Regional infrastructure is not simply a regional issue. It is a national productivity, resilience and nation-building priority.

Late last month, Nicole Duguid, CEO of RDA Brisbane, appeared before the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee's Inquiry into Financial Support for State and Territory Infrastructure Projects, alongside Olivia West, CEO of RDA Southern NSW & ACT. Together, they presented a united case for infrastructure assessment and funding processes that better reflect the realities and opportunities of regional Australia.

The hearing, attended by Senator Dave Sharma, Senator Richard Dowling and Senator Karen Grogan, highlighted the important role Regional Development Australia (RDA) organisations play in providing place-based intelligence, connecting communities and industry, and ensuring regional priorities are reflected in state and federal infrastructure planning.

Speaking with a national voice for regional Australia

Drawing on the collective expertise of the RDA Queensland network, Nicole Duguid emphasised that regional infrastructure delivers benefits far beyond regional boundaries. Queensland's regions support national productivity, exports, energy security, food production, defence capability and economic resilience, yet many regional projects face structural barriers in securing investment.

In her evidence, Ms Duguid called for:

• Greater recognition of the national value created by regional infrastructure.
• Regional weighting within infrastructure assessment models.
• Increased funding for early feasibility studies, planning and business case development.
• Better measurement of social, community and resilience outcomes.
• The creation of a long-term national regional infrastructure pipeline extending up to 50 years.

The hearing also explored the transformational opportunities associated with Brisbane 2032, including improved regional connectivity, upgrades to key transport corridors such as the Bruce Highway, enhanced mobile coverage, greater participation by regional SMEs and Indigenous businesses in procurement, and enduring economic benefits across Queensland.

Collaboration across regional Australia

A key theme of the hearing was the value of collaboration between RDAs across Australia.

Representing a cross-border region, Olivia West highlighted how infrastructure assessments often fail to capture the economic and social realities that extend beyond state boundaries. From workforce mobility and housing pressures to transport and energy infrastructure, she argued that national assessment frameworks must better recognise the interconnected nature of regional economies. Her evidence reinforced the importance of Commonwealth leadership in developing more sophisticated approaches to infrastructure planning and investment.

Together, the two CEOs demonstrated how RDAs provide a unique regional perspective that complements traditional government planning processes. By working across local, state and federal jurisdictions, RDAs help identify emerging opportunities, test assumptions, connect stakeholders and ensure investment decisions reflect real community needs.

Strengthening Queensland's presence on the national infrastructure agenda

An important priority emerging from this work is increasing the number of Queensland projects represented on national infrastructure pipelines.

RDA Brisbane and the broader Queensland RDA network are working closely with Infrastructure Australia to strengthen the visibility of regionally significant projects and ensure that Queensland opportunities are better positioned within national infrastructure planning processes. This includes ongoing collaboration to support the identification, development and progression of projects onto Infrastructure Australia's Infrastructure Pipeline List (IPL).

As outlined in the Queensland network's submission, many regionally significant projects require early-stage facilitation, feasibility work and coordination before they become investment-ready. By bringing together regional intelligence, industry insight and local priorities, RDAs are helping to build a stronger pipeline of nationally significant projects capable of delivering long-term economic, social and productivity benefits.

A stronger future for Australia's regions

The Senate hearing highlighted a simple but powerful message: investing in regional infrastructure is investing in Australia's future.

Regional Development Australia organisations across the country continue to advocate for infrastructure funding models that recognise long-term national benefits, regional economic contribution, community resilience and place-based priorities. Through collaboration with governments, industry and organisations such as Infrastructure Australia, RDAs are helping shape a stronger, more productive and better-connected future for regional Australia.

As Nicole Duguid noted in the RDA Queensland network's submission: "Regional infrastructure is nation-building infrastructure." That principle remains at the heart of RDA Brisbane's ongoing advocacy for Queensland communities and the nation as a whole.