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Interested in joining a great team? We are hiring!
Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast (RDALC) is partnering with the State Government on a new regionalwork program that will help meet the needs of our seasonal and regional employers.
The program will provide on the ground advisory and coordination services to link employment opportunities and jobseekers.
Our aim is to help our regional businesses tackle their workforce issues, and we are kicking off by getting the right people on our team to make this happen.
We are looking for a Regional Workforce Coordinator to oversee the successful delivery of the program as well as a Project Support Officer to help guide the project over the next 6 months. Both roles are full time (flexible working hours encouraged and considered) for approximately 6 months. It’s going to be a busy 6 months, but we think you will get a whole lot out of the experience.
We are a family-friendly, flexible workplace that supports business growth and regional economic development across the Limestone Coast. We are looking for enthusiastic, committed and highly skilled people to join our team to deliver this new, exciting project.
For more information about the roles please refer to the Position Descriptions:
Regional Workforce Coordinator Position Description
Project Support Officer Position Description
Please read the Applicant Guidelines for more information about what to include in your application.
For a confidential discussion about the roles, please call Rachael Ashman on 08 8723 1057 or email rachael@rdalc.org.au.
Applications close on 22 January 2021.
Read MoreApplications are invited for Deputy Chair and Board Member positions
Make a difference in your region
Would you like to give back to your community? Are you interested in leading or contributing to a Board of motivated locals who will focus on driving economic development in our region?
Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast (RDALC) is seeking regional leaders with vision, drive and business experience who can facilitate economic development opportunities and investment for our regional communities and create jobs and growth.
As a part of the RDALC Board you will help enable consultation between business, industry and all levels of government and develop solutions for regional economic development.
Applications for Deputy Chair and Board Member positions are sought from highly motivated and experienced people with an understanding of the economic strengths and challenges of the region.
To find out more about this opportunity, please read:
Applicant Information Pack – Board Member
Applicant Information Pack – Deputy Chair
To apply, please complete the relevant application form:
Application Form – Board Member
Application Form – Deputy Chair
For further information, please phone CEO David Wheaton on (08) 8723 1057 or email Glenda McInerney, Manager Finance and Administration glenda@rdalc.org.au.
Applications close at 5pm on Friday 26 February, 2021.
Read MoreThe Australian government has announced $200M ($100M for tourism related infrastructure projects) as Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) to support the creation of jobs, drive economic growth and build stronger regional communities into the future. The funding aims to encourage more Australians to travel and experience a home-grown holiday, boosting regional jobs and local economies.
BBRF Round 5 will be delivered like the previous four rounds, with Infrastructure Project and Community Investment streams. Grant Opportunity Guidelines have now been released and can be found on our Funding Opportunities page and on the Building Better Regions Fund website.
The Infrastructure Projects Stream supports investment ready projects that provide economic and social benefits for regional and remote areas. Projects can include construction of new infrastructure, or the upgrade or extension of existing infrastructure.
The Community Investments Stream supports new or expanded local events, strategic regional plans or leadership and capability strengthening activities that provide economic and social benefits to regional and remote areas.
Applications for Round 5 open on 12 January 2021 and close on 5 March 2021. Find out more on our funding page here.
For regional project support including economic impact analysis and letters of support, contact Lyn Howes, RDALC Manager Investment and Infrastructure via email or call 8723 1057.
Read MoreAbout the Bioenergy Roadmap
In 2015 the South Australian Government undertook a Biooenergy Roadmap for the State. It outlines the opportunity biomass presents to businesses to achieve economic growth. While the industry was worth approximately $0.5B to Australia at the time of the study, the potential for significant growth was considered high.
Bioenergy can reduce a business’ cost of doing business, reduce carbon emissions and produce secondary income streams.
Following the 2015 study, the Government of South Australia established the Bioenergy Roadmap Program. The Program is administered by RDALC and helps businesses and industry groups to identify and develop bioenergy projects.
The Bioenergy Connect Program
To assist in accelerating development of bioenergy projects in South Australia, a prefeasibility fund (Bioenergy Connect) was established. It is open to businesses operating in the state and is aimed at enabling the development of bioenergy infrastructure projects across the state.
Bioenergy Connect, is a $22,500 program.
Through Bioenergy Connect, successful applicants are allocated a bioenergy mentor to guide them through the conceptual stage of developing a project and help estimate the benefits of the bioenergy technology to the business. The resultant pre-feasibility report will define the value proposition for the applicant.
To date, the Program has supported 31 pre-feasibility studies across the state, with a further 6 progressing to full feasibility.
To complement the program and to encourage other local businesses to think about their own bioenergy potential, RDALC has developed the “Realising Our Biomass Potential” video. Watch the video here to learn more about how your business can capitalise by using bioenergy.
To learn more about the Bioenergy Connect Program, read the following:
Bioenergy Connect Program Flyer
To discuss your project idea, find out more about the Bioenergy Connect Program or to talk about Bioenergy opportunities in the Limestone Coast, please contact:
Lyn Howes,
Manager, Investment Attraction and Infrastructure
Email: lyn@rdalc.org.au | Phone: (08) 8723 1057
Read MoreSmall businesses across the Limestone Coast are invited to complete a short survey that will assist in the development of a new small business support program called ‘Expert Connection’. Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast (RDALC) are developing this new initiative in response to the severe impact COVID-19 has had on small businesses across the region. Expert Connection is an expansion of RDALC’s existing one-on-one business support program and will provide small businesses significantly impacted by COVID-19 with free expert, professional advice.
“Through the one-on-one work we currently do with small businesses, we know how devastating COVID-19 has been across our region and we know that this pandemic has thrown up a lot of hard questions that we can’t always answer” said Rachael Ashman, Manager, Business and Workforce Development. “We have also heard from many small business owners and operators that they simply cannot afford to pay for professional advice at this time”.
“We want our small businesses to have all the support they can while they are trying to operate in such an uncertain environment, especially when the disruption is far from over. To make sure that we connect our small businesses to the right experts, we are asking owners and operators across the region to complete our survey, to tell us what they really need” said Ms Ashman. “This might be access to a qualified bookkeeper, accountant or digital consultant – someone to answer the technical questions and provide advice that will give some of our small businesses answers to those hard questions” she said.
Once RDALC have gathered the survey feedback, the program will be finalised and the delivery of free expert, professional advice will commence to those small business owners and operators in need.
This expert, professional advice and support will be free as RDALC will fully fund up to 3 hours access for participating small businesses. Businesses interested in participating in the program will be able to express their interest once the program is finalised.
If you would like to know more about our existing Small Business Support, please contact Rachael Ashman, Manager, Business and Workforce Development on 0439 848 624 or email rachael@rdalc.org.au.
To complete the survey, please click here.
Read More
Reinstatement of a freight rail service between Mount Gambier and Heywood could benefit local business by as much as $15.6 million annually according to a report released today by Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast (RDALC).
Commissioned by RDALC, the report was undertaken by CSIRO which used modelling to map the region’s freight task and supply chains for major commodities including timber, livestock, dairy products and crops.
RDALC Chair, Peter Gandolfi said the report showed that reinstating the rail line along the currently unused rail corridor from the eastern outskirts of Mount Gambier to link into the existing rail services at Heywood would open the door for products from this region to more efficiently reach major Australian markets and ports.
“This report has critically analysed the volume, variety and movement of the commodities in our region so we can understand our region’s freight demand and supply chains and the opportunity for rail in the Limestone Coast,” RDALC Chair Peter Gandolfi said.
“This analysis estimated road and rail transport costs for major commodities moving across and out of our region. Crucial to the process was identifying where potential savings can be made through reinstating rail for current and future freight demands.
“The report has revealed that for the commodities included in this study, approximately 527,000 truck movements use at least part of the Limestone Coast region’s transport network. Of these about 476,000 movements originate in or are destined for the region,” said Mr Gandolfi.
Mr Gandolfi said not only does the report identify direct freight savings for local businesses, it also indicates other economic and social benefits if a rail freight service was reinstated.
“A further $1.5 million in savings each year has been identified through reduced road maintenance and avoided accidents,” Mr Gandolfi said.
The RDALC has conservatively estimated that an investment of between $120 and $150 million to reinvigorate the line between Mount Gambier and Heywood would offer a return on investment within nine years. The investment would also include establishing a freight depot (intermodal) on the eastern outskirts of Mount Gambier from where the rail would be re-instated along the existing corridor to Heywood.
The reinstatement of the line between Mount Gambier and Wolseley was evaluated by CSIRO but was found to have a very low economic benefit to the region and incur a much greater cost to reinstate than the Heywood line.
“With our economic prosperity in this region being directly linked to market access, the cost of transporting our product to market is critical,” Mr Gandolfi said. “This report has provided an analysis of total and per tonne transport costs and potential transport cost reduction by commodity and mode of transport, which means decision makers now have clear information to make investment decisions on infrastructure needs.
“The next step is to work with governments to undertake a full engineering assessment and cost analysis for the reinstatement of the rail line between Mount Gambier and Heywood,” Mr Gandolfi said.
The report, ‘Rail corridor and freight analysis for the Limestone Coast and South West Victoria – Application of TraNSIT’, is available below or by contacting the office via email info@rdalc.org.au.
TraNSIT Limestone Coast Final Report
TraNSIT Limestone Coast Factsheet
For further enquiries contact:
Peter Gandolfi
Chair, RDALC
T: 0419 155 447
Read More
Project Support Coordinator
Jess commenced with RDALC in February 2020 and having grown up in the area, brings a local influence to the team.
Read More
Executive Support and Special Projects Officer
Amena has worked in the finance sector and has completed a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University and a Masters of Applied Project Management from the University of Adelaide.
Read MorePriorities to enable our region towards 7750 jobs
In 2018 the region undertook a process of coming together to explore its investment potential and look at where strategic investment needs to occur to build and enable further investment. The project was underpinned by a Regional Infrastructure Audit.
Strategic infrastructure that underpins the efficient movement of ideas, data, energy, people and goods is critical to the Limestone Coast regions ability to compete in a global market and tap unrealise economic development opportunities.
This document showcases the assets of the Limestone Coast region and outlines a series of priority areas and actions that leverage our competitive advantages. These projects have been identified by the region as paramount to encouraging economic growth to ensure a prosperous future for our businesses and communities.
Download Limestone Coast Prospectus of Priorities here.
Read More
Priorities to enable our region towards 7750 jobs
In 2018 the region undertook a process of coming together to explore its investment potential and look at where strategic investment needs to occur to build and enable further investment. The project was underpinned by a Regional Infrastructure Audit.
Strategic infrastructure that underpins the efficient movement of ideas, data, energy, people and goods is critical to the Limestone Coast regions ability to compete in a global market and tap unrealise economic development opportunities.
This document showcases the assets of the Limestone Coast region and outlines a series of priority areas and actions that leverage our competitive advantages. These projects have been identified by the region as paramount to encouraging economic growth to ensure a prosperous future for our businesses and communities.
Download Limestone Coast Prospectus of Priorities here.
Read More