More than 9 million people call Regional Australia home, but it has such a big heart and it’s ready to grow.

Our National Summit, Growing Regional Australia - Shaping the Good Life - is the flagship event in our event series - Regions Rising. This event links all levels of government, business and the community sector to ensure a collaborative and future-focused discussion and debate that will help inform and engage with our leaders as we move toward the regionalisation of our nation.

As the nation’s thought-leader on Regional Australia, the concept of regionalisation is central to our work. Regionalisation is more than an agenda on decentralisation; it’s an ambition to grow and ensures that regional businesses and communities more than just survive, they can thrive. Regionalisation is a nation building task that will create a more equitable, balanced, attractive and prosperous future.

Join us at our National Summit and be part of the national conversation.

DAY 1: WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH 2021

Conference

The National Summit will be an historic one with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Michael McCormack launching the first national awareness campaign – to promote the opportunities to live, work and invest in Regional Australia.

Day one of the Summit will bring together some of the country’s brightest minds, as well as an international keynote address from John O’Duinn, the author of Distributed Teams and a change-maker for decentralisation in the US. These leaders will present on the current issues impacting population and mobility trends, jobs and skills, regional policy, education, health, infrastructure and innovation, as well as local leadership and the economy.

Gala Dinner

The RAI is thrilled to celebrate its 10 Year Anniversary and we are delighted to host Buy From The Bush Founder - Grace Brennan as the keynote speaker at our Gala Dinner. This event will be a networking opportunity to close out Day 1, with a two course meal and entertainment.

DAY 2: THURSDAY 18 MARCH 2021

Masterclass

More and more Australians are ‘voting with their feet’ and choosing to build a life in Regional Australia. Where they choose to live is determined by many factors.

The Masterclass on Day 2 will deliver a more interactive program for summit attendees, focusing on the issue of ‘liveability’.

Participants will be the first to gain access to our Liveability Toolkit, to be launched by Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, the Hon. Mark Coulton.

The Liveability Toolkit is a practical guide for regional leaders seeking to attract and retain populations to their towns and regional cities.

Attendees will also be invited to join the RAI’s Policy Hackand will have the opportunity to discuss a range of critical policy questions. The Hack format enables participants to move quickly from issues to responses, and the ideas for policy and program reform that are generated will be prepared by the RAI for submission to governments in all jurisdictions.