2011/2012 Annual Report

Connecting People, Coasts and Valleys

M I D N O R T H C O A S T N S W

Contents

Vision, Purpose, Charter..............4

Chair’s Report................................6

Executive Officer’s Report..........7

Governance Reports.....................10

Auditor’s Report............................11

© RDA MNC 2012

Regional Development Australia – Mid North CoastPO Box 2537 Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Australia

ABN: 94 866 952 886Phone: 02 6583 5647

Email: admin@rdamidnorthcoast.org.au

www.rdamidnorthcoast.org.au

Cover Image:

Dorrigo National Park

Photographer: Gethin Coles

Courtesy: Coffs Coast Marketing

Bellingen Shire Council

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Delegates from the Strategic Regional Leadership Conference

Through Collaborative leadership, advocacy and partnerships, Regional Development Australia – Mid North

Coast will stimulate and facilitate the region’s potential.

The people of the Mid North Coast live and work in a place of innovation, opportunity and inclusion which

makes the region a leader in social, environmental, cultural, governance and economic sustainability.Vision

Purpose Statement

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Graphic Representation of the Mid North Coast and its elements

Regional Development Australia is a partnership

between the Australian, state, territory and local

governments to develop and strengthen the regional

communities of Australia. It will have a pivotal role

in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Australia’s

regions.

Regional Development Australia will work with all

sectors of the community, including women, young

people, Indigenous Australians and people from a

variety of cultural backgrounds.

A key focus of Regional Development Australia

will be on the economic, social and environmental

issues affecting communities. Regional Development

Australia will be an important contributor to and

driver of:

• Regional business growth plans and strategies,

which will help support economic development,

the creation of new jobs, skills development and

business investment;

• Environmental solutions, which will support

ongoing sustainability and the management of

climate change (including the impact of drought,

flood or bushfires); and

• Social inclusion strategies, which will bring

together and support all members of the

community.

Regional Development Australia, in consultation with

the community, business, non profit organisations

and all levels of government, will articulate local

priorities, identify and align resources, engage

stakeholders and promote solutions. In doing this,

Regional Development Australia will support the

growth and development of regional communities

across the country.

Regional Development Australia will support, promote

and disseminate information on government policy

initiatives for the benefit of local communities. To

this end, Regional Development Australia committees

and Chairs will have a strong understanding of

federal, state and local government policies and

initiatives, and the ways in which local communities

can engage with them.

Regional Development Australia will take a leadership

role in bringing together organisations to take

advantage of government programs, policies and

initiatives.

Regional Development Australia will be an effective

conduit between governments and regional

communities. It will enable all communities to

provide input to governments about the strengths

and weaknesses of regional Australia.

Charter

2010/2011 Annual Report

M I D N O R T H C O A S T N S W

2010/2011 Annual Report

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RDA Mid North Coasts five tools to support its objects.

Chair’s Report

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2011/2012 Annual Report M I D N O R T H C O A S T N S W

At the commencement of 2012 it has been my pleasure to take up the role of Chair for RDA Mid North Coast. The Board

welcomed a refreshed committee following the NSW and Federal Government new appointments and extensions.

I offer my sincere thanks to those members who stood aside as the new Board took up appointments and acknowledge

their contribution to the establishment of the organisation. The good work of the RDA Mid North Coast 2011/12 annual

reporting year in many ways belongs to their legacy.

RDA Mid North Coast published the first version of our evolving Regional Plan in August 2010. The document drew

together economic, social, environmental and cultural development data, and captured issues and opportunities for the

region in a twenty year plan. Importantly, the plan articulated the role of RDA MNC in engaging the community to take

advantage of the region’s collaborative potential.

The Regional Plan’s primary objectives are to:

Connect our people, coast and valleys

Collaboration across government, industry and the community

Connect our region to our neighbours and our country

Collaboration with our neighbours to build on and promote the resources of the whole region

Connect our products, services and capacity to our neighbours, our country and the world

Development of innovative ways to capitalise on the region’s national and international capacity

The new RDA Mid North Coast Board has subsequently endorsed this strategic agenda and importantly has sought with the

staff team to identify implementation priorities that can be articulated in achievable time frames. This agenda challenges

us to be both opportunistic and visionary and to plan the best use of our capabilities.

The challenge facing the Mid North Coast is to unify the region through collaboration of all stakeholders in a way that

draws on the strengths and assets of each of the LGA’s in order to create a region in which the whole is greater than the

sum of the parts. For the Mid North Coast, the challenge over the next few years is to ‘Connect the Coast and Valleys’ —

that is, to recognise opportunities for genuine collaboration and to work with Community, Industry and Government to be

economically strong, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. This report shows evidence of this progress over

the past twelve months.

I would like to acknowledge some key people who have helped us make good progress. The Board and Executive is made

up of committed local contributors to the region and to them, I offer a special vote of thanks. They are dedicated in

their task and provide strategic direction to our staff. In particular I would like to identify both Richard Wilson as Deputy

Chair whose skills as a former engineer assist the Board enormously with his eye for detail on matters of governance and

infrastructure and Richard O’Leary, Treasurer and tireless campaigner for community wealth through cooperatives and

mutual societies. In addition I would like to recognise the former Chair Elizabeth McGregor who I am conscious set up the

processes of the RDA Mid North Coast to invite the region to take advantage of the potential for collaboration.

I further want to recognise the work of our Executive Officer, Peter Tregilgas, and his committed team together, they have

made an enormous contribution to our work in 2011/12.

From the Manning to Coffs Harbour, the region is developing, industries are diversifying, and more people are choosing

to live and work here. As each community’s ambitions grow, those ambitions can be connected by joint efforts. As this

reporting year concludes the focus for the next is to learn from our experiences, maintain a clear vision and work with our

stakeholders to support those who choose to live and work in the Valleys or on the Coast of this idyllic region.

Tony Marshall RDA MNC - Chair

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Executive Officers Report

Another busy year is an understatement for efforts of the RDA Mid North Coast to deliver on the ambitious Charter set

for us by the Australian and NSW Governments. The focus of our work has been tied to the Regional Plan for the Mid

North Coast. The Regional Plan is a live and contemporary document. The plan is reviewed annually and along with the

associated annual work plan the documents are published on the RDA Mid North Coast website. Government increasingly

uses the documents when programs are developed and funding proposals developed.

In 2011/12 year of operations, the RDA Mid North Coast has demonstrated many examples of innovation, regional

leadership and collaboration in action. Among these are following snapshot:

• hosting the now-annual Strategic Regional Leadership Conference (Oct ‘11), devised to facilitate high level

conversations that are both accessible and relevant. Attracting high quality and diverse speakers including Minister

Crean, Rob Oakeshott, Dr Marrku Sotaurata (Finland), Ernesto Sirolli, Dr Tim Williams and Prof Andrew Beer; these

events have proven the capacity of regions such as ours to provide thought about regionalism, to stimulate ways that

regions can create our own solutions, be innovative in the face of change, and find opportunity in adversity.

• participating in important Federal strategies such as the Building Australia Future Workforce following from the

Keep Australia Working committee, ensuring the region was able to respond quickly to the impacts of the Global

Financial Crisis and helping build an Employment Education & Skills Plans along with utilising the available Flexible

Funding Pool to identify and research projects relevant and that work in this region.

• supporting education providers to expand tertiary offerings across the region and working with DEEWR to engage

the Education, Skills and Jobs Coordinator to support the transition from school to workplace training or post

secondary education

• digital initiatives have been a strong focus following the announcements that Coffs Council was a 2nd Release roll-

out of the NBN Co. As the first point of roll out of the NBN on the Mid North Coast, Coffs is the ‘beach head’ for a

digital assault across the whole MNC. This learning is invaluable for the further rollout across the region including

Taree – identified for 3000 premises in the NBN Co 3 Year fibre works program and importantly Fixed Wireless to be

installed across the region - 22.5% of premises (27.5% of the population). RDA Mid North Coast has been actively

engaged in the following initiatives:

T.H.E. (Technology-Health-Education) Exchange was held twice in the reporting period (July 11 and June

12). The projects attracted a large number of leading–edge exhibitors from the digital sector who interacted

with 600 community and industry registered participants for each event. The Coffs Advocate newspaper

summed up the event and the promise the roll-out brings to the region on its front page with the headline:

‘The Future Has Arrived’.

NBN Co – event partner was negotiated along with Coffs Harbour Council. These key supported set up the

business relationship with over 35 exhibitors and sponsors for the event. The model has been emulated by

several other RDA’s including Illawarra and Brisbane.

• Further initiatives in pursuit of the High Speed Broadband objective, included:

Making an influential submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into the National Broadband

Network, cited in the published report

Peter Tregilgas RDA MNC

Executive Officer

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Creating a unique online Broadband/NBN toolkit containing information about the NBN roll-out and about

the wider implications of a digital economy

Establishing a Coffs Harbour roll-out documentation project as a knowledge sharing initiative to inform

local councils in the region in readiness for their own NBN roll-out – an even more important initiative now

that Coffs Harbour is to get such extensive NBN coverage

Working with NBN Co and identifying Council NBN go-to officers as local partners to facilitate an efficient

roll out

Commissioning the first regional digital strategy in Australia – Mid North Coast Digital Strategy prepared

by Dr Tim Williams and launched at the Strategic Regional Leadership Conference Oct 11

• as a Regional Certifying Body for the Department of Immigration’s Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme RDA MNC

can assisted employers unable to find local candidates to fill vacancies. During the year certification was given for

migrants to fill 224 vacancies to ensure the growth of those local businesses.

• the www.rdamidnorthcoast.org.au website is a major communication tool for the organisation and is constantly

updated to carry the latest information on our programs, projects and activities, and also to publicise grants and

resources that are available. It has proven to be extremely popular, receiving an average of over 2000 unique visits

per month over the whole year. Average visitation length of stay on the site has grown to nearly 4 minutes and

significantly there is a 35% return visit rate – this indicates both a high performing site and strong relevance

• research is a key tool for the RDA Mid North Coast and the organisation has undertaken several initiatives to

support evidence based processes and ensure business and the community has access to accurate data for preparing

proposals or grant applications:

REMPLAN (Regional Economic Modelling and Planning) is an online tool based on ABS and Industry data.

The tools was developed by LaTrobe University ands managed by Compelling Economics. RDA MNC has

formed a close relationship with REMPLAN to provide datasets for each of the six councils (& Lord Howe

Island) in our region plus aggregates of the region and comparison with NSW and our neighbour RDA regions.

The MNC data is available free via an on-line application

As part of the eNews monthly publication the Research and Policy Officer has been preparing Key Indicators

Reports. These reports included data on local health, and the top five economic performers for output,

employment and value added. They have proved invaluable and a key tool to attract media attention.

• RDA networks across Australia have a role to prioritise projects for the Regional Development Australia Fund.

The RDA Mid North Coast was disappointed that the Mid North Coast was unsuccessful in both round 1 & 2

and undertook some research and evaluation to the cause. It was disturbing that in Round 2 two of the three

applications were deemed ineligible and that via feedback for those applications the issues were minor, technical and

bureaucratic. However further evaluation of the successful applicants revealed that the Federal leverage of the RDAF

grants was as low as 30% of the total project and that projects had required a strong cross regional and collaborative

approach. This remains a key challenge for the Mid North Coast. The region and its infrastructure have been serviced

through several relatively small local government areas whose focus has been internal and essentially insular. To be

successful the Mid North Coast need to take advantage of the potential for collaboration.

Executive Officers Report

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2011/2012 Annual Report M I D N O R T H C O A S T N S W

As evidenced above the work plan of the RDA Mid North Coast is extensive and it is not possible to represent all of the

project activity undertaken by the RDA staff team over the past year; however it is my pleasure to acknowledge the

efforts of those team members who have contributed to these achievements; Jenni Kew Office Manager, Tim Welsh

Communications Officer, Megan McGill Events & Business Development and Todd Green Research and Policy Officer.

Finally the labour market and the RDA Mid North Coast lost a significant contributor in David Ledgerwood who retired

during the year. David was the RDA MNC Interim Executive Officer and previously served Mid North Coast regional

development including working professionally with the MNC Regional Development Board. I thank him personally for both

his contribution and counsel.

In conclusion the RDA networks across Australia organisations were established in mid 2009 and became operational in

2010 over this relatively short period to this the 2011/12 Annual Report the organisations have sought to be a voice for

their respective regions and articulate the key issues and needs. The RDA Charter calls for a partnership between “the

Australian, State and Local Governments to develop and strengthen the regional communities of Australia”. To this end

the RDA Mid North Coast reiterates its Primary Objective of “connecting people coast and valleys” and has sought over

the past year and in future years to fulfil its purpose that “through Collaborative leadership, advocacy and partnerships,

Regional Development Australia - Mid North Coast will stimulate and facilitate the region’s potential”.

Executive Officers Report

National Broadband Network Demonstration Truck at T.H.E Exchange

Board Members and Meeting Attendance:

Staff:

Peter Tregilgas Executive Officer

Jenni Kew Officer Manager

Tim Welsh Communications and IT Officer

David Ledgerwood Project Officer (retired – 4 May 12)

Megan McGill Business Development Officer

Todd Green Policy & Research Officer (31 Aug 11)

Tiffany Slack-Smith Events & Media Officer (till – 2 Nov 11)

James O’Sullivan Projects Officer (Commence 12 June 12)

GovernanceReport

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Meeting Attendance 2011 -2012

Served/serving Re-Appointed Appointed

Tony Marshall 3/3 1/1/12 - 30/6/15 1/1/12

Elizabeth McGregor (Chair) 1/2 1/7/09 - 31/12/11 1/7/09

Rashmere Bhatti 2/2 1/7/09 - 31/12/11 1/7/09

Andrea Caldwell 3/3 1/1/12 - 30/12/15 1/1/12

Stewart Dowrick 3/5 1/1/09 - 30/12/15 1/7/09 1/1/12

Nita Eadie 2/2 1/7/09 - 31/12/11 1/7/09

Jacquie Houlden 2/3 1/1/12 - 30/12/15 1/1/12

Jim Hutcheon 3/3 1/1/09 - 30/12/15 1/7/09 1/1/12

Mark Livermore (Secretary) 2/2 1/7/09 - 31/12/11 1/7/09

Richard O’Leary (Treasurer) 4/5 1/1/09 - 30/12/15 1/7/09 1/1/12

Andrew Roach 0/1 1/7/09 - 09/11 1/7/09

Tony Rothacker 3/3 1/1/12 - 30/12/15 1/1/12

Jo-Anne Stavely 3/3 1/1/12 - 30/12/15 1/1/12

Jan Strom (Secretary from Feb12) 2/5 1/1/09 - 30/12/13 1/7/09

Dawn Thornton 2/3 1/1/12 - 30/12/15 1/1/12

Richard Wilson (acting Deputy Chair)

5/5 1/1/09 - 30/12/13 1/7/09

Vacant

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