Message from the Chair

Above: new Regional Cities New South Wales Chair Cr Steve Krieg outside Parliament House, Sydney, after he was elected to the position.

There have been plenty of achievements and changes over the past few months since the last Regional Cities New South Wales (RCNSW) newsletter. 

I am proud to have been elected as Chair of the alliance where I will continue the task of advocating for a fair share of government investment and the state’s growing population.  The aim of RCNSW remains to make our member cities the best places to live, work and raise a family. 

I look forward to working alongside Cr Russell Webb, Mayor of Tamworth Regional Council, who will again serve as Deputy Chair providing support to our goals.

A warm welcome goes to our new council representatives: Cr Kevin Mack from Albury City Council, Cr Robert Taylor from Bathurst Regional Council, Cr Nikki Williams from the City of Coffs Harbour, Cr Joshua Black from Dubbo Regional Council, Cr Nina Dillon from Goulburn Mulwaree Council and Cr Tony Mileto from Orange City Council.

Thank you to all our outgoing council representatives for your hard work and support of our advocacy and policy development. 

In particular, I want to thank Cr Mathew Dickerson from Dubbo Regional Council, who has been our Chair for the past two years. Cr Dickerson led us through many challenges and thanks to his leadership, regional cities have received key support to address housing availability, skills shortages and natural disaster recovery.

Our advocacy work has continued with successful delegations to State Parliament over the past few months. This includes hosting the Premier, the Hon. Chris Minns, at our board meeting, and conducting productive meetings with key government and opposition figures.

RCNSW’s business case for a Regional Transport Pinch Point Program has caught the attention of the independent panel examining freight policy reform on behalf of Transport for NSW.  Work is well advanced on developing RCNSW’s submission to the 2024-25 State Budget.

RCNSW is continuing to monitor changes in the domestic airline sector and their impacts on our regional cities, particularly changes to flight schedules, routes and ticket prices, during what has been a turbulent year for Australian aviation.

As this will be the final RCNSW newsletter for 2024, I would like to extend my best wishes for a safe and relaxing holiday season and a prosperous 2025. 

Kind regards,

Cr Steve Krieg

Chair, Regional Cities New South Wales