Local Government and Regional Development Australia Committees: Understanding the Relationship and Responding to the Opportunities

Abstract

Regional Development Australia (RDA) has been described as an Australian Government initiative creating a partnership between the federal, state, territory and local governments to develop and strengthen the regional communities of Australia to have a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Australia's regions (Regional Development Australia 2009, p. 246). Former RDA Minister Crean championed the importance of regional development in unlocking the potential of the regions through local empowerment, and entrenching regionalism and localism so that they 'could not be unpicked' (Crean 2010a, 2011, 2010b). He argued that the challenge for regions was to embrace productivity and efficiency improvements, to demonstrate that regionalism was not 'on the margin' or about struggling regions, but rather concerned with contributing to greater economic efficiency and productivity (Crean 2011b, p. 5). Under a Commonwealth-local partnership arrangement, the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) was established to support the infrastructure needs of regional communities. Nearly one billion dollars has been allocated to the RDAF program to assist provision of regional capital infrastructure projects that have alignment to RDA plans prepared by RDA committees and endorsed by the Commonwealth. Since establishment of the RDA committee structure, little research has been undertaken concerning the nature of the role and activities of the committees, or their relationship with local government. This research report considers these matters and the extent to which the relationship between RDA committees (referred to in this report as RDAs) and local government is effective and aligned with the RDA Charter and the needs and expectations of the local government sector. Since the author is chairperson of the Northern Rivers (NSW) RDA Committee the report is focused on the operation of RDA committees in NSW with a closer examination of the Northern Rivers Committee. Opportunities for relationship improvement, policy changes and RDAF program refinements are addressed.