Vision Statement

Working together to create a thriving future for our island communities

愿景声明 - 携手合作为我们的岛屿社区创造繁荣的未来

Pernyataan visi - Bekerjasama untuk membina masa depan yang berkembang untuk masyarakat pulu kita

Pernyataan wawasa - Sama-sama berusaha mewujudkan masa depan yang berkembang maju untuk komuniti pulau kita

IOT RDO Community Newsletter –
August 2022

About us

The Indian Ocean Territories Regional Development Organisation (IOT RDO) is one of 52 organisations located across Australia that are part of the Regional Development Australia (RDA) network. The IOT RDO team is comprised of local leaders and passionate advocates working to facilitate sustainable development in the IOT, and to build strong and confident local economies on both Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

What we’ve been working on

First meeting of the IOT RDO Committee for 2022-23
Overseeing construction of the Christmas Island walking/cycle path and viewing platform
Development of the IOT RDO 2030 Strategic Regional Plan
Development of the IOT RDO Annual Business Plan 2022-23
IOT Business Directory

IOT RDO Committee meeting 6 August 2022

The new IOT RDO Committee for 2022-23 held its first meeting on 6 August 2022 on Christmas Island. The Committee received a final status briefing on the implementation of the RDO’s Annual Business Plan 2021-22, which provided new members with an overview of our work over the past 12 months. Recent work includes ongoing advocacy for solutions for IOT freight issues; the development of the IOT Business Directory; the provision of online and in person grant writing workshops on Christmas Island and Cocos; and the implementation of Australian Government funded projects to develop the IOT as a regional tourism destination, including the Indian Ocean Fest and the new walking/cycle path and viewing platform on Christmas Island.

The organisation is also currently undertaking the RDA Annual Governance Certification process, which will be presented at the upcoming IOT RDO Annual General Meeting.

The new Committee members were briefed in detail on the ongoing work of the RDO in advocating for improved freight services, and a considerable amount of time was dedicated to discussing air and sea freight and passenger services due to the importance of these issues. The Committee especially wants to thank and express their strong support for the initiative and hard work of community representatives on Cocos on the air freight petition and the report on passenger services. Working towards solutions for these issues is high on the Committee’s agenda and is a core focus of the RDO’s Strategic Regional Plan and Annual Business Plan 2022-23.

The Committee discussed the Cocos runway upgrade project on Cocos, and we will be focussing on how to maximise benefits for the local community, including legacy infrastructure, local training, capacity building, and employment opportunities.

The Commmitte also had a tour of the freshly laid walking/cycle path that the IOT RDO engaged local company Acker to construct, and it was great to see the path being used by local families and visitors. We also viewed the foundations for the new viewing platform, which will look out over the Indian Ocean from Rocky Point Road.

IOT RDO 2030 Strategic Regional Plan

The IOT RDO engaged Centred Solutions to develop our new, macro-level IOT RDO Strategic Regional Plan. The development of the plan is a requirement under the RDA Charter. The plan has been developed through research, community and stakeholder engagement, and economic analysis. The Strategic Regional Plan aims to leverage the region’s natural assets and community strengths to foster a more diverse economy and a stronger, more resilient and capable region. The plan will drive the work of the IOT RDO, and will also be available for use by the community, community organisations, private enterprise and government. The IOT RDO Strategic Regional Plan will be published in September.

IOT RDO Annual Business Plan 2022-23

The IOT RDO Committee is currently developing its Annual Business Plan 2022-23. The plan maps the organisation’s activities for the coming year, with each activity matched to the priorities and focus areas as outlined in the IOT RDO 2030 Strategic Regional Plan. The Committee will report on its progress with the implementation of the Annual Business Plan via its Community Newsletters.

IOT Business Directory

The IOT RDO developed the IOT Business Directory to showcase the business community in our region, and to shine a light on the local resources and skills that are available. The IOT RDO advocates strongly for local training and employment opportunities for all projects in the IOT. If you would like to add or update your business details on the directory please visit the website and complete the online form.

Working together to create a thriving future for our island communities

Our door is always open. Please reach out to Committee members or our Program Manager, Bianca McKinney, if you have issues that you would like to discuss or bring to the Committee’s attention.

RDO Annual Business Plan workshop: David Eizenberg (Office of the Administrator), Michael Kirkpatrick, John Clunies-Ross, Thomas Battcher, Natasha Griggs, Fionn Muster and Mark Coffey (Centred Solutions), Farzian Zainal, Stephanie Lai, Bianca McKinney, David McKinney.

Indian Ocean Territories Regional Development Committee