Since the beginning of the year, work has begun in earnest on the Northern Adelaide Employment and Re-investment and Food Cluster projects. The Northern Adelaide Employment project is a joint initiative of the Cities of Playford and Salisbury. To date some 50 jobs have been created and another 100 jobs will be generated over the next several months.
The project partners are now working closely with the Electronics Industry Association of South Australia to create a number of industry networks. Each network comprises several companies, andby working together and sharing market or industry intelligence, they can break into new markets. This then leads to new jobs and investment in the region. Further networks are also being looked at in the manufacturing, engineering, and horticultural sectors.
The Food Cluster project is currently developing regional strategies to network food related industries from Elizabeth and Salisbury right through to the Riverland.
And while we hear about value adding, it is often forgotten that much of this value adding actually takes place in metropolitan Adelaide. To grow opportunities we need to put our local food processors and value adders to work in new markets. As the strategies are being developed, a number of infrastructure and investment opportunities are being activated.
For example, a major food network in Virginia is being created, and is resulting in new export market opportunities being explored. In fact consultants in a trade mission recently represented these companies in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The Food Cluster project has also identified road infrastructure impediments to growth. The City of Playford is addressing these issues by bringing together several regional Councils to develop practical initiatives to overcome the impediments.
In the meantime, the City of Playford is working with the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources to assist businesses access research, development and innovation funding. This has included meeting the Industry Minister’s Chief of Staff in Canberra to canvass industry development opportunities and approaches in the region.
As identified in the City of Playford’s Economic Plan, Playford has some of the most innovative and leading edge companies in the State and indeed the country. However the challenge is to ensure that they get their fair share of Commonwealth funding to accelerate regional investment in state of the art technology and jobs.
The City of Playford is increasingly being seen as a leader in approaches to economic and regional development.
One of Australia’s leading business funded think tanks, the Sydney based Australian Business Foundation, invited officers from the City of Playford to speak as industry experts on industry clustering , at the launch of one its projects by the Federal Industry Minister, Senator Nick Minchin.
For further information of Council’s economic development approaches contact Rodin Genoff, Economic and Industry Strategist, on (08) 8254 0229.
