At G21's October Board meeting, the G21 Board voted to write a letter to the relevant State and Federal Ministers regarding the composition of the RDA Committee for the Barwon South West Region (which incorporates the G21 region) in an effort to make the Committee more efficient and effective in our region.

Regional Development Australia (RDA) is an Australian Government initiative that is currently establishing networks throughout Australia to provide a strategic framework for economic growth in each region. G21 will play a key role in informing and disseminating information from the Barwon South West RDA committee, whose four key functions are to:

• provide advice on consultation and  community engagement;
• regional planning;
• promoting whole-of-Government programs, policies and initiatives; and
• community and economic development.

G21 strongly endorse this initiative to bring together State and Federal programs targeting regions of Australia. As all regions are different, developing a group to provide knowledgeable advice on their region to State and Federal Governments is vital. The G21 Board noted that while G21 Chairperson, Ed Coppe has been appointed alongside the Committee for Geelong's Executive Director, Peter Dorling as Co-Deputy Chairs of the Barwon South West RDA committee, the City of Greater Geelong has no direct representative on the committee. It appeared anomalous that the largest and most relevant organisation for furthering the work of the RDA was not directly represented, so the letter to the relevant State and Federal Ministers requested that this be reviewed. 

Click here for more information about Regional Development Australia.