New advocacy group aims to make Melbourne a more liveable city

A powerful new advocacy group is set to shake up government lobbying in a bid to boost Melbourne’s liveability and “make Victoria the place to do business in Australia”.

Scott Tanner, Jacqui Savage and Paul Guerra. Picture: Ian Currie

A powerful new advocacy group will unite business, education and creative industry leaders to help shape a fairer tax system and a more liveable city.

The Committee for Melbourne and the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, which together represent almost 280 member organisations from universities to start-ups, have merged.

The new group, which will retain the Committee for Melbourne name but now sits under the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry umbrella, is set to shake up government lobbying with a stronger voice that aims to be “impossible to ignore”.

With Greater Melbourne set to house six million people early next decade and overtake Sydney as the country’s largest capital city, the new organisation will seek to reshape policy on housing, infrastructure, business attraction, and broader economic growth.

The new organisation will seek to reshape Melbourne policy on housing, infrastructure, business attraction, and broader economic growth.

Committee for Melbourne chair, Scott Tanner, said the two merged bodies shared similar values and aims, and that “stronger together is better”.

He said the city was at a “critical” juncture with clear challenges such as state debt levels, the cost of doing business, and a global war for talent; but it was important to boost liveability on a broader level in order to attract industry and leadership to the city.

“Our roads are falling apart at the moment,” he said.

“There’s stuff that’s got to be done and that can only be done if we’ve got economic activity and economic growth, and we’re thinking holistically about that solution.”

VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra says the state and city is facing an energy crisis and a small business crisis. Picture: Mark Wilson

Mr Tanner said the intention was for staff across the organisations to keep their jobs and that all stakeholders would continue to get a voice.

“We will ensure that the interests of all members continue to be represented, reinforcing our commitment to making Greater Melbourne a vibrant and thriving business and community hub.”

Chief executive of the VCCI, Paul Guerra, said the state and city was facing an energy crisis and a small business crisis, and there were “challenges around the world now for where companies want to establish”.

“We want Melbourne, we want Victoria, to be that place,” he said.

Mr Guerra said the fact that Victoria “is the highest taxed state in the country” isn’t helping and that by creating a shared voice and united front it would be “almost impossible to ignore the voice of the business community”.

“We think by the two organisations coming together with that shared voice and that shared vision, it will have even greater impact on being able to influence governments … to make Victoria the place to do business in Australia,” he said.

Mr Guerra says the goal of the organisation is to make Victoria the place to do business in Australia. Picture: Getty Images

Committee for Melbourne board member and founder of healthcare tech company Medcorp, Jacqui Savage, said nurturing talent and attracting more to Melbourne was critical to expand emerging sectors, and enhancing liveability was a key part of this.

“It’s what we’re really going to be up against in the future, and it is now more than ever that we need to really advocate for that,” she said.

“Success and innovation in business is honestly really driven by, and about that, collaboration and diversity.”

President of the VCCI Adrian Kloeden said challenges facing the state meant now was the time “for our business, education, creative arts and not-for-profit leaders to work closely together”.

“As our city continues to grow, we need a singular, more unified voice and coming together represents our willingness to make this happen.”