South West Development Commission

Over the past five years the South West's average annual growth rate was 2.1 per cent. 

• Business Investment Support
• Community Development
• Export and Trade
• Tourism Development
• Skilled Migration
• Strategic Planning
  • Strategic Plan
  • Infrastructure Plan
  • Action Statement
• Accountability
  • Our Commitment
  • Disability Access & Inclusion
  • Have your Say
  • Freedom of Information
  • Public Interest Disclosure
• Our History

 

What We Do

About us

The South West Development Commission is a statutory authority of the Western Australian government, with a board of management selected from the community, local governments and ministerial appointments.

Our aim is to make the South West region an even greater place to live, work and invest.

We do so by partnering with communities, government, business and industry to identify and support projects that benefit the region.

Developing the region's economy and improving quality of life are key areas of focus.

How we work

With the aim of creating a region of excellence, our strategic plan guides the Commission's delivery of services into three areas:

People and place - We focus on projects which engage the community in developing a vibrant region. This includes planning, civic engagement, community leadership, community infrastructure and services, and urban renewal.

Infrastructure and environment - Our aim is to build modern infrastructure which supports industry, maintains a sense of place for our communities and values our natural environment.

Knowledge, enterprise and innovation - We aim to create jobs, develop greater job diversity and increase incomes through a diverse industrial base. Projects focus on attracting knowledge-based industries and maximising the region's trade potential.

Our project officers aim to:

• Maximise local job opportunities by attracting new business and industry to the region, while helping existing business and industry to grow.
• Identify and address gaps in government services and infrastructure.
• Support the development of communities and towns.

Our services include:

• Business investment support
• Export assistance
• Community development
• Tourism development
• Statistical research

Examples of how we help:

Direct Grant Funding - We fund projects that support the region. There are currently 188 grants being administered with a grant value of $45 million and a total project value of $118 million. Find out more about funding opportunities.

Research Activities - Recent research activities undertaken by SWDC include research in respect to international trade, the Indigenous Map and Gap Study, the South West Active Ageing Research Project, and an investigation into timber industry development opportunities.

Direct Projects - Recent examples by SWDC include the conversion of an old coal mining lease to a recreational lake (Lake Kepwari), establishment of a major industrial park at Collie (Shotts Industrial Park), the Busselton Jetty refurbishment and the establishment of an indigenous aquaculture project at Collie.

Provision of Information - Information provided to individuals and businesses both inside and outside the region includes migration services, a statistical snapshot of the region, as well as information relating to international trade.

Facilitate Interagency Action - This refers to the bringing together of relevant parties such as government agencies, private business, local governments and the not-for-profit community sector to identify approvals and other planning pathways for the implementation process, and to problem solve any arising issues.

Our projects:

Browse our website to learn more about our work in the region, or sign up to the South West Development Commission's e-Newsletter to keep up to date with the projects we are involved in.