Regional Development Australia (RDA) is a national network of committees established and funded by the Australian Government to support the growth and resilience of regional communities through economic development. While each RDA operates within a defined geographic region, the network works collaboratively across state and territory borders to ensure regional priorities are heard in national policy discussions and that opportunities for growth are realised across all of Australia’s regions.
RDA Grampians brings together influential regional leaders who are committed to driving economic growth, supporting thriving local industries, and fostering vibrant, connected communities across the Grampians. With a deep understanding of the region’s strengths, challenges and opportunities, the Committee provides strategic advice to the Australian Government, facilitates cross-sector collaboration, and champions initiatives that contribute to a strong, future-focused regional economy.
Committee members
RDA Grampians Committee Members are selected for their business expertise in the region’s key economic areas. The high calibre team has global, national and local experience in manufacturing, housing, energy, public administration, agriculture, education and tourism.
Underpinning this expertise is the Committee Chair, Michael Tudball, who has worked across local government, regional development, economic strategy, and infrastructure planning, bringing decades of leadership experience and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing regional communities.
Chair - Michael Tudball
Michael Tudball (AFSM FAICD MIMC) is a contemporary executive with a leadership foundation built upon extensive background in communities, Local and State governments intertwined with private and not-for-profit sector experience.
Michael has specific strengths in local government, economic development, emergency management and resilience, transport, health and employment sectors with strategic work including advice and policy development at Local, State and Federal levels.
He now spends his time in Executive Mentoring, Public Speaking, Leadership support, Interim Executive and Board Governance roles in particular supporting local government and communities.
Jessica Kelly
Jessica Kelly is the dynamic and visionary Product Manager at Ferndale Foods Australia, a proudly locally owned food manufacturing group based in Ballarat. With a keen eye for innovation and an unwavering commitment to quality, Jessica leads the company’s Product Innovation and Quality Assurance division, ensuring that products go from initial concept to final placement on retail shelves across the country, meeting the highest standards of excellence.
Having lived, studied, and built her career in the Grampians region, Jessica is deeply passionate about fostering the growth of regional communities. Since April 2024, she has been an active member of the Grampians RDA Committee, contributing her expertise to initiatives that drive economic development and sustainability in the region.
Beyond her leadership in the food industry, Jessica is a dedicated advocate for increasing the participation of girls in STEM fields, championing programs that inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. She is also committed to advancing local manufacturing and unlocking new opportunities in food system innovation, ensuring that Australian-made products continue to thrive on both national and global stages.
Howard Wilbury
Howard is a Daylesford-based executive and strategist, deeply committed to fostering vibrant, resilient regional communities. With a leadership foundation forged across two decades in global media, advertising, and management consulting, Howard brings a unique lens to regional economic development.
Howard is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and holds a Master of Business Administration (Executive) (MBAE) from AGSM @ UNSW Business School, underpinning his practical acumen with strong governance principles. He is currently undertaking a PhD at RMIT, focusing on placemaking and economic development, further deepening his expertise in creating thriving regional futures.
Howard believes that sustainable development stems from understanding the human narrative within every community, a philosophy he now brings to Regional Development Australia to help unlock and amplify the unique potential of our region.
Justin Gilbert
Ballarat based Justin Gilbert brings 3 decades of leadership across finance, information technology, data analytics and business intelligence. In his current role as Business Intelligence Manager at Grampians Health, he harnesses data to drive strategic, evidence-based decisions that benefit the entire region.
Justin has partnered with small businesses, non-profits, corporates and educational institutions, all headquartered in Ballarat yet active across Southern and Western Victoria and the Grampians – earning a reputation for turning complex data into practical insights. He also draws on lengthy board experience in tourism, small business and regional development organisations, where he provides astute guidance on finance, governance and strategic planning.
A long serving member of the RDA Grampians Committee, Justin has been instrumental in initiatives that strengthen the region’s education, training and digital-connectivity capacity. Most notably, he spearheaded the Committee’s successful push for policy reform on domestic mobile roaming during emergencies, ensuring more reliable communications for regional communities when they need it most.
Linda Kwok
Based in Horsham, Linda Kwok is director of LHLK Architects and a member of the Victoria Building Appeals Board.
Linder has held directorships in health, water, early years learning and sports sectors. She has also taught at universities in architecture, environments and business faculties.
Linda holds a Bachelor of Architecture, a Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Design and a Master of Business Administration. She is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Christine Ferguson
Christine Ferguson PSM has lived in rural communities in the Grampians region most of her life and has a great affinity with Western Victoria and its communities.
Having worked in the Aged Care sector in Hamilton and Melbourne, before moving to State Government Christine held positions in the Victorian Departments of Sport and Recreation, State Development, Health and Human Services, Environment and Primary Industries and subsequently Land, Water and Planning and Energy and Climate Action.
Christine is an experienced non-executive director and executive leader having delivered public policy and services across social, environmental, economic, and emergency management portfolios. She has a reputation for working collaboratively with stakeholders to cut through complex issues and deliver positive and balanced results.
Passionate about supporting the growth and resilience of rural Victoria, Christine believes the best outcomes are achieved by harnessing the talents of communities and multidisciplinary teams to deliver value through innovation and service excellence.
Peter Downs
Born and raised in Victoria’s Grampians region, Peter Downs has built a career shaped by the values and entrepreneurial spirit of regional Australia. Growing up in a family that successfully ran businesses across the Grampians, Peter developed a deep understanding of local industries and communities.
Peter is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Ballarat Turf Club, following a number of senior executive roles in racing around Australia. Across these roles, he has delivered record results, impactful strategies, and secured major infrastructure investments that benefit both industry and community.
With advanced governance training through the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Peter is known for inclusive leadership, strong stakeholder engagement and a commitment to sustainable regional growth. He has worked closely with government, traditional owners and local councils to support projects that drive local economies, workforce development and community engagement.
Guided by the lessons of growing up and doing business in the Grampians, Peter remains passionate about helping unlock the potential of regional Victoria for future generations.
Zoe Allan
Zoe is a Recruitment and Human Resource Management professional and Practice Lead – Executive Operations at Miller Leigh.
Throughout her 21 years in Recruitment, Zoe has followed her passion for Regional Victoria by specialising in working with businesses with multi-site Manufacturing operations across both metro and regional locations.
With a proven track record in sourcing and placing C-suite Executives and Senior Leaders in this space, Zoe has a deep understanding of the nuances of Regional Leadership.
She is passionate about the value of regional Victoria as vibrant, liveable communities that offer visionary leaders both an exceptional lifestyle and meaningful career opportunities. Zoe is dedicated to connecting the best talent with roles across regional Victoria, fostering collaboration between regional and metropolitan teams to drive innovation, transformation, and lasting success.
Paul Atherton
Paul is the General Manager of Wimmera Mallee Waste and brings to the committee extensive leadership and management experience across the forestry, environmental services, utilities, and mining sectors.
Previously, Paul served as the Environment and Community Officer for Donald Mineral Sands. His career also includes roles as Project Officer at Horsham Rural City Council and Project Delivery Manager for Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater).
Paul’s expertise spans stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and business development, making him a strong leader in regional environmental and resource management.
David Matthews
David’s core business is farming in the Wimmera region of Victoria. His farm was an early adopter of pulses – such as chick peas, lentils and faba beans – into crop rotations.
As this industry expanded, he established a pulse processing and export business at Rupanyup, known as The Wimmera Grain Company. In 2024 this business exported in excess of 100,000 tonnes of pulse grains to customers in the Indian sub Continent, Middle East and North & South Asia.
In 1998, David was appointed chair of the Rupanyup Minyip Finance Group, the entity that opened the first 2 Community Bank branches in Australia.
He was co-chair of the Community Bank Strategic Advisory Board (forerunner to the Community Bank National Council) when it was formed in 2008. He joined the board of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank in 2010 and remained a non-executive director of the Group until his retirement in 2024.
David retains a strong interest in agribusiness, and particularly how this plays into the social and economic prosperity of regional Australia. His latest venture, Farm Trade Australia, involves the creation of a farmer owned agribusiness that can ensure more of the value created through primary production finds its way back to farms and rural communities.
What we do
At RDA Grampians, we work to drive sustainable economic growth and strengthen the prosperity of our region by connecting people, projects and policy. Our work is guided by key strategic priorities that reflect the opportunities and challenges facing the Grampians region.
We focus on:
- Industry Growth and Innovation by supporting the development of key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining and renewable energy by fostering innovation, investment, and capability building.
- Infrastructure and Connectivity by advocating for essential infrastructure, digital connectivity and freight solutions that unlock regional potential and improve liveability.
- Workforce, Housing and Services by addressing critical workforce shortages, housing access, and service delivery to support a thriving population and strong local economies.
- Collaborative Leadership by building strong relationships with government, industry, and community to ensure regional voices are heard and local priorities shape national decision making.
Through strategic advice, stakeholder engagement, and practical initiatives, RDA Grampians plays a vital role in shaping a resilient and future-focused region.
The value of being embedded in Regional Development Victoria
Being embedded within Regional Development Victoria (RDV) strengthens RDA Grampians’ ability to align local priorities with state and federal policy, enabling more coordinated and impactful outcomes for our region. This close connection provides direct access to government insights, enhances inter-agency collaboration, and ensures that regional voices are heard at the highest levels of decision making.
Our embedded role also supports a strong working relationship with the Central Highlands Regional Partnership and the Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnership. By collaborating we help drive a unified regional agenda, coordinate advocacy efforts, and align strategic initiatives across government, industry, and community.
This integrated approach allows RDA Grampians to leverage the expertise, networks, and resources of RDV and the Regional Partnerships to deliver more effective, place-based solutions that build economic resilience and strengthen the future of our region.
Who we work with
The RDA Grampians committee collaborates with businesses, not-for-profits, industry bodies and agencies to build sector strengths, promote regional capabilities and leverage regional advantages. It works with:
- Local government areas of West Wimmera, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, Horsham, Northern Grampians, Ararat, Pyrenees, Ballarat, Golden Plains, Hepburn and Moorabool.
- Like-minded organisations including the Central Highlands and Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnerships and the Victorian Cross Border Commissioner.
- RDA Committees across Victoria and South Australian border RDA committees to identify synergistic opportunities and boost economic activity.
- Other industry bodies, including Grampians Tourism Board, National Farmers Federation and Grampians based Chambers of Commerce.
Our region
Grampians region fast facts
- 271,611 population
- 92,613 jobs
- $16 billion Gross Regional Product
- Healthcare and Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Education and Training are Grampians’ three largest employment industries.
Stretching from the western edge of Melbourne to the South Australian border, the Grampians region includes the major townships of Edenhope, Nhill, Warracknabeal, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat, Beaufort, Ballarat, Bannockburn, Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh.
Steeped in gold rush history the Grampians is home to Sovereign Hill, the Silo Arts Trail and natural attractions including the Grampians National Park, Mt Arapiles and the Little Desert National Park.
Agriculture and food production are major industries across the Grampians, with extensive dryland farming in the Wimmera Southern Mallee sub-region. Opportunities across the region include artisanal food and beverage production, broad acre intensive cropping and diversified agriculture.
In the Central Highlands and Wimmera South Mallee region, particularly Ballarat and Horsham, the services sector is experiencing significant steady growth across health, education, professional services, ICT and hospitality.
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