RAI Regional Champions: Anna Finch

The work of the RAI would not be possible without the ongoing support of organisations and individuals across regional, rural and remote Australia.

They are a collective coalition working alongside the RAI to build a better future for regional Australia, by turning the dial on the 25 targets outlined in the RAI’s Regionalisation Ambition. 

Our regional champions ensure the voices of those who live outside of our biggest cities get heard and that’s something we think is worth celebrating, which is why we’d like to introduce you to some of our regional champions.

Name: Anna Finch
Role: Director, Vision + Growth
Organisation: Think Regional
Location: Shoalhaven, South Coast, NSW

What are three facts about your region that most people don’t know?

The South Coast is home to a pioneering seaweed wellness company. Based in Huskisson, PhycoHealth is Australia’s first food-grade seaweed farm and health business. By sustainably cultivating native seaweed species, they produce nutrient-rich foods, skincare, and eco-products—turning the region’s coastal resources into a model for ocean-based innovation, sustainability and wellness.

The region also boasts one of Australia’s largest marine parks. The Batemans Marine Park stretches over 85,000 hectares and protects an extraordinary range of marine biodiversity. From migratory whales to vibrant reef systems, the region is a hidden haven for marine life, offering unique eco-tourism experiences and supporting sustainable fishing practices.

We also have a rich history of resilience and recovery. While the 2019–2020 bushfires left deep scars across the South Coast, they also revealed the remarkable strength of our communities. The rapid response from locals, grassroots support networks, and ongoing recovery efforts reflect our deep-rooted spirit of solidarity.

Tell me about a win your organisation has achieved, which aligns with one of the targets under the RAI’s Regionalisation Ambition? 

In 2022, we pledged South Coast Careers to directly address targets in the Jobs and Skills Pillar. A key win for our region has been the evolution of this pledge with the successful development and launch of Think Regional, a collaborative employment branding strategy and marketing platform designed to address immediate skilled workforce shortages while building a positive, long-term employment brand not just for the South Coast, but over time, regional Australia.

Born from six years of research and deep engagement with 1000’s of regional employers and stakeholders, Think Regional showcases real career pathways across diverse employment industries, with 14 Shoalhaven-based employers financially investing in the pilot from 2023 to today. 

Through authentic storytelling, strategic employer branding, and 24/7 integrated marketing campaigns, the platform connects skilled professionals with a broad and diverse range of fulfilling, long term regional careers, positioning the region as an attractive and competitive place to live and work.

The growing Regional Career Builder Network, now at 500+ members, provides targeted career coaching to passive job seekers and skilled workers looking to relocate and stay within the south coast region.

Amid national workforce shortages in areas such as IT, allied health, and veterinary services, Think Regional has successfully attracted skilled talent by aligning the region’s employment value proposition with the lifestyle and career aspirations of these professionals. This once-impossible recruitment is now achievable. 

The coordinated, cross-industry strategy strategically addresses dual-career households, ensuring that when one partner secures a role, the other can clearly see viable career options in the region as well.

What’s the biggest challenge in your region, when it comes to the Ambition’s 20 goals and how do you propose to overcome it? 

Whilst the South Coast NSW is known for its natural beauty and strong community spirit, one of the most significant challenges in meeting the Regionalisation Ambition 2032 goals is improving Liveability.

Like many others, our region faces persistent barriers in housing, health, education, transport, digital connectivity, and access to services, directly impacting our ability to attract and retain skilled people.

These barriers cannot be overcome by individuals, by one group or in silos. They are all interlinked and interdependent and the only way to overcome them is through collaboration, transparency and working towards shared goals.

For the past ten years, whilst my ‘bread and butter’ has been working with our local employers to elevate their HR capabilities, I have always allocated time to ensure the voice of small-to-medium regional employers is heard in these important conversations.

Livability barriers have a significant impact on our regional employer’s ability to grow their skilled workforce and their business, but for many employers, they are small business owners, and their time is invested in their day-to-day business operations. 

I have always been passionate about ensuring the insights and voices of these employers are heard, in turn ensuring that the solutions designed meet the needs of these busy business owners, without the need for them to step out of their business.

I believe every region should have a small-to-medium HR advocate sharing valuable insights to these collaborative solution-based conversations.

Within the next 12 months, what does success for your organisation look like?

Think Regional’s bespoke, collaborative employment marketing solution has been tested and proven highly impactful for regional communities. Designed to address the unique workforce challenges faced by small-to-medium regional employers as well as large corporates with regional presence, this place-based strategy goes beyond traditional recruitment methods by aligning regional, industry, and employer value propositions. The results seen in the Shoalhaven have demonstrated the strength of a coordinated employer, cross-industry approach—bringing visibility to fulfilling career pathways once hidden on the South Coast.

Through our RAA membership and research projects outside the region, we continue to develop a deep understanding of the structural HR and recruitment barriers facing regional employers. Our work confirming that the challenges are not unique to one region. This research, combined with growing interest from employers across New South Wales and even as far as the Northern Territory, affirms the scalability and relevance of the Think Regional model.

The formula has been built, the structure tested, and the impact clearly demonstrated. With the foundation in place, we are now ready to expand Think Regional’s services, across the entire South Coast of NSW—extending from Bega Valley in the south to Kiama in the north—and beyond the South Coast, to other regions across NSW.

Our next phase will focus on onboarding new employer partners, tailoring regional employment value propositions, and continuing to deliver collaborative employment marketing campaigns that connect skilled workforces with regional career opportunities—strengthening communities, industries, and local economies in the process.

If you were asked to describe what RAI membership is like, what would you say?

I first came across the research papers of the Regional Australia Institute during the R&D phase for Think Regional. The Future of Regional Jobs 2020 Synthesis being the report that clearly showed the alignment of the work I was doing on the South Coast with the work the RAI was doing on a national basis.

Having come from ten years of consulting to large corporates in Sydney to learning about the challenges Shoalhaven businesses faced in meeting their basic HR requirements, I felt compelled to find out if employers across other regions around Australia were experiencing the same challenges.

I needed to take my networking national, so when the opportunity became available to join the Regional Activators Alliance, it was an easy decision.

As one of the earliest members of RAA, and from what I could see then, quite possibly the first privately owned micro regional business to join, it was both daunting and inspiring being amongst councils and RDA’s from around regional Australia.

Each year as a member, our national network of connections through the RAI continues to grow, resulting this year in the opportunity to partner with another RAA member on a significant regional HR project. 

Our RAA membership ensures we remain up to date with national regional issues. We learn from our regional counterparts and collaborate to resolve issues affecting many communities. I am not sure there is another network or membership quite like it.