Regional Development Australia in Central West New South Wales has welcomed a new voice with the appointment of Sam Harma as its new CEO. Mr Harma has been working at a senior level of executive government in both Canberra and Sydney for the last decade, working for Cabinet Ministers in both State and Federal Government. Mr Harma brings strong policy experience in regional development, job creation and economic development.
RDA Central West Chair, Ms Christine Weston welcomed the recent appointment and said this was an exciting change for the local RDA team. “RDA Central West is advocating for the nearly 200,000 people who call the 11 local government areas of the Central West home, and Sam will be a fierce advocate on their behalf,” said Ms Weston.
“The Central West is a showcase of successful regional development, but there is always more to do. I can’t wait to build partnerships,
fight for projects and drive job opportunities across the region,” said Mr Harma.
“The Central West is a diverse region with farming, mining, tourism and the health sector all major employers. From Orange to Oberon and Cowra to Condobolin the future is bright, and our role at RDA is to drive greater opportunities,” said Mr Harma.
Regional Development Australia Central West is a regional certifying body for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187) and working in partnership with the NSW Department of Industry to deliver the NSW Skilled Regional nominated visa (subclass 489) in the Central West region.
The RDA Central West has also been a driving force behind the STEM Industry School Partnerships Program (SISP) which has been made available to 20 schools across the region. RDA Central West has also launched a ‘Farm to Organisation’ project a first of its kind in Australia.