There are 13 RDA Committees in NSW, covering all areas of the state and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In addition to the regionally based RDAs across NSW, RDA Sydney is one of five capital city RDAs (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide) which help to identify and develop opportunities to improve economic, employment and trade linkages between capital cities and the regions.

Under the RDA Charter, NSW RDAs drive economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship in regions through facilitating investment in community, industry and the environment. RDAs assist to bridge the regional development gaps in regions by working with a broad range of stakeholders across sectors and supporting the delivery of identified Australian Government strategic priorities.

As representatives of their local communities, NSW RDAs:

• focus their activities and strategy on delivery of the Australian Government’s Regional Investment Framework in their region, including investment in people, places, services, and industries and local economies
• support regional stakeholders, including local government and the not-for-profit-sector, to seek grant opportunities that advance strategic regional priorities
• support decarbonisation efforts and the transformation to a net zero economy and enable regional linkages between sectors to achieve these aims
• build the evidence for economic development, including innovation and diversification strategies
• facilitate meaningful engagement across the three levels of government to ensure investments deliver better outcomes for regions, and
• contribute relevant data and local intelligence to support the evidence base to inform regional development strategies, program design and policy responses.