RDASI Newsletter - March 2024
International Women's Day - Park Proxi
L - R: Cressida Cains, Hester Yao, Carisa Wells
Autumn is already upon us, and the first quarter of the year has been one very busy time at RDA Southern Inland (RDASI). Last week being International Women’s Day (IWD), we celebrated in style at Poachers Pantry with a stellar line-up of VIP guests including The Hon Kristy McBain, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories and Gillian Geraghty, Director-General for Major Projects Canberra with the ACT government. The event was incredible, expertly produced by our events extraordinaire, Suzie, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.
The day after our event, on Friday 8th, I was one of the keynote speakers, with the wonderful Cressida Cains, at a lunch hosted by Park Proxi hotel Bowral. With the theme Inspiring Inclusion, I spoke about the challenges of being a sole parent when moving regional, building a career and finding friends. What I tried to highlight was that women need to support each other more and be more willing to be inclusive to newcomers, as it can be really hard to find your people in a new place. Lucky for those moving to the Goulburn region, we have the amazing Alexandra Dunwoodie delivering The Welcome Experience to help make strong connections quickly.
Additional to the IWD event, Suzie ran a very successful suite of roadshows focussed on cybersecurity which have already helped a number of businesses protect themselves against the onslaught of scams, spams and criminal activity online.
Take a look below for more details on the above events, pictures and links to the presentations on our website.
Grow Our Own is one of RDASI’s core programs to help our young people understand the opportunities available to live, earn and learn locally. Bringing this initiative to our region, with the support of RDA Riverina will be imperative for future workforce development. If you are an employer, looking to develop local young people’s interest in your career opportunities, please get in contact with us at workforce@rdasi.org.au. The program is fully funded and will provide a video showcasing your workplace at local schools.
For some time now, I’ve been working with the community groups in Balmoral and Hill Tops Villages to bring their vision of a Loop Line Viewing Platform to life over the train line at Saddle Ridge. Recently, with the input of Wingecarribee Council, discussions have progressed and a collective effort including local Member, Judy Hannan is reaping rewards for this project. I will keep you posted as I know how most of us love a steam train experience, and this project will bring exceptional tourism opportunities to a region that just four years ago, was devastated by horrific bushfires.
I wish to appreciate our key stakeholders, and assure them, that while we move through the changes occurring due to the boundary review process, we are not slowing down our passion and enthusiasm to bring real economic and social outcomes to our region. A HUGE thank you goes to the RDASI team, their unwavering support, dedication and focus on delivering for our communities is beyond anything I could ask for.
If you have a project or venture that RDASI could assist with, please reach out at admin@rdasi.org.au.
Thanks so much
Carisa
RDASI Career Opportunity - CEO and Director of Regional Development
On the 1st of April 2024, RDASI will be changing name to RDA Southern NSW and ACT (RDASNA) and we will be entering an exciting new stage in the growth of our organisation, with an expanded territory which includes the ACT and the local government areas of Upper Lachlan, Hilltops, Wingecarribee. Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Snowy Monaro, Goulburn, Yass, and Queanbeyan Palerang.
The recruitment of our refreshed Board has been finalised and we are now seeking a highly motivated team orientated CEO who will lead the organisation through its next stage of development and deliver the strategic objectives and priorities of the Board, while fulfilling its legislative obligations. Working closely with the Board, the CEO will play a critical role in progressing the vision and mission of the organisation as it goes through a period of significant restructure and growth.
If you are a highly motivated regional leader, we would love to hear from you through the application process on SEEK.
A copy of the position description can be found under the careers section on our website.
Regional Connect Event – Cyber Security
Boorowa Connect - Boorowa Ex Services & Citizens Club.
L-R: George Kleibert, David Munnerley, Lenka Vysokai, Joe Conneely, Suzie Presswell, Garrett Robinson, Sasha Hajenko
Our recent Regional Connect roadshow addressed the critical theme of Cyber Security and Cyber Insurance and was a tremendous success, covering Queanbeyan, Cooma, Yass, Southern Highlands, Boorowa, and Crookwell. This marks our largest roadshow to date, underscoring the pressing impact of cyber threats on our daily lives.
Two highly experienced presenters, George Kleibert, of NSW Insurance Agency and Sasha Hajenko, of Blue Phoenix Systems, shared their insights and practical tips tailored for small businesses, local community organisations
The events were well-received, and attendees left with a wealth of knowledge, gaining at least a minimum of five valuable tips on safeguarding themselves and their businesses from cyber threats!
Stay tuned for our next set of connect events scheduled for the end of May, promising another engaging and informative session to benefit our community.
International Women's Day 2024
International Women's Day - Poachers Pantry, Springrange
This year's International Women’s Day event at Poacher's Pantry in Springrange was a resounding success, selling out with over 120 attendees celebrating the day. With the backdrop of the stunning venue, our speakers shared inspiring stories that perfectly resonated with the theme of 'Inspire Inclusion.'
The Hon Minister Kristy McBain MP set the stage, outlining federal government initiatives to boost female participation rates. Keynote speaker Gillian Geraghty, Director-General of Major Projects Canberra, and ACT Chief Engineer, captivated the audience with an inspiring and passionate speech. The event continued with an engaging panel discussion and our dynamic Future Tradies segment, making it a day filled with empowerment and celebration.
The Welcome Experience
In February, Carisa, CEO, and Ally, Local Connector, travelled to Sydney to meet with the teams from the other seven locations involved in the Welcome Experience program. It was an excellent opportunity to connect, discuss the program’s successes, and strategise for its continued progress.
Back in the Southern Tablelands, Ally has had the pleasure of welcoming numerous new nurses to Goulburn, Queanbeyan, and Yass. She’s been actively engaged in supporting them and their families as they settle into their new communities. Additionally, Ally has been busy presenting to the newest class of recruits at the Police Academy, and teachers as part of the Beyond the Line road trip.
The Welcome Experience Goulburn Region has continued to grow since the launch of the media campaign in January. You can see the official Goulburn video for the Make the Move Campaign here.
Better Delivery of Universal Services Submission
Regional Development Australia Southern Inland (RDASI) recently submitted feedback to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts, in February to provide feedback on ways to better deliver baseline universal telecommunications services.
As part of the Better Delivery of Universal Services submission, RDASI presented results from a regionally targeted survey designed to gather feedback from residents on issues and impacts of mobile connectivity in new developments, that was conducted to inform RDASI’s submission, Telecommunications in New Developments (TIND) Policy Amendments. We also addressed questions presented in the ‘Better delivery of universal services discussion paper’ document, provided on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts website.
Thank you for reading, we look forward to connecting with you next month.
