Western Australian Regional Development Trust
The Western Australian Regional Development Trust is a statutory advisory body that provides advice on the Royalties for Regions Fund to the Minister for Regional Development, Lands.
The Trust plays an important role in providing independent and impartial advice and recommendations on the allocation of funds from the Royalties for Regions Fund (Fund) and in the management of the Fund which is required to promote and facilitate economic, business and social development in regional Western Australia.
The Trust formally meets bi-monthly and on other occasions as required.
Western Australian Regional Development Trust – Membership
The Western Australian Regional Development Trust ((Trust) was established under the Royalties for Regions Act 2009 (Act). Trust Members are appointed by the Minister for Regional Development and Lands (Minister) the Hon Brendon Grylls MLA.
The membership of the Trust is as follows:
Andrew Murray, Chair – 3 year appointment, expires 7 June 2013
(appointed as per section 13(1)(b) of the Royalties for Regions Act 2009)
Andrew Murray is a Rhodes Scholar and former businessman who was a Senator for Western Australia from 1996 to 2008.
Andrew’s senate career focused on finance, banking, accounting, audit, economic, business, industrial relations and tax issues; on accountability, governance and electoral reform; and on institutionalised children. Andrew is an experienced legislator and policy maker with a strong focus on accountability.
Andrew has a solid and varied business background as an executive and director in public and private corporations as well as owning and managing his own businesses. He has also chaired and been a member of community, business and political boards, committees and associations, including parliamentary committees with statutory obligations.
Sue Middleton, Deputy Chair
Sue Middleton was the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s Rural Woman of the Year 2010. She and her husband’s family manage a diverse range of farming operations including a citrus orchard, grain and pork enterprise.
Sue also contributes enormously to community projects and has been involved in key leadership groups including the Regional Women’s Advisory Council, the national Rural Advisory Council and the Fruitwest Board of the Agricultural Produce Commission. Sue also has experience in strategic planning and as a professional facilitator.
Paul Rosair, Trust Member
(appointed as per section 13(1)(b) and 13(3) of the Royalties for Regions Act 2009)
Paul Rosair is the Director General of the Department of Regional Development and Lands and an ex officio member of the Trust. Paul previously held the position of Director of Major Regional Projects within the Department of Local Government and Regional Development, where he established and rolled out the Royalties for Regions program. Prior to that, Paul held the position of Director of Regional Operations within the Department of Water and previously the Department of Environment.
Paul has worked for more than 35 years in numerous senior government roles across the regional development, environment, water, land management, indigenous capacity building, infrastructure, planning and natural resources management portfolios. He also has extensive experience working across the state and a broad perspective on issues of particular importance to regional Western Australia.
Peter Rundle, Trust Member
Peter owns and runs a mixed enterprise farm in Katanning (sheep, canola, barley and cross bred lambs). Peter is Chairman of the Board of the Great Southern Development Commission, and it is by virtue of this position that he has been appointed the Trust for a period of 1 year.
Peter has previously been a Board Member of AQ2 Smartaflow, a Katanning company which has pioneered low-flow water chlorination equipment and distributes Australia-wide. He has also been a member of the Water Corporation’s Customer Advisory Council.
Previously Peter worked in the sharemarket, managed Wesfarmers Share Department while working for Ernst & Young Share Registry and later Computershare.
Tim Shanahan, Trust Member
Tim Shanahan has a strong professional and managerial background. Initially Tim was appointed for one year to the Trust by virtue of his position as the Chair of the Pilbara Development Commission. Since his resignation from that position he has been reappointed as a member to the Trust. Tim has a wealth of experience from his work in regional and local government policy and advocacy as well as with industry including as the former Chief Executive of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and his current position as the inaugural Director of the Energy and Minerals Initiative with the University of Western Australia.
Tim has been awarded the Public Service Medal in 2011 and the Centenary medal in 2003 for service to Local Government. Tim is a Director of the Local Government Superannuation Plan and the President, Royal Automobile Club of WA.
Contact the Executive Officer
The Trust is supported by the Department of Regional Development and Lands. For more information, please contact the Executive Officer to the Trust:
Diane Biletic
Relevant documents
Annual Reports
Please Note:
WARDT Annual Report Formatting
Due to a printing error, on the inside front cover page of the Western Australian Regional Development Trust Annual Report 2010-2011, the Western Australian map is missing the Kimberley title to detail the northernmost region. (Region highlighted yellow.)
Please note on page 4 of the Western Australian Regional Development Trust Annual Report 2010-2011 in the Functions Section, a formatting error occurred in relation to Section 9(1) of the Act. It reads (c), (d) and (e) where it should read (a), (b) and (c).