What that signifies, for the first time in recent years, is that this community has been able to reach a general consensus about the issues that are important to address and the manner in which that should be tackled. Hence no real surprises.

RDA chair Eddy De Gabriele was at pains to explain the consultation involved in distilling everyone's priorities and comments into a working document. And, encouragingly, the report presents a united front as we go into battle against other regions for federal and state funding. The plan is also a good reference point as the region seeks to attract private projects.

The plan is more sophisticated than just a wish-list of infrastructure projects. It considers the broad social make-up of the Illawarra and identifies pathways to growth, such as the National Broadband Network.

Of course, the plan is only a plan.

This region's prosperity depends on how well we deploy the most valuable commodity we have - the human resource, which is what drives innovation across every sector.