Thank you to all the businesses who nominated for the 2023 Hobsons Bay Business Excellence Awards.   We were overwhelmed with an incredible group of business nominations this year and are pleased to announce the finalists for each category which can be viewed here.

Join us!
Winners will be announced at the Business Excellence Awards Gala on Wednesday 25 October, starting at 7pm at the Civic Centre in Altona.

Aligned Corporate Residences will be celebrating with us on the night as the official sponsor for the 2023 Business Excellence Awards.

Tickets will be released soon, they are sure to sell fast, so keep an eye out for an email.  

Can't make the event but want to celebrate our winners?  Join us for a special networking event on Wednesday 1 November at 5.30pm where you can hear the winners share their business stories.  Find out more and register here. 

Come together for our Business Networking series to promote your business and share ideas, while meeting business professionals from a range of different industries.  

Next event: 
Tuesday 3 October 2023 | 7.30am to 8.30am

Heart of Hall Cafe
17 Hall St, Newport 3015


Join Jake from Jake Boyle Consulting for an engaging 2-hour workshop on search engine optimisation and content strategy.  This workshop is designed for businesses of all sizes who want to optimise their online presence and reach more clients through Google's organic search results. 

Thursday 19 October 2023 | 5.30pm to 7.30pm 

Hobsons Bay City Council
115 Civic Parade, Altona 3018

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) is preparing to open submissions to be part of the 2024 festival.  Get your thinking caps on and let’s make sure Hobsons Bay is featured! 

Download the MFWF Special Event Guidelines 2024 here. 

Event submissions will be open from 2- 30 October 2023.  Subscribe to the MFWF industry newsletter for notifications and to stay up to date with opportunities in the future. 


The Accelerator for Enterprising Women, a national initiative funded by the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program, has launched the Kickstarter Challenge.  

The Kickstarter Challenge invites women 18 years+ to submit your business idea for a chance to win a share of $60,000 in equity-free funding. 

Entries close Sunday 15 October 2023.


The Victorian Government is significantly expanding the Sick Pay Guarantee to include more than 400 new jobs.  This will allow thousands more poeple in casual and contract jobs, including sole traders, to access up to 38 hours a year of sick and carer's pay.  

The Sick Pay Guarantee pilot is also being extended until 13 March 2025 and is fully funded by the Victorian Government with no cost to businesses.  

Encourage eligible workers to sign up to the Sick Pay Guarantee today so they can access sick and carer's pay the next time they need it.


The Small Business Debt Helpline is a free service for small business owners in financial difficulty.

A team of qualified financial counsellors are available to give practical advice and help to get businesses back on track.

Call 1 800 413 828 or visit sbdh.org.au 


October is WorkSafe Health and Safety month.  WorkSafe Victoria is hosting a range of free events and webinars throughout October to help prioritise safety in their workplaces.


The Voice referendum is being held on Saturday 14 October. This is your chance to cast your vote on the Voice to Parliament. At its June meeting, Council voted to support the Yes vote and help our community to become informed about the referendum.  Be ready to vote. 


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Click on the links to find out more: 
The Partners in Wellbeing Helpline is a free, confidential service offering small business owners and their employees one-on-one access to trained wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisors. Call the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330 for assistance between 9am to 10pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends. A live chat function is also available on the website. 

For a list of other resources available visit the Mental Health in Business webpage.