Regional Advisory Panel Meeting 2025

The STA Region is made up of seven local government areas and each of our local Councils are essential partners to support STA to deliver projects and services to our communities.

To ensure a direct line of communication and information exchange STA operates the Regional Advisory Panel, made up of two Delegates from each of our partner Councils. Delegates work with STA to optimise Council engagement with STA operations and ensure STA are across Council projects and plans in the Arts and Cultural space.

Each year STA organise a forum where Delegate members of the Regional Advisory Panel come together. The day is a strategic information exchange and think tank.

The 2025 meeting was recently held at the Frank Pangallo Heritage Library in Quenbeyan – a fitting venue that celebrates history, storytelling, and the cultural fabric of our region. Delegates representing our seven Local Government Areas came together for a dynamic and highly productive day of conversations, presentations, and shared visioning around the arts and cultural life across the Southern Tablelands.

This gathering was far more than a formal meeting – it is a powerful exchange between professional delegates, cultural leaders, and community champions who each bring the unique perspective of their own region. Together, we explored the opportunities and challenges facing our creative industries, while also discovering the immense value of cross-regional collaboration. By connecting voices and ideas from across all seven LGAs, the panel highlighted how collective action can amplify the arts, spark innovative projects, and build stronger cultural networks that reach beyond local boundaries.

The discussions celebrated the remarkable diversity of artistic practice in regional NSW – from visual arts and performance, to music, storytelling, heritage, and contemporary cross-disciplinary work. Delegates reflected on the ways creativity not only enriches community life but also drives regional pride, economic resilience, and deeper social connections.

Adding to the inspiration of the day, delegates were treated to a special guided tour of the brand-new Queanbeyan Civic and Cultural Precinct (QCCP), developed by the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. This striking new cultural hub offered a glimpse into how thoughtful investment in the arts can transform communities, providing spaces where history, creativity, and innovation meet.

The 2025 Regional Advisory Panel meeting reinforced what we already know: the arts are not just thriving in regional areas, they are vital to their identity and future. Through collaboration, resource-sharing, and bold cultural leadership, our region is building a stronger, more connected, and more vibrant creative landscape for generations to come.