The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) has welcomed a new partnership with Elders Limited to advance the RAI’s goal to ‘rebalance the nation’ and create a more equitable future for the 9.5 million Australians who live outside city bounds.
“The RAI is delighted to work more closely with Elders, a business with a long proven proud track record of supporting and growing regional communities and industries,” RAI CEO Liz Ritchie said.
“Elders’ nationwide network holds such a special place in our nation’s psyche, not only in developing agriculture but underpinning regional and rural Australia as a whole.
“Through the leadership of CEO, Mark Allison, Elders has been member of our Regional Australia Council since 2020. With the RAI, Council members co-designed the Regionalisation Ambition 2032 – a 10 year plan to ‘rebalance the nation’.
“In support of the Ambition, Elders has committed to support innovation and productivity; career pathways for regional young people and to innovate waste management.”
“This new partnership further embeds Elders’ commitment to the RAI and our collaborative efforts to foster a more balanced future for regional Australia.”
Elders joins nbn co as the second Regions Rising National Series Partner in supporting the delivery of the RAI’s flagship Regions Rising stated-based events and National Summit.
“Our National Series Partners are instrumental in enabling the sharing of Institute’s bespoke research on some of the most fundamental parts of regional living: including population; jobs and skills; housing and transitioning economies,” Ms Ritchie said.
To mark the beginning of the partnership Elders CEO Mark Allison will deliver a keynote address at the Regions Rising National Summit in Canberra on 13-14 September.
The theme of this year’s Summit is ‘Shifting Our Gaze’ and is a call to action to all levels of Government and industry to adopt a more sophisticated, focussed and fit-for-purpose approach to planning and investing in region Australia’s future.
Elders CEO Mark Allison said Elders, already a long term member of the RAI, was looking forward to continuing the critical work of progressing the interests of rural and regional Australian communities.
“Elders is intrinsically linked to agricultural communities across the country, so we feel incredibly invested in supporting discussion and decision-making about the issues that affect them now and into the future,” he said.
Speakers at RAI’s 2023 National Summit include:
- The Hon. Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
- The Hon. Kristy McBain MP, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories.
- Adam Davids, Founder, First Nations Equity Partners
- Alison Lloydd-Wright, Deputy Chief Executive, Department of Premier and Cabinet SA
- Edwina Bartholomew, Sunrise Presenter
- Joseph Mitchell, Assistant Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions
- Luke Achterstraat, CEO, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia
- Megan Davis, Director, Indigenous Law Centre UNSW Law
- Prof. Steve Robson, President, Australian Medical Association
- Rebecca Fox, Secretary, Department of Regional NSW
Secure a ticket today to RAI’s Regions Rising National Summit – Shifting our Gaze - to be held in Canberra 13 and 14 September.
For media enquiries contact:
Regional Australia Institute
Laureta Wallace
Ph: 0408 448 250
E: [email protected]