A message from your Mayor
Economic Development
The centre of SA's economic activity is moving north.
Not only are the defence and advanced manufacturing industries driving this growth but a new era of industrial innovation supported by road and rail infrastructure will secure the future of Northern Adelaide.
Playford possesses a strong local economy, one that has grown faster than the State economy in recent times. In particular, the Gross Regional Product (Salisbury and Playford) between 2001 and 2006 grew at 5.1%pa compared to 2.8%pa for the whole South Australian economy.
The economy is diversifying and moving away from its traditional manufacturing base, with growth in communications, defence, agriculture, health, property, business services and transport.
Some of the identified strengths in Playford's economy are:
- Development of a health precinct around the Lyell McEwin Hospital,
- Transport and storage businesses around an intermodal freight exchange,
- Defence and Advanced manufacturing
- Retail trade, sectors catering to customers located outside Playford, and
- Development of a satellite CBD shared with Salisbury around Elizabeth Regional Centre, based on a rapid rail transit link to the Adelaide CBD.
Economic Plan
- offering its residents and investors a range of economic, employment and financial opportunities with the goal of becoming:
- a productive city recognised as a prime area for investment, offering economic growth, employment and security for industry, business and the community
The Economic Plan will build on what the City does best in manufacturing, horticulture, research and development, innovation and retailing.
The City of Playford's vision, developed through the strategic planning process with direct stakeholder input, will guide the community into the future. The vision in essence belongs to the community and as a mirror has held up to the future.
But the realisation of the City's vision will not happen of its own accord.
Our sights, those of the community and business, must be raised higher - higher than has occurred in the past.
It is in the spirit of increasing opportunities and the standard of living that the Economic Plan aims to raise community and business expectations, and deliver on practical outcomes. For it is only in raising expectations and developing a plan to meet those expectations that the City of Playford can manifest its competitive advantage in an increasingly global economy, and its vision for a prosperous and sutainable future.
City of Playford's Competitive Advantages
The City of Playford is well positioned to cater for the increasing demand on urban and industrial land as the city plans for significant population growth over the next 30 years.
Already established as the state's manufacturing heartland the city is able to offer advantages for emerging industries in ICT, health alliances and the green economy.
A strong network of road, rail and port infrastructure combined with affordable land, makes doing business in the City of Playford and northern Adelaide a strategic choice.
Regional Competitive Advantage
The northern Adelaide region is one of the fastest growing economic regions in South Australia. It is uniquely placed to provide future employment opportunities and urban and industrial development necessary for the sustained long-term benefit of metropolitan Adelaide and the state as a whole.
| INDUSTRY | KEY STRENGTHS |
| Horticulture |
Intensive agricultural production involving plant nurseries, cut flowers and seed growing, and especially vegetable production. Associated with these activities is a group of producer services, fruit and vegetable wholesaling and services to agriculture. |
| Automotive and Advanced Manufacturing | Production of machinery and equipment including motor vehicles, batteries, electrical equipment, lifting and material handling equipment and industrial machinery equipment. (Good prospects exist to feed into the State's defence and microelectronics clusters, and new export and import replacement opportunities.) |
| Chemicals and Plastics | Also in the manufacturing sector, a group of chemical and related products has a strong presence, especially plastic bag and film making, plastic product rigid fibre reinforced manufacturing, plastic foam and plastic extruded products. |
| Food Processing | Amongst the food processing industries, poultry processing, small goods and confectionery. |
| Other industry |
Under other manufacturing include prefabricated buildings, furniture, retail and health. |
