RDAMBSC: ONE VOICE DRIVING INVESTMENT, INCLUSION AND IMPACT

By Gavin Keely

On April 1, 2024, following notification in 2023 from the Federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Kristy McBain, the two previously independent Regional Development Australias of Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast were merged to form RDA Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast (RDAMBSC).

The Federal Minister appointed me as the inaugural Chair, and an inaugural board has been recruited through a merit-based application process and appointed by an independent selection panel as a board with ten people from across our region representing our diverse business sectors.

Following a recruitment process, the board appointed Jacqueline Steel as CEO of RDAMBSC in May 2024.

Regional Development Australia (RDA) is a Federal Government program that consists of a network of local leaders who work across all levels of government, business and community groups to improve their regions.

• Economic and workforce development: supporting initiatives that drive economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship in regional areas.
• Strategic regional planning: assisting in the development of plans that address regional needs and opportunities.
• Informing government programs: providing insights and feedback to help shape government policies and infrastructure investments.
• Community engagement: collaborating with diverse communities, including First Nations people, to ensure inclusive and vibrant regions.

The board has set the RDAMBSC vision and focus areas to be one voice driving investment, inclusion and impact through region-led partnerships to sustain the Moreton Bay-Sunshine Coast-Noosa economic growth corridor to 2032 and beyond.

The board has endorsed an Expression of Interest process to engage and assess potential partnership opportunities throughout the year. It has also started investing strongly in building the networks essential for informing potential partnership opportunities and assessing applications. We recognise that working collaboratively will enable us to deliver higher levels of investment, inclusion and impact across Council, and Noosa Council. We will ensure our vision remains in the long term for 2032 and beyond.

Under this approach, we’re looking to amplify and, where possible, accelerate quality region-led initiatives that align with our vision statement and drive positive economic development outcomes for our region.

Our region is substantially outstripping the growth projections developed in 2017 upon which many local, state and federal government investments are based, as it is currently the highest inward migration area in Australia, with the latest data showing nearly one in five house relocations are to this region. So, all government budgets must be assessed against the most recent data to ensure an allocation of funding is made to meet the pressing development needs of this rapidly expanding community, or we will continue to see low levels of government investment per capita that have been prevalent in this region for at least the past two decades.

Therefore, we are investing in data analysis and insight reports to inform this region’s public policy and program development.

WE’RE EAGER TO SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT:

• Show momentum: the partner organisation or project has a proven track record, credibility and traction.
• Focus on economic opportunities: projects that create pathways for new business leads, partnerships, investors, customers and increased participation.
• Amplify reach and impact: initiatives that we can help take to the next level, reaching a broader audience or advancing to the next stage of development.
• Align with our vision: projects that contribute toward our vision for regional development with measurable outcomes and impact.

Visit: www.rdasunshinecoast.org.au