Regional Development Victoria (RDV) is Victoria’s regional economic development agency.
We support vibrant, thriving and inclusive regional communities by creating jobs, delivering vital infrastructure and enabling transformative investment.
By strengthening regional economies and leveraging regional strengths, we're working to ensure economic growth and prosperity are shared across all parts of Victoria.
Working in partnership with businesses, community organisations, local governments and the Australian Government, we help to realise the potential of our regional cities and towns.
Our work includes:
- facilitating growth of priority sectors for job creation and economic impact
- attracting investment to regional areas
- supporting existing businesses to grow and new businesses to set up in regional Victoria.
We collaborate closely with Victoria’s Regional Partnerships and the Australian Government’s Regional Development Australia committees to identify local priorities and champion them with government for action and investment.
We also help regional communities navigate life-changing events, from industry transitions to natural disasters such as bushfires and floods.
RDV is part of the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR).
Regional Victoria at a glance
- Our regions are home to 1 in 4 Victorians, and account for more than 783,000 jobs.
- More than 150,000 small businesses (defined as employing 0 to 19 staff) are in regional Victoria, comprising almost a quarter of the state’s small businesses.
- Together, our regions generate over $118 billion in economic output, comprising 20% of Victoria’s total economy.
- Regional Victoria contributes 92% of the state’s agricultural production, valued at more than $20 billion.
- Total visitor expenditure in our regions reached $13 billion in the year ending December 2024.
Meet our CEO
Xavier Csar, Chief Executive Officer, Regional Development Victoria
Dr Xavier Csar has held senior executive roles in the Victorian and Australian Public Service across portfolios as diverse as Skills, Innovation, State and Regional Development and Energy. His highlights include the establishment of the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery, being inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Breakthrough Victoria and serving as CEO of Federation Square during its review and re-visioning.
Before joining government, Xavier was a biotechnologist, researcher and academic at the University of Melbourne. In his 9-year research and biotech start-up career, he published in fields including immunology, cancer, inflammation and drug target identification technology development.
Xavier holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Monash University, an MBA from RMIT and has completed an Executive Fellowship from the Australian and New Zealand School of Government.