Mr Beveridge is now chair of the Regional Development Australia Townsville and North West Queensland Committee.

Regional Development minister John McVeigh MP appointed Mr Beveridge this week. 

“It is important that chairs of RDA Committees have extensive experience and networks in their regions to lead and support initiatives that can drive economic growth,” Mr McVeigh said.

“Mr Beveridge joined the RDA Committee in 2016 and has been the acting chair since April, 2017.

‘He brings extensive small business experience across the region as well as experience in local government where he was the Mayor of Charters Towers Regional Council for four years and a Councillor before that.”

“I wish to acknowledge that the RDA Townsville and North West Queensland Committee has performed very strongly since they were established in 2009,” he said.

Mr Beveridge said he was honoured to be appointed. 

“I applied for this position as I have been the Acting Chair over the past year and I believe RDA has an important role to play in cross-regional economic growth,” Mr Beveridge said.

“We have one of the largest RDA areas in Australia, covering seven times the size of Tasmania.

“Challenges come with that scale of area to cover, but I am looking forward to working with our community and business leaders, RDA Committee members and staff to lead and support projects that drive economic growth,” he said. 

“Our RDA already has a track record of supporting project proponents to secure economic development grant funding of more than $36 million to enable projects of more than $90 million to go ahead. I want us to build on that.”

RDA Townsville and North West Queensland covers 15 Local Government areas – Boulia, Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Doomadgee, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Mornington, Mount Isa, Palm Island, Richmond and Townsville.

For further information go to: www.rdanwq.org.au