Snapshots of Growth

City of Playford is part of a dynamic and growing Northern Adelaide. A series of Economic Papers have been developed to assist businesses participate in this growth. The papers are based on the combined economies of the cities of Playford and Salisbury as the local economies are highly integrated and becoming increasingly globally focused.

The following areas are covered to reflect current industry and growth areas in the future:

Manufacturing	Defence	Logistics
Construction	Health	Education
Retail	Horticulture	SME and Home Based Business
Green Business

Professor Richard Blandy Director of the Centre for Innovation and Development; School of Management Uni SA states that Playford "possesses a strong local economy, one that has grown faster than the State economy in recent times." (*1)

Table 1: Playford & Salisbury Industry Structure, 1991 2006

ABS Censuses 1991 - 2006, as well as ABS data on Gross State Product, Factor Income by Industry and Labour Force.

Economic Drivers

Playford's economy is still over reliant on manufacturing and needs to diversify.

Key sector that form Northern Adelaide's economic drivers are:

• Manufacturing (29 per cent share, falling rapidly)
• Property and business services (8 per cent share, increasing rapidly)
• Education (7 per cent shar, holding)
• Health and community services (7 per cent share, rising)
• Wholesale trade (5 per cent share, rising)
• Government administration and defence (7 per cent share, increasing rapidly)

Gross Regional Product (Salisbury and Playford) at 2006

Gross Regional Product (GRP) is growing faster than State average:

• GRP growth rate for 1991-2006 is 3.9%pa (SA 2.7%pa)
• GRP growth rate for 2001-2006 is 5.1%pa (SA 2.8%pa).

Improved employment growth rate:

The growth in employment for Northern Adelaide grew well above the State average:

• 1991-2006 is 2.3%pa (SA 0.8%pa) and
• 2001-2006 is 3.1%pa (SA 1.9%pa).

Strengths to build on in Playford's economy:

• develop a health precinct around the Lyell McEwin Hospital,
• transport and storage businesses around an intermodal freight exchange,
• a high-end small business precinct in association with advanced training and communications facilities, and
• the retail trade, and services to mining, sectors to cater to the needs of customers located outside Playford,
• Elizabeth Regional Centre, as a rapid rail transit City linking to the Adelaide CBD.

(*1) City of Playford, A Quantitative Assessment of the Combined Economies of Playford and Salisbury, Richard Blandy Nov 2009. This document can be accessed here.