Regional Development Australia
Who We Are
Regional Development Australia (RDA) is a national network of 50 committees made up of local leaders who work with all levels of government, business and community groups to support the development of their regions.
This Australian Government initiative brings together all levels of government to support the development of regional Australia. It is funded by the Australian Government and by state, territory and local governments in some jurisdictions. It is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Our Charter
RDAs play a role in helping to drive economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship in regions through
facilitating investment in community, industry and the environment. RDAs assist to bridge the regional
development gaps in regions by working with a broad range of stakeholders across sectors and supporting
the delivery of identified Australian Government strategic priorities.
As representatives of their local communities, RDAs will:
- focus their activities and strategy on delivery of the RIF in their region, including investment in people,
places, services, and industries and local economies - support regional stakeholders, including local government and the not-for-profit-sector, to seek grant
opportunities that advance strategic regional priorities - support decarbonisation efforts and the transformation to a net zero economy and enable regional
linkages between sectors to achieve these aims - build the evidence for economic development, including innovation and diversification strategies
- facilitate meaningful engagement across the three levels of government to ensure investments
deliver better outcomes for regions, and - contribute relevant data and local intelligence to support the evidence base to inform regional
development strategies, program design and policy responses.RDAs use their local, cross-sector expertise and regional voice to: - collaborate with integrity, transparency, respect and accountability
- engage with diverse communities, especially First Nations people
- support the Government’s ambition of ‘no one held back and no one left behind’, and
- support gender equality opportunities in their regions.
Capital City RDA’s
The role of Capital City RDA Committees has also been refocussed with the mandate to:
- Support economic development of regions by advocating for pro-regional policy, planning and decentralisation opportunities, influencing state capitals and city based businesses on regional issues
- Implementation of strategic plans to help align effort across government to identify key regional priorities and catalytic projects to support economic growth of regions
Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories
28 July 2023
