In December 1992 the former Minister for Gascoyne, Hon. Tom Stephens, MLC, invited the four Shire Presidents of the Gascoyne region to form the Interim Board of the Gascoyne Development Commission. They were charged with the task of overseeing the establishment of the Commission and advising the Minister on regional development issues until appropriate enabling legislation could be enacted for the Commission.

Executive Council approved the establishment of the Gascoyne Development Commission as a State Government Department in accordance with Section 21 of the Public Service Act 1978. The Commission commenced operations on 1 January 1993.

When the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 came into effect on 1 February 1994, the Gascoyne Development Commission became a State Government statutory authority. It was one of nine regional development commissions established through this Act to facilitate economic and social development in Western Australia’s regions.

The Gascoyne Regional Development Commission has a broad agenda of promoting economic and social development in the Gascoyne region, which encompasses the shires of Carnavon, Exmouth, Shark Bay and Upper Gascoyne.

As part of a series of Machinery of Government changes effective from 1 July 2017, staff of the Gascoyne Development Commission (excluding the Chief Executive Officer and Board Members) were transferred to the new Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The Commission remains a legal entity under this new arrangement.