PAST PROJECTS

The Australian Agricultural Centre (AAC) is a proposed multi-purpose facility to educate and showcase agriculture and ag-tech to the domestic and international community. It aims to provide a tourism and educational experience in the agricultural space for tourists, families and students. The total potential education and tourist market for the AAC has been estimated at 80,504 people per annum. The AAC will contribute more than $11 million in total output to the regional economy and employment of up to 40 FTE every year.

We sit on the Steering Committee to help guide this project and generate community support. Since the community consultation that was facilitated by us in October 2017 in Crookwell, a feasibility study has been conducted, a site identified and investors have been approached. Just recently, a site has been secured on the Crookwell-Goulburn Road, on the property that hosts Crookwell 1 Wind Farm. 

Visit the website to find out more.

We secured funding from the Australian Government to deliver Capital Region Digital Enterprise (CRDE) into the Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Palerang, Yass Valley and Cooma local government areas. This saw the delivery of 51 workshops and 180 business consultations from October 2013 until September 2015. CRDE helped approximately 350 local small businesses and community groups improve their online presence and use of digital technology.

In conjunction with the launch of our Jobs and Growth Insight Report, we launched a photo competition. This competition was designed to celebrate and promote our beautiful Region. We wanted to showcase the region as an ideal place to live, work and/or invest. To enter, participants had to send us a photo that they think encompasses our region and tell us in a sentence or two, why do you love the Region.

The winner, Josephine Gregoire from Bungendore, received a $500 voucher to spend at Milton Park in Bowral.

The Jobs and Growth Insight Report provided insight into the opportunities that exist in the region, now and in the future.

It is designed to showcase the region to potential investors, businesses and workers and to demonstrate the strengths and opportunities across the seven local Councils.

This report demonstrated the liveability, appeal and opportunities available in this great region. In a time of unprecedented growth across our capital cities, souring house prices in Sydney and Melbourne and higher costs of living, the Southern Inland is great place to invest, do business and build a life.

If you require further information about business and lifestyle opportunities, please contact us on 4822 6397.

Read the Full Report.

You can also read a compressed version of the Report relevant to a specific Local Government Area.

Pitch Fest provides a platform for individuals, businesses or entrepreneurs to pitch their business or idea to a live audience and expert panel for the chance to win great prizes.

Pitch Fest is an initiative of the Goulburn Region Innovation Network, a Committee made up of representatives from RDA Southern Inland, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, The Collective, Community Plus, Goulburn Chamber of Commerce, Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre and CBRIN.

Special thanks to our other sponsors - Veolia, Revolution Print, Radio Goulburn and the Goulburn Post.

We partnered with Solar my School (SmS) and Wingecarribee Shire Council to facilitate the installation of solar PV on schools in the Wingecarribee Shire. The program helps schools reduce energy bills, educate students and shrink their carbon footprint with solar power. We worked closely with at least 5 schools in the Shire over 12 months to ensure the solar installation process is as simple as possible.

As well as an infrastructure program that drives renewable energy uptake, SmS also brings in the educational, financial, environmental and engagement elements to help schools go solar.

The award-winning Solar my School program was jointly founded by Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra Councils, and now is licensed to other Councils and organisations for supporting schools to go solar in their local area. With training support and resources from the team at SmS, we ran the program and managed all aspects of its delivery.

Our Regional Skills Audit Report explored the skills gaps in the region, training needs and opportunities for the future.

This report found that there are critical skills shortages in many of the region’s growth industries, including, tourism, education, health, primary industries, IT and construction. If the region is to continue to grow and prosper, we must ensure that the people in our region have the skills and experience to work in certain industries.

170 businesses completed the survey across the region.

Read the full report.

An estimated 75% of jobs in the future will require STEM skills - how can we develop a workforce that can meet this increased demand for STEM skills?

Funded by the NSW Department of Education, the STEM Industry School Partnership Program (SISP) matches schools in each region with an industry partner and technology program. 

The program provides students in years 5 to 8 in regional areas with age appropriate STEM skills and pathways to STEM jobs. In 2018, We were part of the pilot program.

In 2020, we expanded our partnership with local schools in Goulburn-Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan, The Southern Highlands and Hilltops. We have also partnered with local industry partners from a range of sectors, including: 

Renewable Energy

Ag-tech

Agriculture

Aquaculture

Engineering

Manufacturing

Waste management

This Project sees RDAs, industry and schools working together to focus the narrative for primary and secondary students on how STEM skills and knowledge can solve real world problems.  It introduces primary and secondary students to STEM opportunities and occupations in the region.

Learn More

‘Welcome to the Southern Inland’ was a program of RDA Southern Inland with support from the Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre (SRBEC). This project was funded by the Department of Home Affairs Fostering Integration Grants program. The grants supported new initiatives by not-for-profit organisations that will help migrants better integrate into Australian life through employment and community participation. Read the media release announcement here.

As part of the program, RDA Southern Inland ran a successful Welcome to the Region event and three Job Ready workshops that helped to provide new migrants with the skills, confidence and understanding to find employment after settlement.

Research undertaken by us established a strong case for the relocation of the Yennora wool sales to Goulburn, including yearly savings of up to $2.6million and projected five year savings of up to $11 million.

The report: Towards a New Wool Selling Future in NSW presents options to the wool industry to relocate the wool sales including the potential for the development of a nationally significant wool education and tourism centre within a wool sales complex.

The report incorporated financial analysis by Deloitte. Download the full report and executive summary.

Food businesses in NSW throw away around 30 per cent of their food. That’s a lot of money going into the bin.

We partnered with the Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre (SRBEC) to deliver the Your Business is Food Program in the Southern Inland Region. Funded by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Your Business is Food educated and assisted cafes, restaurants and pubs across seven Local Government Areas in the Region to prevent and avoid food waste.

The program was completed by businesses in 3 steps...

Measure food waste over 3-7 days

Develop an action plan with 3 key strategies to reduce their food waste

Complete another audit to determine whether the business has reduced their food waste and achieved their pledge!

The Your Business is Food program is supported by the NSW Government under the NSW EPA’s Love Food Hate Waste program which is part of Waste Less Recycle More, funded from the waste levy.