Chief Economist Comes To Town

It’s not every day you get an insight into regionally specific economic data from an individual who has a direct line to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

Luckily for local residents, PRD Whitsunday is bringing this level of information to town when they host their second Annual Property Research Night next week.

Featuring special guest speaker Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo, familiarly known as ‘Dr Asti’, the event will inform the audience about key topics such as interest rate rises, inflation, and cost of living.

Dr Asti is PRD’s Chief Economist and an RBA Liaison Partner who attends quarterly meetings with the RBA and has a deep knowledge of the inner workings of Australia’s central banking system.

“She has her finger on the pulse and is highly regarded in the industry,” said Chief Executive Officer of PRD Whitsunday, Annette Neil.

“Better still, she delivers economic data with a personality, everything she says is relatable and easy to understand.

“Taking on feedback from last year, we are also making this event less high level, a bit easier to understand if you are not closely following economics.”

This year Whitsunday Regional Council

Economic Development Manager, Gary Warrener, will also be speaking at the event and he will be accompanied by Mayor Julie Hall and Council CEO Warren Bunker.

Guests are invited to listen to presentations from both Dr Asti and Mr Warrener, with the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

“The issues they will be discussing effect everyone,” said Ms Neil.

“We are regional and are very passionate about our region, but a lot of information that we see in the media comes from capital cities.

“Having something that is locally relevant, that’s regional and specific to the Whitsundays is vital, so you know that what we are talking about is real information that can make a difference in our community.”

Ms Neil said that providing this type of public service is at the heart of the PRD mentality, where the ‘R’ in PRD stands for ‘research’.

“This event is not about making sales or selling you anything,” she explains.

“It is about informing the community and giving you the opportunity to have more knowledge on topics that matter to you.”

With the aim of making the Property Research Night a firm fixture on the annual event calendar, Ms Neil says that she hopes many people will attend.

“This is a rare opportunity to see someone of this calibre come to the Whitsundays,” she said.

The event is gold coin donation, and all proceeds will go directly to the Tiny Homes Project.

There will be free nibblies provided and a licenced bar on site with the opportunity to network with other community members before and after the event.

WHAT: Annual Property Research Night WHERE: Reef Gateway Hotel Function Room

WHEN: Wednesday, August 9 from 6pm COST: Gold coin donation