From the RDA Pilbara Chair - September 2025

There’s a real thrill in seeing the Pilbara recognised and celebrated in other parts of the state.

And there are few places more important for the Pilbara’s unique opportunities and challenges to be understood and acted upon than WA Parliament.

RDA Pilbara was delighted to join with the Pilbara Chambers Alliance and the Pilbara Development Commission in helping bring the inaugural Pilbara to Parliament to life in Perth in mid-September.

It was a great event, with one clear highlight being the delicious Pilbara produce being enjoyed by a healthy crowd of attendees. Another was looking around the Parliament courtyard and seeing so many members of the Pilbara business community in deep conversation with engaged key decision makers and stakeholders.

We are very grateful to the Pilbara business owners who made the trip to Perth to showcase their products, services and unique stories, and also Chevron, BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside and the PDC for their generosity in sponsoring the event.

We are also extremely thankful for the long list of MPs and Ministers who are taking such an active interest in our region. In particular, it was wonderful to have Premier Roger Cook, Minister for Regional Development Stephen Dawson and Minister for the Pilbara Amber-Jade Sanderson address the event.

Special mention to Member for the Pilbara Kevin Michel, who helped make many of the week’s activities possible, including an informative visit to Parliament for Questions Without Notice.

Lastly, thank you to the five chambers of commerce and industry who make up the Chambers Alliance. Pilbara to Parliament was a fine addition to the outstanding support you provide to local business communities.

We certainly don’t intend for the first Pilbara to Parliament to be the last! Our hope is that it will become a regular fixture in the calendar and that conversations and connections established in its distinctive setting will lead to positive long-term outcomes for the Pilbara.

On the topic of positive outcomes, RDA Pilbara’s annual two-day strategy workshop took place in Perth in the two days after Pilbara to Parliament.

It’s a rare treat for a full RDA Pilbara Committee to be in the same place at the same time and I’m very pleased we were able to take advantage of the opportunity.

Discussion was passionate and spirited, as you’d expect from a Committee as diverse as ours. But it was also highly respectful, reflecting the shared goals of our Committee members to advance the cause of the Pilbara and each of its communities.

The workshop represented the first chance for our Committee to get together since it was expanded and refreshed mid-year. It was great to see Committee members from all parts of the Pilbara getting to know each other.

Of course, the workshop was no “meet and greet.” Dialogue over the two days – expertly moderated by Calin Buia from Rio Tinto – will shape RDA’s strategic focus and inform our policy and advocacy, today and into the future.

I look forward to providing more details about our workstreams and priorities in the months to come.