Inaugural Regional Development Collaboration Workshop

The inaugural Regional Development Collaboration Workshop was held in Mandurah from the 14 – 15 February 2023. Bringing together over 70 regional development practitioners from the nine regional development commissions and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the purpose of the workshop was to collaborate and work towards the shared vision for regional development.

The Hon Don Punch MLA, Minister for Regional Development provided the Keynote address at the workshop, reinforcing that how we build diversity and resilience is important, equally significant is liability, access to schools, health, and services, as is how people feel about living in their region—their sense of pride in community, volunteerism and commitment to engage and participate.

In building economic opportunity, his vision for regional Western Australia is that regions are fundamentally independent of a single-strand economy.

“We build resilience by building economic diversity and that carries us through the ebbs and flows of individual industries”, said Minister Punch.

WA’s Regional Development Commissions play a vital role in supporting the government’s commitment to boosting local jobs and diversifying the economy.

The workshop was designed to provide targeted professional development opportunities, as well as a platform for sharing experiences and collaborative problem solving. Topics including building labour market resilience, supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy, digital connectivity, activating land for regional housing, and Aboriginal economic development, the workshop was a step forward in driving positive change for local communities.