This month's edition features information about the Business Facade Grant Program, Council's FREE advisory services, State and Federal Government assistance packages and local business offers. You will also find upcoming events, business tips, news, a retail business profile and more.

As we are now in COVID Normal please keep up to date with all the latest  restrictions and requirement on the Victorian Government Coronavirus website -Information on Council services are available from Council's website as well as news and information from our Facebook page.

If you would like any further information on any of the articles, or would like your business profiled, please contact the Economic Development and Tourism team on 1300 656 564.

The grant acquittal process for the Moyne Business Façade program has commenced.

Successful business applicants are encouraged to submit acquittal documents including photos of completed works, completed supplier detail form, receipts and an invoice to Moyne Shire Council to claim their grant amount.

The deadline to submit the claims for the grant is 31 May unless otherwise agreed with Council. 

Please contact Jennifer Thomas, Economic Development Officer on 03 55680 573 if you have any questions.

As part of Council’s COVID-19 recovery initiatives, businesses in the shire are invited to apply for the next round of the Business Adaptation Service (BAS).

Council has provided mentoring and business support to more than 50 local business owners and is now extending the offer to another 50 businesses.

Local businesses of all sizes are encouraged to submit an application for the program. Successful applicants will receive personalised mentoring and support services. Find out how to submit your Expression of Interest  to receive professional business development services up to the value of $1000.

Facilitated by professional business consultants with extensive and varied experience, the BAS program offers access to professional services across a broad range of areas including
  • Financial Advice
  • Business Planning
  • Strategic advice
  • Digital solutions
  • Marketing
  • COVID Safety
  • Succession Planning
  • Information Technology.

For more Information call 1300 656 564 or visit www.moyne.vic.gov.au/bas

Independent on-farm energy assessments are available free of charge to eligible primary producers.

The on-farm energy assessments will analyse on-farm energy use (electricity, gas and diesel) and identify opportunities for energy saving, improve output volumes per energy unit, and convert to renewable energy sources. The assessments makes recommendations tailored to the type and size of farms.

On-farm energy assessments form part of the Victorian Government's Agriculture Energy Investment Plan (AEIP) and will identify what improvements need to be made on-farm. Assessments provide the basis for tier 1 energy grants and tier 2 energy grants.
For more information visit – On-Farm Energy Assessment
Applications for on-farm energy assessments will close on 15 July 2021.


The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program is still open to eligible sole traders, micro and small businesses.
Register today to trial a range of digital products and access free digital adaptation training and workshops to help your business adopt and implement online tools.

After you purchase a digital product from a participating provider, you can apply for a rebate of $1,200 to access the product for 12 months

To find more more and to join the program visit - Business Victoria website

Applications close 30 June 2021.

The Australian Taxation Office  has recently launched a new section in its online services portal for businesses.

Co-designed with businesses, it makes it easier to interact with them online to manage tax and super obligations. It also offers a range of new features such as making a payment plan, obtaining copies of income tax returns, quickly navigating between the ABNs you manage, and viewing your communication history. Check out the new site here - https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/Businesses/

Applications are now open for round one of the Victorian Government’s Business Competitiveness Program.

As part of the new Manufacturing and Industry Development Fund, the program is helping to create local jobs and improve international competitiveness by backing Victorian manufacturers to expand their operations and implement new technologies and processes.

Grants of up to 33 per cent of eligible project expenditure, up to a maximum grant amount of $500,000, will be allocated on a competitive basis for projects to be completed within 18 months of receiving the grant.

Eligible projects include the purchase and commissioning of capital equipment, manufacturing product and process improvements, prototyping, evaluation and testing of new products and processes, and supply chain capability development. Further details can be found in the program guidelines linked below.

Go to the Business Victoria website for more information and apply before 20 June.

Are you looking for a bright and comfortable space to get some work done and potentially meet likeminded people? Or a place for a meeting, host a workshop or event, meet a client or hold a video conference?

The Hive at South West TAFE in Warrnambool is a modern and versatile hub supporting entrepreneurial activity, businesses, events, meetings and community collaboration!

Professionally cleaned 3 times a day, The Hive features hot desks, meeting rooms, fast Wi-Fi internet, photocopying facilities, a collaborative space with interactive display and whiteboards, lockers and access to great food and coffee.

Residents of Moyne Shire are invited to come and try The Hive for free. Offer includes hot desk use and Wi-Fi from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday until 31 December 2021. Offer limited to one free visit per person residing in Moyne Shire. To claim offer, please email Paul at thehive@swtafe.edu.au or call 5564 8814.

For more information and photos look up The Hive on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.swtafe.edu.au/the-hive

An invoice is a record of purchase you give to your customers as part of the process of charging them for goods and services you’ve provided. There are two ways to invoice:

Tax invoicing: If your business is registered for GST, the invoice must include the GST amount for each specified item (good or service) for which you’re charging, along with some extra details about each item. This is known as a ‘tax invoice’.

Regular (non-tax) invoicing: If your business is not registered for GST (Goods & Services Tax), then your invoice will not include a taxable component. This is known as a ‘regular invoice’ or simply an ‘invoice’.To write an invoice, begin the process with the first customer transaction. Contact your customer and get the information you need to set up their account, including contact details for their business and their accounts department.

Tax invoices must have the following details:

  • Your business details ( Business Name, contact and ABN or CAN)
  • The date the invoice was issued
  • The term ‘Tax Invoice’ at the top ( not just “Invoice’)
  • An invoice number alongside the word ‘Tax invoice’
  • Information about the service  and payments
  • The customer’s details
  • Terms of payment details, including how and by what date the invoice should be paid. This may include your business’ bank account or BPAY information.
  • Tax invoices for GST purposes (find out about the requirements of tax invoices on the ATO website)
For more details on how to write an invoice, visit the Business Victoria website. 
Southern Grampians Shire Council (SGSC) presents the Digital Innovation and Smart Agriculture Festival.
The theme for DISA21 is ‘Creating Smart Regions’, looking beyond the Council boundaries to implement innovative practices, partnerships and technology to uplift regions. DISA19 showcased how rural communities are embracing new technology and innovative practices to gain an edge, DISA21 is going to be bigger and better.

The program for DISA21 takes you onto farms, into laneways, deep drives into Smart Ag workshops and connects you with the many practitioners of smart technology that are becoming important to our way of life in a regional area.

Whether you are from a rural council, work on a farm or live in a rural community, you will learn from your peers and those who have taken up the challenge to create Smart Regions across Australia. The Greater Hamilton region is transforming into a Smart Connected Community that is a leading example of a successful digital economy for regional Australia and you are invited you to become part that journey.

Tickets are now on sale and participants are encouraged to take advantage of the early bird 10% discount which ends May 11. For further information and tickets, visit disafestival.com.au or contact event co-ordinator Leesa Iredell on 0458 724 011

Join this day-long masterclass and create your own pathway from overwhelm to a new sense of calm.

Delivered by an experienced life and leadership coach, this masterclass is for any woman who is ready to wrest back control of her ’to do’ list and her life.

In a small group setting, you'll explore the power of mindset in overcoming the chaos in your life and emerge with strategies to apply right away for a more peaceful, productive and enriched life.

Date: Friday 7 May, 2021
Time: 9am-3.30pm
Venue: BIG4 Port Fairy
Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/overcoming-overwhelm-masterclass-tickets-146701765931

Numbers strictly limited.

 A reminder that the May Race Day public holiday is back this year, on Thursday, 6 May 2021.

After adopting the Melbourne Cup holiday last year in light of the pandemic, this year we will return to the Warrnambool Cup public holiday. This change is due to the shire's proximity to Warrnambool and the overlap of community members attending secondary schools, childcare, banking and employment.

The date has been approved by the Victorian Minister of Small Business and placed in the Victorian Government Gazette.

Did you know over 370 Moyne Shire business owners have already created a Localised profile, joining a network of over 700 people in business across the Great South Coast region? And it keeps on growing.

Localised provides a fantastic bunch of features to help your business market to a hyper-engaged local audience, as well as doing wonders for your SEO, helping your business get found on Google.

Are you an Expert?
Articles help you build your brand and get more customers. Write an article about a business topic you know your customers and prospective customers will value. Localised will showcase your expertise to the network of hundreds of local businesses in the site and via fortnightly digests directly to member’s inboxes. View latest articles here - https://greatsouthcoast.localised.com.au/articles/

Got your own news to share?
What’s been happening in your business? If you’ve got good news, then the Noticeboard is the perfect way to share your business news, updates, new appointments, milestones, new clients and awards. Have a sneak peak of the noticeboard here - https://greatsouthcoast.localised.com.au/news/

So, what are you waiting for?
Put your business in front of your local business network: Whether you're looking to promote, connect, or discover ways to grow your business, if you do business in Moyne, you need to get Localised. To get started visit -  https://greatsouthcoast.localised.com.au/moyne/

The Passage Port Fairy is a lifestyle retail store for lovers of sun, sand, and that coastal lifestyle the soul craves. The business started in 2018 as an independent family owned business.

Their store on the corner of Bank and James Street stocks predominately men’s clothing and lifestyle wares. The store offers a mix of lifetyle brands including Academy Brand, Industrie, Rodd and Gunn and street labels including Thrills, Levis, Birkenstock and Afends. 

The Passage Port Fairy released two of their own capsules unique to Port Fairy. Their OG collection with their captivating logo and recently an Icons Collection detailing three major iconic places in Port Fairy. 

Visit their newly renovated store on 39 Bank Street or visit their website and discover the range of authentic men’s and lifestyle goodness on offer.  To learn more about the business, check out the video on on the Port Fairy Tourism's Facebook page.

For further information about our service or if you need help with accessing any of the resources provided, please contact Council's Economic Development and Tourism Team on 1300 656 564 or general inquiries can be emailed to ecodev@moyne.vic.gov.au