The Victorian Regional Chamber Alliance (VRCA) has released its second Business Health Survey Report, gathering insights from businesses across rural and regional Victoria spanning all sectors. The report follows the inaugural survey published in September 2025 and paints a sobering picture of the current operating environment. The survey reveals that nearly one in four regional businesses may not survive beyond the next 12 months — a remarkable figure given that almost half of those surveyed have been operating for more than a decade. Regional businesses report they have never fully recovered from the post-COVID economic environment, with trading conditions now described as among the worst since 2020. Key findings highlight that operational costs (22.4%), customer demand and consumer spen...