The Victorian Regional Chamber Alliance (VRCA) has lodged a formal submission to the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into the operation and adequacy of the National Employment Standards (NES). Representing regional chambers of commerce across Victoria, VRCA advocates for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in regional and rural communities. The submission highlights that regional businesses face fundamentally different operating conditions compared to metropolitan counterparts, including narrower profit margins, persistent workforce shortages, higher operating costs and limited capacity to absorb additional regulatory burdens. While strongly supporting fair and reasonable minimum employment standards, VRCA cautions against significant expansions to NES entitlements without rigorous ...