Sara Harbidge is the Executive Director – Suburban Development in the Precincts and Suburbs Group at the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions. Working across government, Sara drives and delivers complex, high profile policy initiatives, strategies, investment programs and large-scale reform to positively change Victoria’s future.
Sara’s team has established the Metropolitan Partnerships program, an important part of the government’s Public Sector Reform Agenda. The Partnerships are bringing the voice of the community into government decision-making, and with it, a whole-of-government lens to the complex issues facing Melbourne’s regional communities.
Prior to this, Sara led the development and delivery of the award-winning Water for Victoria policy, which set the strategic direction for the Victorian water sector and water management for the decades to come.
With more than 20 years of knowledge and experience across multiple sectors, Sara has developed wide government, stakeholder and community networks and strongly believes that the right stakeholder and community engagement leads to better public policy outcomes.