Celebrating Regional Excellence

The Regional Development Australia (RDA) Awards celebrate excellence, innovation, and collaboration across Australia's regions.

Each year, the RDA Awards showcase leadership, forward thinking, and community engagement through initiatives that deliver lasting benefits. More than a celebration of outcomes, the Awards are a recognition of effort—the vision, persistence, and partnerships that make progress possible.

Congratulations to all 2025 RDA Award recipients and commendations. Their work exemplifies the creativity, leadership, and resilience that define regional Australia and its communities.

• Investing in People
• Investing in Places
• Investing in Services
• Investing in Industries and Local Economies
• News

Investing in People

Winner—RDA Murraylands and Riverland

Project: Resilience and Sustainability

RDA Murraylands and Riverland (RDAMR) has walked alongside local communities, delivering an integrated suite of wellbeing and leadership initiatives supporting recovery from the River Murray flood, prolonged drought, and other personal challenges.

Programs such as Care for Mental Health and Wellbeing and Mental Health Flood Support are building resilience one local at a time. Co-designed with communities, local government, and service partners—and funded through State Government agencies—these programs are grounded in local voices and lived experience.

Commendation—RDA Illawarra Shoalhaven (including Jervis Bay Territory)

Project: State of the Workforce

This landmark initiative is the region's first comprehensive, data-driven and community-informed workforce planning project. By combining national data from Jobs and Skills Australia, with local insights from employers, community groups and education providers, RDA Illawarra Shoalhaven has ensured that people remain at the centre of regional growth and decision-making.

Special Commendation—RDA Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island

Project: Inspired Leadership 2024

Developed in partnership with Newday Leadership and supported by the South Australian Government, this six-month leadership program responded to gaps identified in a regional leadership scan. It has built diverse, inclusive, and place-based leadership pathways across the region.

Special Commendation—RDA Central West

Project: Ten4Ten (T4T) Leadership Dialogue

A flagship youth mentoring initiative connecting ten Year 11 students from the Orange, Blayney, and Cabonne local government areas with ten influential community leaders for a year-long mentoring experience that fosters leadership, confidence, and regional engagement.

Special Commendation—RDA Greater Whitsundays

Project: Women in Leadership Program

A 12-month leadership development program empowering aspiring female leaders across the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions. Through micro-credentials, masterclasses, mentoring, and networking, the initiative expands opportunities for women in regional communities.

Investing in Places

Winner—RDA Darling Downs and South West

Project: 2025 Regional Housing Audit

This strategic initiative addresses the region's housing crisis by consolidating data and insights from eleven local government areas and stakeholders. The Audit provides an evidence base to guide future investment, planning, and policy, and outlines clear recommendations for long-term housing strategies.

Commendation—RDA Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast

Project: Shaping the Future Report

Developed with the University of Technology Sydney, this report is a blueprint for transforming the region from a tourism-dependent economy to an innovation-driven hub. It sets a national benchmark for visionary leadership, collaboration, and evidence-based economic planning.

Special Commendation—RDA Goldfields Esperance

Project: Governance Training for Building Community Capacity

To address the risk of deregistration faced by more than 170 local associations, RDA Goldfields Esperance delivered workshops across the region focused on governance principles and legal responsibilities. The initiative strengthened community capability and fostered new partnerships and collaboration.

Investing in Services

Winner—RDA Mid North Coast (including Norfolk Island)

Project: Country Universities Centre Norfolk Island

Through a Regional Universities Study Hubs grant, RDA Mid North Coast and the Country Universities Centre established an independent non-profit to deliver higher education access on Norfolk Island. The new study hub, opening to students in September, supports career development and lifelong learning for regional residents.

Commendation—RDA Grampians

Project: Driving Regional Connectivity: Advocacy Leading to Private Investment

RDA Grampians' advocacy with AusNet supported decisions to invest in three new communication towers in Western Victoria through the Western Renewables Link Community Benefits Program. The investment will reduce mobile blackspots, improve emergency safety, and enhance access to education, telehealth and other digital services.

Investing in Industries and Local Economies

Winner—RDA Eyre Peninsula

Project: Eyre Peninsula Housing—Infrastructure Challenges

RDAEP commissioned the Eyre Peninsula Housing—Infrastructure Challenges and Options Paper. This evidence-based paper provided government and industry with locally sourced intelligence to address market failures in housing. It recommended targeted interventions to unlock residential land and accelerate housing for critical workers—supporting growth across the Eyre Peninsula.

Commendation—Indian Ocean Territories Regional Development Organisation

Project: Supply Chain Review

This comprehensive review addressed long-standing freight and logistics challenges for Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, analysing airfreight, sea freight, passenger services, food security, and port infrastructure to inform future investment and planning.

Special Commendation—RDA Barwon South West

Project: Renewable Hydrogen Prospectus

Partnering with Barwon Water, RDA Barwon South West developed this Prospectus to showcase opportunities for expanding the renewable hydrogen sector. The project builds on previous energy mapping work with Deakin University and positions the region as a leader in clean energy innovation.

Special Commendation—RDA Townsville and North West

Project: Live North West and Jobs North West Queensland—Connecting Industry Growth with Workforce Attraction

Developed in partnership with eleven local councils, industry, the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils and the Queensland Government, the project connect workforce attraction with place promotion—strengthening the long-term foundations of the region's economy and enabling sustainable, diversified regional growth.