Our Organisation
RDA Kimberley is made up of a Director and professional staff, guided by a federally appointed committee of local community leaders from across the Kimberley region. Our organisation provides advice on government initiatives, funding proposals, regional project planning and project ideas.
Working in close partnership all levels of government and the private sector we:
Collaborate
Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to identify economic opportunities and leverage private and public sector investment
Connect
Connect regional
businesses, councils and industry sectors with international trade partners, financial
markets and potential investors
Promote
Promote and disseminates information on Australian Government policies and grant programs to state and local governments and industry, business and community sectors
Support
Support community stakeholders to develop project proposals to access funding.
Develop
Develop and maintain positive working relationships with the local government bodies in the Kimberley.
Facilitate
Facilitate public and private sector decentralisation.
Assist
Assist in the delivery of Australian Government programs, where relevant and where requested by the Minister.
Engage
Engage with regional entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders to explore new opportunities to grow local jobs.
Inform
Provide information on the Kimberley regions activities and competitive advantages to all levels of government, industry, business and community sectors.
Advise
Our Committee
RDA Kimberley is guided by nine committee members representative of the community, local and state government, appointed by the Minister for Regional Development and Infrastructure.
The Committee has an active and facilitative role in our community and a clear focus on growing a strong and confident Kimberley regional economy that harnesses our competitive advantages, seizes on economic opportunity and attracts investment.
Garry Waldron
Chair
Living and raising his children in the Kimberley since 1986 Garry has a strong background in Indigenous Education, working in Looma, Derby and Broome schools and across the Kimberley for the Education Department. Additionally, as Course Coordinator for Notre Dame University and in Community affairs for Panoramic Resources in the East Kimberley. Garry is very experienced in Local, State and Federal Election management and was the Kimberley Returning Officer for the last two State elections.
Michelle Mackenzie
deputy chair
Michelle brings extensive experience as a non-executive director, serving on not-for-profit boards in the community sector and intergovernmental working groups.
Michelle has a career spanning the resources, local and State government and the not-for-profit sector including CEO of Shelter WA; Executive Director Regional Investment, Department of Regional Development; Executive Manager Infrastructure, WA Local Government Association; and leading the regional engagement team at Rio Tinto Iron Ore. Michelle is Principal of the Halls Creek based consulting firm Mira-Consulting.
Her focus is leadership, policy and strategy, program development, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement with particular experience in complex settings and regional Western Australia.
Natasha Aristei
TREASURER
Natasha is a Broome business woman with significant enterprise organisational skills. Her strong commitment to giving back to her community motivated her to join the RDA Kimberley as a voluntary board member. Currently, Natasha is a Life Member of the Broome Chamber of Commerce, Committee Member of the Water Corporation’s Kimberley Community Grants Scheme, Board Member of Netball WA, and Director of Finance for the Broome Surf Life Saving Club. She also volunteers as a local netball coach from grass roots programs through to club and regional representative teams. Through her business and leadership roles, she is involved in various industry sectors including building and service, retail, domestic and industrial gas, and community not-for-profits.
Susan Bradley OAM JP
Committee
Long term Kimberley resident, Susan Bradley has held many Board positions including Chair of the Kimberley Development Commission (KDC), Chair of the Ord Development Council, inaugural Board Member of the Royal Flying Doctor Service Federal Council, Australian Maritime Safety Authority Board, Horizon Power Board,
President of the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley (SWEK), President of the Kimberley Regional Group of Councils (KRG), and the Kimberley and Pilbara
Cattlemen’s Association. Susan is currently an Emeritus Director with Rock Art Australia and Patron for the North Kimberley Land Care Conservation District.
Gail Gower
Committee
Gail has spent over 35 years in the tourism industry. Her wide range of experience covers marketing, sales and development for a niche Wholesaler, working for a State Tourism Authority based in London, managing Broome Visitor Centre and General Manager positions’ with accommodation properties. Based in Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia for 28 years and having also lived in Kununurra and Darwin, she has a strong affinity and understanding of the issues affecting regional Australia and the challenges of living and operating businesses in remote locations.
Prue Jenkins
Committee
Prue Jenkins, the Chief Executive Officer of the Wunan Foundation, a prominent Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation in the East Kimberley, is a proficient leader with over 40 years of experience living and working in regional and remote Western Australia. With a deep connection to and understanding of rural and remote communities, Prue has strategically operated at executive levels, across the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and Wheatbelt regions. She possesses valuable insights into the complexities of these operating environments and has built credibility and extensive networks with government, industry, and community sectors in both public and private roles.
Michele Pucci
committee
Michele is a long-term resident of the Kimberley and was involved in Local Government as a Shire Councillor for seven and a half years, during three of which she held the position of Shire President of the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley. She has extensive experience in strategic and regional planning and has held several regional positions including chair of the RDA Kimberley, board member of Kimberley Development Commission, Vice chair of the East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and board member of Kimberley TAFE.
Bill Tatchell
Committee
Bill is the Chief Executive Officer of Australia’s North West Tourism and has more than 30 years’ executive leadership experience across tourism, aviation, hospitality, destination management and regional economic development in Australia and internationally.
Through his executive leadership and involvement on a number of regional boards, advisory groups and strategic working groups, Bill brings a practical, collaborative and outcomes-focused perspective to governance, regional development and long-term strategic planning, with a strong commitment to the sustainable growth and prosperity of the Kimberley.
Our Staff
Janine Hatch
Director
Janine has 15 years of experience delivering regional projects and industry development for local and state government, academic and private organisations across regional Western Australia.
Janine’s broad and high-level regional development expertise has been crafted through previous roles with the Department of Regional Development, the Wheatbelt and Peel Development Commissions, and most recently with the Shire of Broome. These roles have focused on facilitating private sector investment, grants management, business case development, and strategic planning.
Through the RDA Kimberley role, Janine is passionate about working with businesses, communities and across all levels of Government to shape projects for collective and direct local impact.
Tracey Deegan
Acting Director
Tracey’s broad and high‑level regional development expertise has been built through more than 20 years’ experience across industry, government and private sectors in the Kimberley and remote areas. Tracey holds qualifications in business, human resources, emergency management and education/training. Her work has focused on building bespoke remote education programs, strategic planning, sustainable workforce & capability development, and innovation and growth strategy for small business.
Kara Byrnes
Projects and Administration
Kara moved to Broome in 2017 with her family to their forever home after living in the Pilbara for 15 years. Enjoying the Kimberley lifestyle, tourism and exploring for the past 20 years has given Kara a passion for the region’s development.
Kara brings experience working in finance, insurance, administration and project officer roles and volunteers in several community organisations.
Government Grants
RDA Kimberley plays an active role in supporting our regional community and businesses to apply for State and Federal funding and accessing information on local government funding opportunities.
Find a Grant
At RDA Kimberley, we provide advice and assistance on grants and funding opportunities that your organisation or business located in the Kimberley region may be eligible for.
Application Tips
We have developed several resources to help you understand how to best prepare a successful grant application for your organisation or project.