The Mallee region’s cross-border location has long created both opportunities and complexities for economic growth. While the Murray, Mallee, and Riverland regions across New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia share significant strengths in workforce capability, freight and logistics, planning, horticulture, and skills development, there is not an overarching governance model to realise economic opportunities. Harnessing this potential became a key priority for the RDA LM Committee, the Mallee Regional Partnership (MRP), and the Victorian Cross Border Commissioner.

In late 2023, RDA LM, Regional Development Victoria, and the MRP initiated preliminary investigations into the feasibility of a Tri-State Economic Zone (TSEZ) to unlock the benefits of coordinated cross-border economic development.

A scoping study was commissioned, which highlighted the region’s substantial economic base, including more than $1.7 billion in horticultural exports annually.

In 2024, a TSEZ Working Group was established, bringing together CEOs of local councils across the three states, RDA Chairs, and government representatives. With funding from RDA LM, a stakeholder engagement plan was developed to refine priorities and identify shared areas of focus.

The group began exploring potential governance models and focus areas, including workforce outcomes, transport and freight efficiencies, expansion of horticulture and agribusiness, minerals processing, waste management, skills training, and the visitor economy.

The feasibility work and stakeholder engagement generated several key outcomes:

• Strong cross-border support for the TSEZ concept from local government leaders, RDAs, and state agencies
• A clearer understanding of the economic scale and strengths of the region, providing a solid evidence base for future investment
• Initial consensus on priority sectors and areas for collaboration, particularly in horticulture, freight and logistics, and workforce development
• A pathway towards designing governance models that can support effective tri-state collaboration and alignment with broader government strategies.

The TSEZ initiative has established a foundation for transformative cross-border collaboration, positioning the Murray, Mallee, and Riverland regions to work collectively rather than in isolation. By aligning priorities across three states, the project is helping to:

• Strengthen the region’s capacity to attract investment and grow exports
• Improve transport and supply chain efficiencies critical to horticulture and agribusiness
• Build a more skilled and adaptable workforce to meet industry needs
• Create opportunities for innovation in areas such as minerals processing, waste management, and the visitor economy.

The Tri-State Economic Zone concept is now recognised as a strategic opportunity to unlock the full economic potential of the Mallee cross-border zone, fostering resilience, growth, and prosperity across the three-state region.