RDASI proudly sponsored the Goulburn Chamber of Commerce business awards which were held on Friday 5 August. A massive congratulations goes to the Goulburn Chamber for holding such a wonderful event. Congratulations must also go to the various winners of the awards. Small businesses are the economic backbone of our communities and supporting them is paramount to maintaining the strong regional communities we hold so dear.

Small Business Month kicked off in March and with it our grants guru, Phil Gibson is hosting a number of targeted grant writing workshops throughout the month. RDASI can assist businesses and community organisations with their project development and grant writing, so please contact Phil at grants@rdasi.org.au for any grant assistance that you may need.

With the expected upsurge in regional travel from this weekend, we know we’ll be hearing from many of our small business owners about the issues of finding staff. Workforce development is a key strategic pillar for RDASI and we’re pleased to be working closely with the Local Jobs Facilitators in the Illawarra South Coast and Canberra regions as part of the Local Jobs Program funded by the Federal Government.

Last month RDA Southern Inland had the pleasure of meeting new and previous attendees at our Connect events in the Southern Highlands, Goulburn and Yass Valley. We heard from up and coming and inspiring businesses, pitching their ideas and business concepts. These events have been created by the business community for business and we continue to hold these Regional Connect events to boost local B2B networking while providing information and support to help SME’s thrive.

We have collaborated with Goulburn Mulwaree Council and the Goulburn Chamber of Commerce to deliver a new initiative designed to boost the local economy and encourage local shopping via an innovative new Goulburn gift card.

It is a trend that could reshape regional economies for decades to come. Record numbers of Australians are turning their backs on pandemic-hit big cities, taking advantage of being able to work from home, and relocating to commutable country towns and their lure of open space, fresh air and cheaper housing. This, in turn, is creating new jobs and business opportunities.

The Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories Nola Marino announced the appointment of Rowena Abbey of Yass as the new Chair of Regional Development Australia Southern Inland (RDASI).

In October 2020, there were over 54,000 job vacancies advertised across regional Australia, a new record for the regions, topping the previous record of 50,000 in September.

In July last year Prue Swain and her husband Andrew bought a big, unloved building down a laneway in the NSW regional city of Orange. It had been the city’s St Vincent de Paul shop and warehouse. The entrepreneurial couple, aged in their mid-30s and with three young kids, had spotted an opening. Over the years they’d noticed the demographic of Orange was changing.

Women from the bush are proving you can live anywhere and still have a successful career.

While working remotely was thrust upon many of us, former primary school teacher from The Rock in southern NSW Jo Palmer built a business on the concept well before restrictions and lockdowns were common vernacular.

Businesses in regional Australia could be central to Australia’s economic recovery from coronavirus after a spike in the number of new job listings outside of the capital cities, a new report has shown.

Figures from the Regional Australia Institute have shown a 22 per cent increase in the number of new job postings in June compared to the previous month.

The experience of dealing with of COVID-19 has removed one of the most significant barriers to a substantial population shift in this country, according to the Regional Australia Institute (RAI).

RAI CEO Liz Ritchie says the notion of how we work has been turned on its head and she hopes this change will see significant population growth in regions, following on from a trend that has already been set over a decade.

Throughout this period, RDA Southern Inland has remained focused on being a trusted source of information and support for our region. BusSi has been a regional game-changer and we’re so proud of the positive engagement that has seen.

Recovery in our regions is going to take some time and we know there are still many people doing it tough. RDASI is here to help wherever we can, so please get in contact if you need our support.

With direct contacts to all levels of Government, industry experts and business support we’re here to help. We may not have all the solutions, but we’ll try our best to point you in the right direction at the very least.