The principal objective of the WRI is to support the economic development of regional communities. The Institute’s expertise in this area was recognised when it was appointed as Charles Sturt University’s host for the Community Partnerships Program (CPP).

The CPP was a joint initiative between the NSW Department of State and Regional Development and CSU that aims to enhance community capacity for economic development. The Community Partnerships Program was the first of its kind in Australia. The goals of the program were to encourage regional universities to engage more fully with their communities and to enhance the skills of regional communities and their key stakeholders in economic development.

The WRI has also completed extensive research on the potential of enterprise zones as a regional development tool in Australia. For example, the WRI developed an enterprise zone model for the Barwon Darling region of NSW in order to generate employment, increase business investment, reduce indigenous and long-term unemployment and increase the proportion of people with post-school qualifications.