RDASI Newsletter - April 2021
A message from the CEO
Welcome to our monthly newsletter. It’s been another busy month for us at RDA Southern Inland and I’ve been travelling throughout the region this month to a number of events and meetings.
Firstly, I would like to welcome Phil Gibson to the RDA Southern Inland team. Phil started with us last week as our Grants and Projects Officer and will be taking over Camilla Staff’s projects whilst she is on maternity leave. Phil has extensive experience in grant writing and funding acquisition and is available to assist businesses and community groups with the application process on a fee-for-service basis. If you’d like to discuss a grant you’ve seen, please contact Phil directly at our office.
This month, I attended the Regional Australia Institute’s Regions Rising National Summit in Canberra. The two days were jam packed with guest speakers, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack and productive conversation about how to move towards regionalisation and help our regional communities thrive. Certainly a highlight for me was listening to Grace Brennan, #buyfromthebush founder and NSW Regional Woman of the Year.
Last week, I travelled to Jindabyne to attend a number of meetings and workshops. What a spectacular area, with so much going on at the moment. In particular, the Special Activation Precinct (SAP) for Jindabyne will have a huge impact on the Snowys. It aims to increase all-year round tourism and employment opportunities through commercial and infrastructure projects. As well as attending an SAP update in Jindabyne, I met with Snowy Monaro Council, attended their B2B forum in Jindabyne, popped into a winter workforce workshop with Training Services NSW and was a guest speaker at the monthly networking event, Jindabyne Connect.
On this note, Connect events continue to grow across our region and are a fantastic way for local businesses to come together and discuss ideas, opportunities and challenges. We worked with Yass Valley Business Chamber to launch Yass Connect in March, and Highlands Connect will relaunch on April 13th at the Bowral Hotel. More information on these events can be found below.
Finally, a reminder that applications are open to join our Committee. We are seeking committed, passionate and well-connected people for a term of 4 years who live in our region. The roles are voluntary and require attendance at meetings approximately 4 times per year. Applications close on the 12th April 2021 at 5pm.
Welcome Phil Gibson, RDASI’s Grant and Projects Officer
Welcome Phil, our new Grants and Projects Officer! Phil will be the primary liaison point for organisations seeking support in accessing grant funding and for the coordination of the various events and projects that RDASI is organising and supporting. Phil brings an extensive background in business development, corporate partnerships management and marketing, with experience of having worked across many different industry sectors, including the not-for-profit sector.
Phil lives in Bowral with his wife Meredith, who is a pre-school director. If you'd like to get in touch with Phil, send him an email at phil@rdasi.org.au.
Grant Writing Service
RDA Southern Inland now have an in-house grant writer, Phil, who can assist businesses and not-for-profit organisations to identify where they may be eligible for grants and assist them in completing applications for submission. If you are seeking funding or need assistance with writing a grant, please get in touch with Phil via phil@rdasi.org.au or call our office on 4822 6397.
Discovering Resilience Webinar
Recently, RDA Southern Inland partnered with Coordinare to deliver the free webinar, ‘Discovering Resilience’ with Hugh van Cuylenburg. You can watch the recording here.
Small business fees and charges rebate
If you are a sole trader, the owner of a small business or a not-for-profit organisation in NSW, you may be eligible for a small business fees and charges rebate of $1500. These include, but are not limited to: food authority licences, liquor licences, tradesperson licences, event fees & council rates. Find out more here.
Flood Support for Businesses
Service NSW has created a hub of information and resources for NSW businesses to access financial and insurance assistance, legal and mental health support following the recent storms and flooding.
Regional Connect
We had a great turnout for the launch of Yass Connect in March, and we are already looking forward to the next one on the 20th April, with Rowena Abbey, Mayor of Yass and our Chair, as guest speaker.
Southern Highlands Connect is also relaunching on the 13th April at The Bowral Hotel. The guest speaker for the night is Mike Levin from TrueGreen, who will provide an overview of the new electric vehicle manufacturing site going ahead in Moss Vale. There will be pitches from AusIndustry, Highlife Magazine and Tick Property Managers.
Goulburn and Jindabyne Connect continue to run on a monthly basis.
