RDA Tropical North Chair Professor Hurriyet Babacan, pictured speaking to media at the 2024 Tropical North Queensland Housing Summit, has been reappointed to lead the organisation for another two years. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
The chair of Regional Development Australia (RDA) Tropical North will lead the advocacy body for another two years after being reappointed to its top job last week.
Federal Minister for Regional Development Kristy McBain announced on 10 March she had reappointed Professor Hurriyet Babacan for a second term after two successful years in the role.
Professor Babacan is a conjoint professor at James Cook University and Central Queensland University, and a visiting fellow at the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency, as well as vice-chair of the Cape York Natural Resource Management board.
The reappointment has been welcomed by community leaders across Cape York and the Torres Strait, and RDA Tropical North chief executive officer Sonja Johnson said the role had broadened under Professor Babacan’s remit over the past two years to better engage with Northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.
“Under Hurriyet’s leadership, the RDA Tropical North team has delivered several initiatives to drive regional development solutions that will create jobs and grow Far North Queensland’s economy,” she said.
“Developing and launching the Tropical North Queensland Economic Development Strategy 2024-2029 in collaboration with the FNQ Regional Organisation of Councils a year ago has given our region a strategic plan to develop a dynamic economy, build resilience and increase liveability.
“Critical issues linking to workforce, housing and engagement with the Indo-Pacific region have also been addressed over the past two years through initiatives such as the Tropical North Queensland Housing Summit.”
Professor Babacan said she was looking forward to the next two years of work, adding she hoped to further strengthen Far North Queensland’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region.
“We will be taking a close look at critical infrastructure, such as the Savannah Way, that can be achieved through integrated packages that allow east-west connectivity in Northern Australia,” she said.
“Water security based on a regionwide approach to water planning will be a key focus, as will the liveability challenges of our region.”
Minister McBain congratulated Professor Babacan and said RDAs across the country would continue to work closely with their communities, business and government to drive economic growth in their regions.
“With more than $117 million from the Australian Government set to flow across all of the RDA committees over the next five years, it is an exciting time for the new and returning chairs, as they’ll have the opportunity to work with their members to set the future agendas for their RDAs,” she said.
