To our Maribyrnong Business Community,

Winter has well and truly hit with an icy vengeance, but what better way to enjoy the crisp air than a walk to your local for a hot chocolate, a mulled wine or dinner to warm you up. Our Love Your Local Website has you covered this winter with lots of local fun things to do in our City. Check out the stories on Love Your Local below.

Our next 'She's The Boss' Women in Business networking event will be held on Tuesday 9 August at Mantra Studio Kitchen and Bar in Yarraville. This networking event gives local business women the opportunity to chat and mingle with no agenda and no pressure but is a great way to meet new people and promote their businesses.

The Footscray Traders Association (FTA) have developed a wonderful wellbeing program for its members to use which will help guide and support traders with their mental health and wellbeing. Information about the dinner launch and upcoming events can be found below. 

Stroll the streets of Seddon Village and celebrate the sites, color, taste and sounds of Christmas in July. There's lots of fun and entertainment for all, including a visit from Santa, carolers and circus entertainers. 

On the 1st July, changes were made to the super eligibility and the super guarantee rate. Changes to award wages, national minimum wages and company fees have also come into effect. Take a look below to see if your business is affected.

If you own or manage a foodservice business, one of your most important responsibilities is making sure that food is handled and prepared in accordance with the relevant Food Safety Standards. We share an article below to help you understand the importance of food hygiene.

Applications for Maribyrnong City Council's Community Grants Program 2022 are now open. Not-for-profit community groups, community organisations, agencies and certified social enterprises are encouraged to apply. Read more below. 

There's so much to discover in this month's edition and we hope you enjoy it. 

Best Wishes 
Economic Development Team, Maribyrnong City Council


The 'Love Your Local - Mari' campaign is continuing to profile some of our amazing business owners and operators with new stories being released each week.  Some of the recently profiled businesses have included:
Far Fetched Designs; Casa Di Tutti; Entangled; The Sun Book Shop

Check out the 'Meet the Locals' section of the Love Your Local website or keep an eye out on the Council Facebook page as new stories are released each week.

Visit the Love Your Local Mari website.
Are you a local business woman looking for a relaxed and fun setting to meet likeminded business women? 

The 'She's The Boss' Women in business networking event is the perfect way to network and meet potential business partners and chat over a glass of bubbly! 

Hosted by local business owner Jules Brooke, the event will help you step out of your comfort zone and make meaningful connections within the community in a casual but productive way. 

Event Details
Tuesday 9 August 2022
12pm
Mantra Studio Kitchen and Bar
$30pp

Book Now 

The Footscray Traders Association (FTA) has curated a wonderful selection of FREE health and wellbeing activities in Footscray for trader group members to participate in with the goal of improving participant's wellbeing.  COVID provided much uncertainty to the business community and one of the recurring concerns echoed by many traders was that stress and the fear of the unknown really affected their mental health and wellbeing. 

To launch this program, the FTA have organised a dinner and workshop with facilitator Nicole Jordan from Mental Health Education and Training and participants will be given a toolkit of small, practical and achievable skills to support their wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of their staff. Small changes can make big differences.  

Event Details
Tuesday 19 July | 6pm-8pm
@ Footscray Community Arts Centre 
FREE
Register Now

Check out the other wellbeing activities 

Did you know that Council has a Business Concierge Service to support you through Business Permit application process?

Whether you operate a new or established business, you are likely to need one or more council permits to operate. The Business Concierge Service will help you understand which permits you will need and then navigate you through the process. This free service is designed to simplify and streamline business permit application processes.

Take a look at a few of our recently opened businesses that utilised Council’s Business Concierge Service.

HAIL LILITH Bar
A small and intimate Vegan Bourbon Bar hidden away near Maddern Square in Footscray
40a Leeds Street Footscray

Saigon Alley
A casual Vietnamese eatery in Yarraville
19 Anderson Street Yarraville

Gathering threads
A hand-picked pre-loved clothing store in West Footscray
582 Barkly Street West Footscray

Haiki & Co.

A cafe/take-away/ catering business in Braybrook
33 Beachley Street Braybrook

If you are thinking of opening a new business or have any questions there are resources ONLINE HERE and you can also use the 'Permit Checklist and Business Readiness Tool' where you can choose to have the Business Concierge contact you about your query.

If you own or manage a foodservice business, one of your most important responsibilities is making sure that food is handled and prepared in accordance with the relevant Food Safety Standards. Furthermore, everyone working in the operation needs to recognise how imperative it is to ensure that the food you prepare and sell is safe and that food hygiene and safety practices are maintained on the premises. Anything less and there’s the risk of not only damage to the business’ reputation, but hefty fines and possible loss of trading licence.

That’s why understanding and practising good hygiene, storage and refrigeration practices is so important. The onset of Covid served to shine a light on these areas, particularly the important of sanitising countertops, tables and work surfaces.

Read More 

For further information about food safety, please contact Council’s Environmental Health section on 9688 0200 or email foodhealth@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

Christmas in July will be gracing Seddon with lots of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.

15th - 31st July
Stroll the streets of Seddon Village & enjoy the lights, colour, tastes, & magic of Christmas. There'll be prizes to be won with a shop window decorating competition as well as a kid's treasure hunt.

Sunday 31st July
Enjoy Christmas festivities and entertainment including a visit from Santa, carol singers, magicians and circus entertainers, music and kids entertainment from 2pm - 6pm.
Learn more at Seddon Village

Applications for Maribyrnong City Council's Community Grants Program 2022 are now open. Not-for-profit community groups, community organisations, agencies and certified social enterprises are encouraged to apply. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for projects and initiatives that:

·       Encourage and remove barriers to participation in community and civic life

·       Build community and/or organisational capacity and strengthen networks

·       Support and enable community connectedness and wellbeing

·       Increase intergenerational and/or intercultural participation, understanding and              opportunities.

Council is particularly keen to encourage and support First Nations led projects and projects from or developed in partnership with CALD communities, LGBTIQA+ people, young people, older people and/or people living with disability.

Applications Close – Thursday 25 August, 4pm 2022

For more information including Guidelines, FAQs and to book for a community information session visit: https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/communitygrants 

From 1 July 2022 changes were introduced to super eligibility and increases to the super guarantee rate, national minimum wage, award minimum wage, company fees and business name fees. Find out what it means for your business.

Learn More