In June 2025, Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC) CEO Dr Madeleine Lawler initiated research into artificial intelligence (AI) impacts on regional industry, economy and education. This work has evolved into an ongoing taskforce aimed at ensuring the Mid North Coast adapts to AI change rather than being disrupted by it.
Why This Research Matters
Dr Lawler discovered that how you measure AI’s impact dramatically changes what you find. When researchers look at entire job categories (like “administrative assistant” or “accountant”), the results appear catastrophic: nearly half of all regional workers could lose their jobs, costing the local economy $4.49 billion.
But when the same researchers examine specific tasks within those jobs, the picture changes completely. Most jobs contain a mix of tasks – some that AI can handle, others that require human skills. Using this task-based approach, only 12-18% of workers would be significantly affected, with economic impact dropping to $1.2-1.8 billion.
This isn’t just an academic difference. These numbers determine how much government funding the region receives, what types of training programs get developed, and whether communities panic or plan.
What the Research Found
The good news: most workers will keep their jobs. National research shows 79% of workers are in roles with low automation risk. AI is more likely to become a tool that helps people do their jobs better rather than replacing them entirely, “AI isn’t going to replace jobs, people who know how to use AI will”, stated Dr Lawler.
The challenges: different sectors are adapting at different speeds. Technology companies are racing ahead while schools and government lag behind. A quarter of workers are already using AI tools without any official training or guidelines, creating potential problems.
Regional areas like the Mid North Coast face specific hurdles. There are fewer opportunities to use AI as a productivity tool compared to cities. Administrative workers (many of whom are women) face higher automation risk, and older workers often lack confidence with digital tools.
The opportunities: businesses using AI early are seeing productivity improvements. Entry-level jobs remain stable. Most importantly, we’re still in the early stages of this transition, giving communities time to prepare rather than just react.
Taking Action
Rather than wait for change to happen, Dr Lawler conducted an AI experiment. Dr Lawler created an Employment Intelligence Dashboard using the Nowcast of Employment and Regional Occupations (NERO) dataset from Jobs and Skills Australia.
This tool monitors 355 different types of jobs in the region, showing which ones are being affected by AI and how quickly changes are occurring. Think of it as an early warning system that helps the region plan ahead.
September 2025 Taskforce Meeting
On 11th September 2025, Dr Lawler convened regional leaders at Bellingen Memorial Hall to address a central question: Would the Mid North Coast let AI happen to them, or shape how it happens?
Stakeholders from councils, academia, industry and community organisations shared current AI usage within their organisations, revealing varying levels of adoption and governance.
Infrastructure Presentations
NBN Co Regional Update: Chris Simon, Regional Manager Northern MNC, presented local network progress and AI’s impact on power grid infrastructure.
Telstra Connectivity Analysis: Regional Manager Joshua Fulwood outlined connectivity challenges and opportunities in regional Australia, including AI’s effects on internet and power consumption.
Digital Sovereignty Focus: University of New England’s Mitchell Smidt presented research on “shadow AI” usage in business and education. His presentation highlighted risks of uncontrolled AI adoption:
- Intellectual property exposure
- Security and privacy vulnerabilities
- Competitive advantage erosion
- Unintentional outsourcing
UNE’s response was developing “Madgwick,” a sovereign AI platform named after the university’s first vice-chancellor. The system provides NSW-based infrastructure with access to large language models while maintaining local data control.
“To combat the inequity and the shadow AI, we built a sovereign platform locked down to New South Wales where we can get access to any of the LLMs that we want,” Smidt explained.
Current Objectives
The taskforce aims to:
- Develop AI capability across the region
- Plan workforce redirection and transition strategies
- Maintain community strength during technological change
- Coordinate responses rather than leaving adoption to chance
- Ensure regional advantages rather than disadvantages from AI development
Next Steps
RDAMNC continues stakeholder engagement across demographics and industries to develop plans reflecting the broader regional community. The organisation will provide periodic updates on taskforce progress and expand participation to include varied ages, backgrounds, genders and professional sectors.
Project Status
This is an active, ongoing initiative. The September meeting established foundations for continued collaboration. Future activities focus on building regional AI readiness while maintaining community cohesion and economic stability.
The taskforce operates on evidence that coordination surpasses isolation, and that regions still have time to influence AI outcomes rather than simply react to changes imposed from elsewhere.
To learn more about the AI Taskforce, explore RDA Sydney’s article here.