Economic Development Board (South Australia)


The Economic Development Board was an independent advisory body to the Government of South Australia focused on economic development issues in South Australia. It was established by the Rann Government in 2002 and concluded with the first budget of the Marshall Government in 2018.

History

The EDB spanned the terms of two Labor Premiers, Rann and Weatherill. It was formed by then-premier Mike Rann to improve SA's business outlook, and was considered to be the state’s "highest-powered" advisory group.
The board received an "overhaul" in May 2014, with the replacement of half of its twelve-person membership. Then-current Chair, Raymond Spencer, described one aspect of the reshuffle as creating "a direct linkage into the Premier which will ensure our work can be accelerated and prioritised." Premier Jay Weatherill once commended the board for "supporting South Australia’s growth sectors - specifically unconventional gas, education and agricultural areas."
Following the election of a Liberal government in March 2018, Treasurer Rob Lucas defunded and disbanded the board with the government's first budget. Former EDB member Tanya Monro was reengaged as a member of the newly-formed Premier's Economic Advisory Council, along with new members: Jacqui McGill, Nick Reade, Geoff Rohrsheim, Bill Spurr AO and Christine Zeitz.

Membership

At 6 February 2017, the membership of the board was composed of:
Former members of the EDB include: