RDA-NI Committee Meets in Moree

The Hon. Mark Coulton MP with RDA-NI Committee Members and Executive Director

Each quarter our Committee and staff gather in a Northern Inland community for our Committee meeting. These meetings are held around the region to visit our communities and to meet with community representatives. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic our meetings this year have been held online, so we were pleased to be able to hold our first face-to-face meeting for 2020 in Moree today.

While our Committee and staff meet regularly with community stakeholders and are in constant discussion about the development of our region, our Committee meetings provide an important opportunity for an in-depth discussion about the opportunities for our region’s growth and possible solutions to address issues being faced. During the meeting, we discussed a range of topics including the economic recovery of the region from the drought, bushfires and COVID-19, youth employment, the skilled migration program, skill shortages, and the development of industries in our region.

We were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the issues and opportunities for the western side of our region with the Federal Member for Parkes, The Hon. Mark Coulton MP. Mark provided us with key insights into the needs of the Parkes electorate, which includes the Northern Inland Local Government Areas of Moree Plains, Gwydir, Narrabri and Gunnedah. We are looking forward to working closely with Mark in the future to develop opportunities for the region.

Mark Connolly from Moree Plains Shire Council presenting to the Committee

We were also pleased to meet with Mark Connolly, the Economic Development Officer for Moree Plains Shire Council. Mark provided us with an update on the economy of the Moree Plains, including the opportunities arising from the Moree Special Activation Precinct and Inland Rail, which will provide a unique opportunity to attract new businesses and industry to Moree, and will have positive impacts for not only Moree, but the Northern Inland region as a whole. We are grateful for the close relationship we have had with Mark and Moree Plains Shire Council over the last ten years and look forward to continuing this relationship into the future.

We would like to thank the management and staff of the Maslina Bar and Grill who provided us with the venue and catering for our meeting. Our next Committee meeting is currently scheduled to be held in February 2021, and we are looking forward to visiting another of the great communities in our region.