Board

The Regional Development Australia Central and Western Queensland Committee is comprised of local leaders from across Central Queensland.

A “liveable and sustainable Central Queensland” is the key focus of the Regional Development Australia Central and Western Queensland Inc. (RDACWQ) committee. This vision was created by the newly endorsed board members through wide-ranging networking and joint meetings with local key stakeholders and by drawing upon regional evidence and statistics to support the vision with Australian and Queensland State priorities.

John Anderson | Chair

John Anderson

Chair

John Anderson has extensive board experience as Chair, Member, Non-Executive Director and Committee Member for a diverse range of trusts, companies, community and non-profit organisations.

He is a life member of the National Association of Apex Clubs of Australia and is proud to serve as the Chair of RDACWQ.

As an engagement specialist, facilitator and advocate, John has brokered and supported critical partnerships between Governments, industries and communities including native title and cultural heritage agreements across the Surat and Bowen Basins, innovative vocational and tertiary education initiatives, regional and remote area employment and training enterprises, and health consumer engagement.

He served a near 30-year career with Queensland Government in Barcaldine, Toowoomba, and South-East Queensland across multiple agencies including environment and heritage, rail and ports, main roads and transport.

Since 2007, John has maintained his successful First Peoples consulting and training company providing business and community engagement and economic development services across regional and remote Queensland.  Positive progress accrues when sound decisions were informed by community-led decision-making, and place-based development was actively enabled by partners operating with flexibility, integrity and transparency, and trusted brokers coordinating across governments to make investments work better for diverse regional communities.

His current roles include Acting Chair of the Queensland Building and Construction Board; Chair of Coexistence Queensland (formerly GasFields Commission); Community Member of the Board of Professional Engineers Queensland; Crime Reference Committee Member of the Crime and Corruption Commission; Member of the Lake Eyre Basin Community Advisory Committee; and Member of the Medical Board of Australia (Queensland) with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Authority.

John is committed to impactful leadership of RDA Central and Western Queensland building on the wisdom and legacies of former leaders and continuing members of the organisation.

John Lever | Treasurer

John Lever

Treasurer

John is the Owner/Manager of Koorana Crocodile Farm.  After gaining a Diploma in Agricultural Science, he gained experience in a variety of jobs (including a teacher; CSIRO agricultural officer) John worked in Papua New Guinea as a wildlife officer, managing stations that included a Bird of Paradise sanctuary, a deer research station and a crocodile farm.

Cr. Neville Ferrier | Board Member

Cr. Neville Ferrier

Board Member

Neville is the Mayor of Banana Shire Council.  Nev owned and operated a transport business in the Central Queensland region for over 30 years. He was first elected to Banana Shire Council in 2004, and was re-elected in 2008 and 2012. In the 2016 election Nev became Mayor.  Nev represents Banana Shire Council on many community committees and associations, as well as being an active member on a large number of local community organisations.

Cr. Andrew Martin  | Deputy Chair

Cr. Andrew Martin

Deputy Chair

Andrew Martin is the Mayor of Blackall-Tambo Regional Council and is serving his third term having been elected at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 local government elections. Andrew is well known through not only the agribusiness and agri-politics sector but also the corporate world due to the many roles he has held over the years. Andrew, with his wife Louise, own and operate Macfarlane Station near Tambo. Andrew holds Diplomas in Agriculture and Rural Business Management and has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors program. Andrew was one of the early adopters of wild dog cluster fencing which has enabled him to run a far more profitable enterprise while enhancing land and environmental management outcomes.

Councillor Martin also has had interests in many businesses and is well versed in public company directorship sitting on a number of Boards.

David Arnold | Board Member

David Arnold

Board Member

David is the General Manager of Central Western Queensland Remote Area Planning and Development Board (RAPAD) and Deputy Chair of the Central West Hospital and Health Service (CWHHS). Additionally, David is the Director of RAPAD Employment Services Queensland, Chair of RAPAD Employment Services Queensland Plus, and Chair of the Executive Committee, Member of Finance and Audit and Risk Committee, CWHHS.

Robert Gibb | Board Member

Robert Gibb

Board Member

Robert is the Manager Communities & Sustainable Development for the Australia Pacific LNG Project, Robert leads the ConocoPhillips stakeholder engagement and social performance team. Robert’s experience and specific expertise is focused on social impact assessment, frontline community relations and leading community development practice.

Bronwyn Roberts | Board Member

Bronwyn Roberts

Board Member

Bronwyn is an experienced small business manager and has held senior management positions in non-government organisations. Bronwyn also currently holds board positions with Central Highlands Development Corporation, Central Highlands Science Centre and the Department of Premier and Cabinet Central Queensland Regional Community Forum.

Garry Scanlan  | Board Member

Garry Scanlan

Board Member

Mr Scanlan is an Economic and Regional Development Specialist, a Senior Executive with over 40 years’ experience in the Australian maritime, port and resources industries.

Mr Scanlan is committed to improving regional productivity through people and systems, improving operational effectiveness, leveraging commercial opportunities and achieving excellence in regional performance.

Kim Harrington | Board Member

Kim Harrington

Board Member

Ms Harrington is the Associate Vice President of CQUniversity, with over 27 years of senior management in the tertiary education sector Ms Harrington has successfully managed, sponsored and championed many local, state, national and international educational projects and partnerships.

In her role at CQUniversity Ms Harrington is responsible for six formal university committees, as well as being a Board Member on Capricorn Enterprise, and Rockhampton Ring Road Business Advisory Group. She is also the founder of End Loneliness.

Business Plans

Vision – a shared vision to strengthen the perspective of regional Australia in government decision making, including bottom-up regional thinking as an integral part of government policy development processes, to create a sense of community ownership.

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