The Victorian Government will extend the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme (CTRS), providing rent relief and protections for commercial tenants and landlords experiencing hardship through the latest wave of the pandemic.

The CTRS was created in 2020 and reintroduced in July 2021 to support small to medium businesses. It will be extended to 15 March 2022 to provide further financial relief and security for thousands of small businesses across the state.
The extended scheme will be available to businesses with an annual turnover of $10 million or less and which have suffered a decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent due to COVID-19.
Landlords will be required to provide continued proportional rent relief in line with a reduction in turnover. For example, a business with a turnover of 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels could only be charged 40 per cent of its rent.
Of the balance, at least half would be waived, with the remainder to be deferred. The freeze on rent increases will continue.
The Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC) will continue to provide mediation support to tenants and landlords if parties cannot reach a satisfactory agreement.
The eviction moratorium will continue. Landlords will not be able to lock out or evict tenants without undertaking mediation through the VSBC.
The new regulations will take effect from 16 January 2022. Tenants and landlords should abide by the conditions in their existing agreement. Small and family businesses that already have a deferment will have more time for repayments as a result of this extension.
Many commercial landlords have already backed their fellow Victorians by providing rent relief to commercial tenants, supporting eligible businesses through reduced trading due to COVID-19.
Eligible commercial landlords that have provided rent relief to their tenants have received support through the $20 million Commercial Landlord Hardship Fund. They will continue to do so while their tenants are eligible for the scheme.
Full details of the scheme including eligibility will be published on the VSBC’s website. Tenants and landlords can contact the VSBC for further information on 13 87 22 or visit vsbc.vic.gov.au.
Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford said:
“Victorian small and family businesses play a critical role in creating jobs and driving economic growth – and that’s why we’re supporting them to get through this challenging period.”
“We have allocated more than $13 billion in funding to businesses across Victoria throughout the pandemic.”

The State Government is continuing to support the Ararat Rural City Council better serve the local community.

Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane joined the Council today to officially unveil the upgraded mobile library and announce additional funding for a 24-hour smart locker system.
Through the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, Ararat Rural City Council received $120,000 for the new vehicle which is now on the road and serving towns in the municipality including Streatham, Elmhurst, Pomonal, Moyston and Willaura and giving them access to weekly library services.
Ararat Rural City Council will also receive $23,500 from the Labor Government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Program to set up a smart locker system at the Ararat Library, allowing members 24-hour access for drop off pick up.
This is in addition to the more than $67,000 provide to upgrade and refurbish the Ararat Library building making it a more welcoming place for locals to work, study and access the fantastic programs it has on offer.
The Living Libraries Infrastructure Program enables councils to deliver new or renewed library infrastructure to strengthen communities and encourage lifelong learning.
Since 2015 the Government has invested more than $42.6 million into 109 Living Libraries projects, allowing a total investment of $297.2 million for new libraries, upgrades to existing facilities and library vans.
For more information on Living Libraries and this year’s successful applications visit localgovernment.vic.gov.au/grants/living-libraries-infrastructure-program.
Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane said:
“We’re continuing to ensure local libraries have all they need to deliver the very best programs and services to their communities.”
“Victorians love their libraries, and this is wonderful for all those living in Ararat and surrounds, they are a tremendous resource which play a vital role in community connectedness.”
Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford said:
“It’s great the Ararat Library now has a brand new mobile library, upgrades to the building and now this grant allowing locals to borrow and return items at their convenience.”

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is looking for young people aged 15-25 who live, work or study in the Macedon Ranges to get involved in the recently revamped “Youth Ambassador Program”.

The new look program includes two innovative initiatives: ‘Green Means Go’ and ‘Leaders in the Loop’.
Green Means Go gives funding and project support to young people who have a passion project they want to get started, or one they want to keep going by offering:
 financial support of up to $1,000 for selected projects
 worker time and skills support through a series of project ‘cluster’ workshops
Leaders in the Loop gives young people a seat and a say by:
 bringing young leaders into consultation and decision making loops
 enabling young leaders to feedback directly to decision makers in the community
 offering payment to young leaders for their time and input into consultations
Mayor, Cr Jennifer Anderson said Council recognises that our youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, are also leaders of today, and should be included and recognised for this important role and the significant input they bring
“The Youth Ambassador Program is about actively consulting, engaging and considering young people in Council’s decision-making, promoting the views of young people across the community
and supporting projects that they are passionate about and determine are needed in the community.
“Last year Council, in conjunction with our youth, reviewed and remodelled the program, which was an important step in supporting young people who are showing initiative in the community, and letting them know we want to hear from them, we value their input and their contribution to the work we do at Council and in the community.
“Hopefully the new look program will capture the imagination of our young people to energise, inspire and support them in following their passions and ensuring the activities on offer are relevant and useful for young people in the shire,” she said.
To find out more, register or to pitch your project, visit mrsc.vic.gov.au/youth/leadership or call 5422 0333.

A $3.2 million investment by the Morrison Government in road safety in Bannockburn is now complete, delivering benefits for 10,000 daily road users, pedestrians and cyclists. 

Senator for Victoria, Sarah Henderson, said the Morrison Government’s election commitment to deliver a new roundabout at the five-way intersection (where Clyde and Shelford-Bannockburn Roads meet Kelly Road) adjacent to the railway crossing, is already improving safety. 

“The Federal Government’s investment in the Bannockburn safer entrance project, which the Labor Party declined to support, is a major win for the people of Bannockburn,” Senator Henderson said.

“This project demonstrates our government’s absolute commitment to safer roads in regional communities. I also acknowledge the hard work of Golden Plains Shire and the community more broadly which strongly advocated for this investment. 

Liberal Candidate for Corangamite, Stephanie Asher, said that upgrading regional roads was one of her key priorities as she works hard over the coming months to develop her local plan for Corangamite. 

“I understand how important safer roads are to Corangamite residents. This entrance to Bannockburn has been a long standing safety concern and I am delighted that the Morrison government has made this vital investment in road safety. 

“As our region continues to grow, it is vital that local residents receive the infrastructure they deserve,” Ms Asher concluded. 

The Bannockburn safer entrance project is one of many road upgrades being delivered by the Morrison Government across our region.

A new roundabout at the intersection of the Midland Highway and Clyde Road, backed by $5.2 million from the Morrison Government, is set for completion in May. 

The State Government is making a game-changing investment in regional recycling infrastructure, creating local circular economies and regional jobs.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio today opened round one of the $40.9 million Regional Recycling Fund that will strengthen regional Victoria’s recycling network.
From today, grants of up to $500,000 are available to upgrade regionally significant resource recovery centres for recyclable materials including cardboard, plastic, paper, glass and mixed recyclables.
The $10 million available for round one of the program can also be used to fund infrastructure investment that will help smaller facilities operate at a larger scale.
Future funding will support further upgrades and new regional material recovery facilities and will be informed by the development of Regional Circular Economy Plans. These plans will bring together regional councils and identify local recycling opportunities that optimise Victoria’s resource recovery and transfer station network.
Local councils and private operators are invited to apply. Private operators will be asked to contribute $3 for every $1 received through the program.
This fund is part of the Government’s $515 million investment towards delivering the biggest ever transformation of the state’s waste and recycling industry, including major reforms like the new four service household recycling system and the container deposit scheme.
Applications for round one of the Regional Recycling Fund are open until 4pm on 9 March 2022. More information is available at www.vic.gov.au/regional-recycling-fund.
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said:
“We’re making a significant investment in the state’s recycling system by creating industries that have a positive impact on climate change through reducing landfill.”
“These regional facilities are the building blocks for a robust recycling network that will drive current and future material recovery in regional Victoria, supporting the creation of regional circular economies and jobs.”
Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas said:
“We continue to support households, workers and businesses through this pandemic with major budget investments like the Regional Recycling Fund, which will provide an immediate and ongoing boost to regional jobs.”

Following advice from the Chief Health Officer, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures suspended as part of the temporary changes to protect our hospitals will recommence, to help support Victorians who are wanting to start or grow their family.

Some services will restart from today, with hospitals scaling up their operations to enable procedures to resume from 11.59pm on Tuesday, 25 January.
The Chief Health Officer provided advice to the Acting Minister for Health that the restrictions on IVF procedures can be removed – as the specialist nature of the workforce and the facilities and equipment used are not imperative to support the pandemic response at this time.
The Department of Health will work with the Royal Women’s Hospital to prioritise urgent patients – ensuring that the changes do not affect the Covid-19 response in that Hospital.
While the IVF restrictions were in place, services were still available to those who needed to complete a treatment cycle they had started prior to 6 January 2022 or those who required future IVF procedure due to health treatment that would render their eggs non-viable.
Further advice is being sought from the Health Response Centre about other services that may be able to be restored without a critical impact on our current hospital workforce capacity.
Acting Minister for Health James Merlino said:
“IVF is a challenging journey for anyone to go through, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic, and we’re deeply sorry for the distress caused by affected services in recent weeks.”
“We thank Victorians for their patience as we’ve worked through critical workforce issues, and we’ll keep working to have other services restored as soon as we can.”

Hepburn Shire Council has adopted a new Procurement Policy to guide how it spends money with suppliers.

The policy covers the principles, procedures and processes that apply to the purchase of goods and services, including carrying out works. It seeks to promote open and fair competition and value for money, along with broader social benefits including employment opportunities.

Council’s Chief Executive Officer Bradley Thomas said the new policy introduces a number of improvements and incorporates objectives of the four-year Council Plan.

“Sustainability and the local economy are both central to our Council Plan, and to reflect this we’ve increased the weighting of each of these factors from 5 per cent, up to 7.5 per cent when awarding contracts,” said Mr Thomas.

“We’ve also introduced a mandatory new evaluation criterion for Social Procurement which aims to help meet wider social objectives,” he said.

“Suppliers will be invited to outline how they will support employment opportunities for people from disadvantaged groups, apprentices and trainees or older people; secure services from Indigenous groups; or provide other social or community benefits.

“This is a way for community projects to deliver an added social benefit with broader employment outcomes whilst achieving value for money.

“Hepburn Shire is a beautiful part of the world and we encourage businesses to register on our e-tender portal at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/tenders to receive notification of quotes and tenders.”

On-ground management of problematic pests and weeds will see a significant boost through an Australian Government investment of $20 million, matched by state and territory governments, to maximise reduction and prevention activities across the country.

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said pest animals and weeds pose a significant threat to Australia’s primary production, environment and biodiversity.

“Pests and weeds are a huge and growing problem for Australia’s agriculture and environment,” Minister Littleproud said.

“Projects will reduce the overall burden of pests and weeds through activities such as coordinated control, destruction and removal, including trapping, baiting and culling along with biological control release.”

Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said a reduction of pest animals and weeds will lead to more productive and profitable industries and benefit native wildlife and the environment.

“Projects will target nationally significant pest and weed species, such as feral deer, feral pigs, cats, foxes, rabbits, wild dogs and a range of invasive weeds across identified hot spots.”

For more information see: https://www.awe.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/pests-diseases-weeds/pest-animals-and-weeds

Fast Facts:

·       This funding expands on the $29.1 million Supporting Communities Manage Pest Animals and Weeds Program (2021-22 to 2024-25) to deliver better solutions to combat established pest animals and weeds. The total program funding is now $49.1 million.

·       The Australian Government investment in established pest animal and weed management programs is more than $330 million since 2015 (2014-15 to 2024-25).

·       Nationally, the annual cost of established vertebrate pest animals is estimated to be $800 million and over $4 billion for weeds in terms of production losses and control activities. The cost to the environment hasn’t been calculated but is likely to be higher.

·       A 2019 ABARES survey found land managers spent an average of $8,189 annually on pest animal management, up from $7,304 in 2016.

The Federal Government’s transformation of Australia’s recycling sector steps up another gear with the Australian and Victorian Governments jointly announcing 13 new projects that will see 136,000 tonnes of plastics, paper, glass and tyres made into new products while creating new jobs and new investment in the Victorian economy.

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley announced $36.5 million in joint funding for projects under the Australian Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) and the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria Infrastructure Fund.

Minister Ley said the Morrison Government’s $190 million contribution to the RMF was facilitating unprecedented investment in recycling infrastructure, with the combined Commonwealth, state, territory and industry co-investment model on track to reach around $800 million.

“This latest round of projects includes a joint PET recycling venture that will process the raw plastic equivalent of one billion drink bottles each year to produce over 22,000 tonnes of recycled PET bottles and food packaging,” Minister Ley said.

“It also includes remanufacturing projects, new products that will re-make waste into garden pots, railway sleepers and corrugated pipe.

“The co-investment model is exceeding all expectations and showing that materials can be recycled and remanufactured to create new products and new jobs while helping our environment.”

Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the Morrison Government is driving a $1 billion transformation of our waste and recycling industry to turbocharge domestic recycling so we can process in Australia materials that were previously sent overseas.

“It’s fantastic to see industry partnering with Government through the RMF, creating local jobs and innovating regional facilities,” Senator Henderson said.

The following local project have received funding:

Ballarat electorate

• Replas received $735,000 for their Advanced Polymer Feedstock project. Replas will increase its mixed-soft plastic reprocessing capacity to include problematic, low bulk density plastics. It will use these to produce Polyrok, a stone aggregate replacement used in the construction of kerbs and footpaths.

Corangamite electorate

• Fulton Hogan received $740,000 for their Lara Glass Processing Hub. Glass from local councils will be crushed and incorporated into asphalt products to build local roads. The project will process the equivalent of 40 million 330ml glass beer bottles each year.

Bendigo electorate

• Tambo Waste received $1.02 million to wash recycled glass products diverted from landfill at its California Gully site near Bendigo. At Tambo Waste Bairnsdale, the MRF upgrade will include a glass recycling facility which will be able to crush glass into fine sand for local re-use on roads.          

The $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund investment and measures to support Australia’s National Waste Policy Action Plan will create approximately 10,000 new jobs all around Australia over the next 10 years.

For more information see https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste/how-we-manage-waste/recycling-modernisation-fund

The State Government has today opened expressions of interest for the governance board of the groundbreaking new Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing – a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

The purpose-built facility will be built in Melbourne, forming a critical part of the state’s new approach to mental health – bringing together people with lived experience, researchers and health professionals to lead critical improvements in the mental health and wellbeing system.
The Collaborative Centre will provide treatment, care and support to adults and older adults, lead interdisciplinary research and serve as the ‘engine room’ for reform across the mental health sector and its workforce as the system is rebuilt from the ground up to deliver better mental health care for all Victorians.
The Government is seeking candidates who are dedicated to building a new mental health and wellbeing system, and who have the skills to set the strategic direction of the Collaborative Centre in its infancy and for years to come.
Unique legislation to establish the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing passed Parliament in November 2021.
The legislation ensures people with lived experience of mental illness or psychological distress are represented at every level of the Collaborative Centre, including on its Governance Board, as part of an innovative co-director model of executive leadership.
The Labor Government delivered a record $3.8 billion in the Victorian Budget 2021/22 to kickstart Victoria’s vital mental health reform and ensure work begins immediately to make sure all Victorians get the treatment and care they need when they need it, close to home.
Expressions of interest for the independent board of the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing will close on 8 February 2022. For more information, visit boards.vic.gov.au.
Minister for Mental Health James Merlino said:
“We’re searching for best and brightest leaders in the mental health field – including people with lived experience of the mental health system, researchers and health professionals to fill these vital roles on the board.”
“This Collaborative Centre will be the engine room of Victoria’s new mental health and wellbeing system – a system that is more responsive, compassionate, and connected to all Victorians, no matter where they live.”

The Victorian Government will again help more nurses, teachers, ambos, police, firefighters and other public sector workers get vaccinated sooner, offering paid time off to make it as easy as possible for them to get their crucial third dose.

Public sector employees can now access up to half a day’s paid time off to get their third dose, as was the arrangement when receiving their first two doses. The Government hopes the move encourages other employers to consider similar incentives, which will assist more Victorians to access their third dose sooner. The arrangements apply to full-time and part-time staff and long-term regular casuals at departments and administrative offices, statutory authorities, government schools, TAFE institutes, police and emergency services, water and land management authorities and other public entities. All public sector workers are strongly encouraged to get their third dose vaccination as soon as they are eligible – with clear data showing a third dose decreases the chances of being hospitalised by up to 90 per cent. The paid time off to get vaccinated applies in addition to accrued sick leave, which can be used if people experience adverse side effects. The program is subject to the usual operational requirements for taking time off and does not displace any more generous arrangements already in place. In addition, the strong recommendation to work from home and study from home for adult education if you can will also remain in place – this will continue to be assessed. Visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine for information on vaccine eligibility and Victoria’s vaccination centres, including locations and opening hours. All Victorians are encouraged where possible to book their vaccination appointment by visiting portal.cvms.vic.gov.au or by phoning the Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398. Minister for Industrial Relations Tim Pallas said: “It’s never been easier to get your third dose, and it’s one of the most important things you can do to drive our COVID-19 numbers down and protect your loved ones.” “I strongly encourage all Victorian employers to put in place similar arrangements, including the private sector, so their workers are supported to access their third dose vaccination as soon as they are eligible.” Acting Minister for Health James Merlino said: “There are currently thousands of vaccination bookings available across the state, we’re asking all Victorians to go out and get your essential third dose now.”

The State Government is helping schools stay open safely and reducing disruption to students’ learning, with a staffing pool to fill COVID-related vacancies in Victorian government schools at short notice.

As schools prepare for the beginning of Term 1, the Government is calling on inactive or retired teachers, education support staff, retired principals and staff with administrative experience to join the Job Opportunity Pool.
Staff will be deployed to local schools on a fixed-term basis to fill any short-term gaps caused by teachers, school leaders or education support staff who contract COVID-19 and need to isolate.
Government schools will be able to access this pool to assist with their daily operations – from face-to-face teaching to student support, school-based allied health or administrative assistance, as well supporting school leaders in managing COVID-19 matters.
All staff employed through the pool will hold a valid Working with Children Check or valid Victorian Institute of Teaching registration prior to the commencement of employment – and must be fully vaccinated, as with all adults who enter school sites.
While a comprehensive return-to-school plan will be released soon, the Government has spent the summer holiday period delivering more than $190 million in measures to keep schools COVIDSafe.
Education staff interested in being part of the Job Opportunity Pool are urged to apply now at https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/careers/Pages/advacsSCH.aspx.
Minister for Education James Merlino said:
“Every sector is under pressure from the Omicron variant, and education will be no exception – but we’re taking action early to make sure staff absences don’t mean huge disruptions for students’ learning.”
“If you’re a retired or inactive teacher, school support staff member, allied health professional or administration worker – we want you to support our schools in 2022, so please get online and apply now.”

As students, staff and families across Victoria prepare for the beginning of the school year, the Victorian Government is making sure school and early childhood education is as safe as possible in 2022 – with a full suite of COVIDSafe measures to protect communities and minimise disruption to learning.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Education James Merlino today announced a plan to keep education settings open while taking every measure to protect students and staff – with surveillance testing, ventilation, vaccinations and comprehensive workforce planning to ensure a successful 2022 school year.
Under the plan to safely welcome students back to the classroom – which was devised as a result of working closely with the NSW Government – rapid antigen testing will be in place for at least the first four weeks of Term 1.
The Government will deliver more than 14 million rapid antigen tests to schools and early childhood education and care services, including 6.6 million tests to be delivered in the first week of term.
This surveillance testing will be strongly recommended for all primary and secondary school students and staff, and early childhood education and care staff, twice-weekly at home before school or childcare.
Students and staff at specialist schools will be recommended to test five days each week due to the higher risk of severe illness for medically vulnerable children.
At the end of Term 4, 2021, more than 99.7 per cent of school staff were double-vaccinated – the school workforce knows how important vaccination is in protecting school communities and vulnerable children.
School and early childhood staff will be added to the list of workers in key sectors who must receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 25 February if they are already eligible, or within 3 months and 2 weeks of receiving a second dose to continue working in education settings.
The Chief Health Officer (CHO) has advised a third dose will help ensure continued protection for this workforce, most notably individuals with significant underlying health conditions. He also noted that a mandate may help to mitigate against the risk of outbreaks in these settings.
The CHO has further advised that Victoria is experiencing unprecedented and elevated rates of community transmission, and education settings are likely to be linked to a significant number of cases once the academic year commences after the holiday period.
Improving ventilation is a key measure to slow the spread of the virus around schools, particularly in high-risk areas like staff rooms, music rooms, indoor canteens and other high traffic areas. All 51,000 air purification devices that were ordered will be delivered to government and low-fee non-government schools for the first day of Term 1.
More than 1,800 schools have applied for a Shade Sail Grant, with grants progressively being rolled out and shade sail construction already underway at more than 300 of these schools to allow more classes to learn safely outdoors.
The Government has invested $7.5 million in early childhood services to improve ventilation, alongside a further $7.4 million to support kindergarten services to implement the best COVIDSafe measures for their individual settings, keeping children and staff safe.
For information about coronavirus visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or call 1800 675 398.
More than 29 per cent of children aged 5-11 have now had one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the Government is working to ensure all children in this cohort have access to two doses by the end of Term 1 – with 30 pop-up vaccination clinics opening on school sites, alongside grants to pharmacies and GPs to deliver vaccines at schools.
There are 66,000 appointments available for children aged 5 to 11 in state-run centres over the next 30 days, and many more through primary care – and all families are urged to book their children in as soon as possible.
In light of potential significant but short-term staffing challenges in schools and early childhood services in Term 1, the Government has classified education staff as critical workers – allowing household contacts to voluntarily continue working if they are asymptomatic and return daily negative rapid antigen tests.
The Government has also launched a pool of inactive teachers, education support staff, retired principals and surge administrative support staff for schools to access to cover any COVID-19-related workforce shortages.
The way COVID-19 cases are managed and reported in education settings will change from Term 1 to reduce the burden on schools and early childhood services. Schools and kindergartens will be required to inform staff, parents and carers when there is a positive case and will provide advice on any steps families are required to take.
Mask wearing will continue, with students in Grade 3 and above required to wear masks – although they will not be required outdoors. Teachers will be required to wear masks at all times when not actively teaching or communicating with students.
Remote learning will be considered only as a localised, short-term last resort – but when students are required to isolate as a close contact or positive case, the Department of Education and Training will continue to provide a suite of online resources for students in Prep to Year 10, ensuring they have activities and work to complete.
Premier Daniel Andrews said:
“Face-to-face learning is the best option for our kids’ learning and wellbeing – that’s why we’ve done the work to get students safely back in the classroom from the start of Term 1, and make sure they stay there.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“With vital COVIDSafe steps in place like surveillance testing, improved ventilation and high rates of vaccination, we’ve done everything we can to make schools as safe as possible– and we can’t wait to welcome all students back for Term 1.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
“Early childhood services are critical in our kids’ early development – these measures will reduce disruption to their learning and make sure our kinder services are supported to keep children and staff as safe as possible.”

While being green is perceived by some to be more costly, more than half of Australian businesses (55%) are confident that implementing these initiatives will increase their profitability in 2022 – a belief that shopper sentiment seems to support. 

One in three (34%) Australians say they always choose sustainable products and services over non-sustainable options if the cost is the same, while 32% would still choose the more sustainable option even if slightly more expensive. Just over half (53%) of Australian businesses say they intend to diversify their product or service offering this year to make it more sustainable, meeting this growing customer demand. 

Overall, making purchases that benefit the environment is now considered to be on par with supporting local Australian businesses (53%) in the eyes of climate-savvy consumers, and only slightly behind making purchases that save them money (60%). 

Australian consumers and business leaders are open to using technology to become more sustainable (61% and 72%, respectively). The majority of consumers who make efforts to track their carbon footprint or sustainable behaviour do so via technology such as apps or wearables (84%), while a quarter (25%) said they would purchase more products and services from brands that allowed them to track their carbon consumption.

Nearly three quarters (72%) of business leaders are interested in adopting new technologies to improve their sustainable practices, including data analytics (45%), automation technology (42%) and blockchain (32%), which can enable brands to trace and share product lineage, so customers can make informed purchases.

“In the digital age, businesses and consumers alike can leverage technology to track and manage carbon and other emissions across the value chain, from sourcing materials and manufacturing to final distribution and personal consumption. Mastercard is committed to using technology and its global network to inspire and enable collective action that fosters a more sustainable digital economy,” concluded Wormald.