative – Round 2 (DCSI) for eligible drought affected households. If you're a farmer, farm worker or farm supplier/contractor who is struggling financially because of the drought, you may be entitled to receive a one-off payment of up to $3,000 funded by the Australian Government’s Drought Community Support Initiative – Round 2 (DCSI). Visit the Salvation Army website for more information.

New Agriculture Strategy & Funding from the Victorian Government
Minister Symes has announced a new Agriculture Strategy to position Victorian agriculture to help drive Victoria’s recovery from COVID-19 and support economic growth. $65 million in new initiatives was also announced to support its delivery, please see here for details www.premier.vic.gov.au/backing-agriculture-victorias-strong-future.  Below is a breakdown of the funding:

• $15 million to access leading AgTech, innovative farming methods and new skills so farmers have the tools and expertise they need to deliver more high-quality products to more local and global consumers
• $20 million for the Food to Market and Pathways to Export programs, which will support infrastructure and business development projects and dedicated agriculture export resources for Victorian farmers
• $30 million investment to extend the Agriculture Energy Investment Plan, which helps farmers reduce their energy costs, and be more energy efficient and productive
• The above is in addition to the $50 million recently announced by the Minister last week for the Agricultural College Modernisation Program  which will directly benefit the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus in the Goulburn Valley, please see here for details https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/skills-and-support-next-generation-victorian-farmers

Global Victoria- Programs and initiatives
The Global Victoria Intellect Program (GVIP) is a virtual, two-week program enabling Victoria-based exporters to gain market research intelligence from teams of international and domestic university students currently studying in Victoria. GVIP gives you the opportunity to tap into Victoria's vast network of smart and diverse future leaders who will provide a robust understanding of international markets.

Each participating company will be allocated a group of students (hand-picked by us) to work on delivering valuable market research for their organisation. Students are guided through an online structured market research process, which will generate valuable insights and data relevant to your company brief.
Registering your Victorian business to take part in GVIP is a simple and easy online process: Visit the Global Victoria website for more information.

Facemasks in Victoria
From 11:59pm Sunday 22 November, there are changes to the rules around the wearing of face masks. 

• Face masks are no longer required when you are outdoors and where it is possible to stay more than 1.5 metres away from people.  
• Use of face masks remain mandatory if you are unable to stay further than 1.5 metres away from people not in your household, such as when waiting at public transport stations, outdoor markets, walkways and thoroughfares.  
• Face masks remain mandatory when indoors – for example, in shopping centres or at a hospital. 

Visit the DHHS website for a more detailed list of updates relating to masks in Victoria.

There are a number of significant changes to the COVID Safe requirements for seasonal horticulture workplaces for you to be aware of. Effectively, in the context of continuing zero COVID case days, the Additional Obligations Directions and Workplace Directions have been wound back significantly.
 
Two new Workplace Directions were issued and became effective on 22 November 11.59 pm – Additional Obligations No 13 and Workplace Directions No 10.
 
The new Workplace Additional Obligations Directions No 13 replaces the previous Directions:

• Removes certain obligations from the listed industries such as having a High Risk COVIDSafe Plan, cleaning logs and PPE training plan
• Removes the requirement for surveillance testing for seasonal horticultural work
• Removes the requirements for employers to supply face coverings to seasonal workers and ensure that all seasonal workers at the seasonal Work Premises wear a face covering at all times
• Removes the requirement on all industries (except for care facilities, hotel quarantine and ports of entry) for employers to require workers to make declarations at the start of each shift
• Retains the requirement for record keeping, separation of workers through bubbles, and increased cleaning.

While seasonal horticulture businesses do not have to have a 'seasonal horticulture worker COVIDSafe Plan', all businesses must have a COVID safe plan in place that addresses the COVID related risks of the business and the requirements of the Additional Obligations Directions.
 
DHHS may still look to undertake some voluntary surveillance testing of seasonal horticulture farms. We are seeking some further information on this.

The Department of Transport (DoT) is inviting your organisation to take part in the Principal Freight Network (PFN) Review 2020.  The PFN is the strategic network of places and connecting corridors that enable the efficient, safe and economic movement of freight in Victoria. It identifies the strategic places and transport corridors where freight of significant quantity, value or importance is generated, stored, and distributed.
 
The PFN will enable the future growth of the freight task on the Victorian transport network by:

• guiding future transport network and land-use planning and infrastructure investment
• protecting the freight network and its future capacity through appropriate legislation planning scheme and policy provisions
• integrating multi-modal supply chains and end-to-end supply chains to achieve productivity gains and industry competitiveness.

Follow the link below to provide feedback by Friday 18 December 2020 on the PFN maps, including amendments proposed, prior to the release of an updated PFN in early 2021. Material to support you as you provide feedback is available on the Get Involved web page, including a Project Fact Sheet and FAQs. You will be directed to provide your feedback on the interactive map of the PFN through Social PinPoint.