The number of workers in Adelaide is growing faster than targeted. The Adelaide City Council Land Use and Employment Report 2005, presented to Council in February, found the city was just 400 workers short of the target set for the end of 2006.The report found that between 2002 and 2005, the number of people working in the city had increased by 4.8 per cent to 97,585. Adelaide City Council’s Strategic Management Plan had set a target of 98,000 workers by the end of 2006.
Adelaide Lord Mayor, Councillor Michael Harbison, said that the report supports confidence in Adelaide’s business development.
“Adelaide was recently named the fourth best destination in the world for business travel by the Economist Intelligence Unit,” the Lord Mayor said. “The Land Use and Employment Report recognises why Adelaide is so highly regarded internationally as a place to do business. The report also shows that Council is achieving many of the goals set out in the Strategic Management Plan, particularly in relation to increasing the populations of people working and studying in the city.”
Property Council (SA) Executive Director, Bryan Moulds, said these numbers are very encouraging.
“They reflect synergy between the figures released in the Property Council of Australia’s Office Market Report, which underline that Adelaide is a great place for business growth. This sort of information is vitally important for the property industry to make informal decisions about property investment and development in the City of Adelaide.”
Other findings of the Land Use and Employment Report are that the city has lowest number of vacant offices since 1992, the major area of growth for city workers was in the office and retail sectors, there have been increases in employment at educational institutions, the focus of student accommodation is shifting to the CBD and away from North Adelaide, and mixed use dwellings, providing a combination of residential, retail and office space, have become a significant investment form of residential living in the city. The full report is available via Council’s website at www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/council/publications/research.asp
