Development West Coast (DWC) was established as a Charitable Trust in 2001 with a settlement of $92m received from the Government as an economic adjustment package for the loss of indigenous forestry and the privatisation of much infrastructure on the West Coast in the late 1990s.

DWC manages its funds to enable the investment and distribution of income back into the region to meet its core objectives of promoting sustainable employment opportunities and generating sustainable economic benefits for the West Coast region. These objectives are met through the provision of a range of business and economic development interventions, including business finance, business support and advisory services, industry and sector support and research and innovation projects.