Scenario planning for the liveability of regional New South Wales

The Department of Regional New South Wales (DRNSW) is the central government organisation for regional affairs. The department makes sure that government investment in regional New South Wales is distributed fairly and contributes to positive outcomes for local communities and businesses.

To determine the department's future work priorities, Jester Strategy worked with colleagues from a broad range of government organisations and departments to explore the changing future of liveability in regional New South Wales and how to prepare for it.

Building on the existing future scenarios developed by the Shaping Futures team at the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, we designed and facilitated workshops with three aims:

• Jointly mapping the future challenges and opportunities these scenarios create for the liveability of regional areas. • Developing strategic options to address those challenges and seize the opportunities. • Setting out a clear strategic decision framework to prioritise and select those options.

The outputs of this joint process form the basis for the department's future work priorities, so regional communities can continue to thrive in a changing future too.