MidiCities Conference stimulates discussion on RDA collaboration

Published: 13th July 2012

RDA Logan Redlands and RDA Darling Downs and South West (Queensland) together with Griffith University co-hosted the MidiCities Conference this week in Logan City, Queensland.

The two-day conference focused on exploring what can be done to help medium sized cities reach their full potential with major themes on sustainable urban management, unleashing the potential of medium sized cities, connecting medium sized cities to regional, national and global economies, and exploring tensions and synergies between government and industry sectors. 

As part of the pre-conference program, a session was held to explore the establishment of a RDA Community of Practice – a mechanism which reaches beyond RDA boundaries to assist RDA committees to solve problems, share ideas and develop peer and stakeholder relationships. The session focussed on how the RDA committees from medium sized cities could link and share information, get greater awareness, and understand the uniqueness of MidiCities and how to leverage this to work together to tap into the potential benefits.

There was some stimulating discussion on how to collaborate nationally, especially through Federal, State, local governments, business, research, academia and community sectors, how to address cross jurisdiction issues and how to expand their mindsets to think more broadly and laterally.

As a result of the discussions, a draft charter has been developed by RDAs interested in joining this Community of Practice to work together to progress these issues.

Logan City Mayor Cr Pam Parker with the Hon Simon Cream MP outside the RDA exhibition booth at the MidiCities Conference.