Quick facts
• Geographical area of 343,500 hectares
• 6,600 population
• 12 Council members (including the Mayor)
• 56 full time employees
• 2,695 kilometres of road network
• $8 million total revenue
• Key membership – Adelaide Plains Marketing Inc
and Yorke Regional Development Board Inc
Located north of Adelaide, Wakefield Regional Council is part of the vibrant Adelaide Plains region, which is creating many exciting opportunities for both business and local residents.
The area has a proud history of agricultural success and a strong sense of community, offering enormous economic and lifestyle advantages. It is these factors, combined with its position between some of South Australia’s most iconic tourism regions, that really makes the Adelaide Plains an area of opportunity.
Council’s largest town, Balaklava, is less than 100 kilometres from the Adelaide CBD. It is surrounded by the townships of Blyth, Brinkworth, Hamley Bridge, Lochiel, Owen, Port Wakefield, Snowtown and numerous settlements.
As the costs of business and living increase throughout Australia, the demand for viable alternatives close to urban centres continues to grow. The Wakefield Regional Council area is
one of few remaining regions within an hour’s drive from Adelaide that can still be considered highly affordable and excellent value for money.
Large tracts of land close to a national highway and rail network are also available for industrial uses.
Emu Awards recognise community involvement
Adelaide Plains Marketing Inc. is an association established in conjunction with Wakefield Regional Council, the District Council of Mallala and major businesses within the region.
A unique initiative of the association is the annual Emu Awards, which recognise individuals, events, community groups and businesses that have stuck their neck out and had a go.
Too often we tend to knock those who take the approach of getting out there and investing in their community, their business or themselves and Adelaide Plains Marketing recognises and celebrates those who are making a positive difference to the region.
The Adelaide Plains Emu Awards are supported by The Plains Producer and Churches of Christ Life Care.
The 2008 overall winner was the Balaklava Eisteddfod 2007. The Eisteddfod was held in five different venues and attracted 1,000 performers hailing from an incredible 250 postcodes. The 12 member volunteer committee was also assisted by ten per cent of Balaklava’s population helping to run the three day event.
“It really is a wonderful community event that involves so many people and attracts new and repeat visitors to Balaklava,” said the Eisteddfod Society President, Bronny Cottle.
Quality cinematic experience
With a population of 400 people, a community group in the township of Blyth established the Blyth Cinema in May 2005. The cinema brings a city quality cinematic experience to residents and visitors of the Clare Valley region and beyond – a population of around 8,000 people.
Quality seating was purchased for 110 persons in a room 12 metres long by nine metres wide, while the throw from the projector to the wall is seven metres. This provides an optimum screen width of 5.4 metres for audience comfort.
Movies are screened every Friday and Saturday evening, with a new movie screened each Saturday, and repeated the following Friday. Group bookings are catered for at other times.
With approximately 27 volunteers staffing the screenings on a roster system, the cinema has had around 10,000 people through its doors in the first two years.
The local Blyth Croquet Club supplies a morning tea of a quality that only country cooks can provide, and many groups enjoy a meal at the Blyth Hotel before or after a movie.
This is one of the few cinemas in Australia – perhaps the only one – where groups can choose the time they would like to see a movie on the big screen, and they can even suggest the movie.
In 2007, the cinema took out the inaugural Emu Award for ‘having a go’.
Thriving business in a regional economy
Wakefield is increasingly becoming home to some of Australia’s most dynamic and successful companies, such as ABB, Adelaide Poultry, Balco, Ingham’s Poultry, Patrick, Primo Smallgoods and San Remo.
Thriving businesses in this growing regional economy have chosen the Adelaide Plains region as their base because of its excellent transport links, lower operating expenses and skilled regional workforce.
The area is well served with modern transport infrastructure, such as Patrick’s Portlink freight container terminal at Bowmans.
National Highway One provides direct access to all parts of the country, and international shipping routes are available through the port of Adelaide, an easy one hour trip away.
In 2007, Council, in conjunction with Balco and Patrick’s Portlink, was successful in gaining $2 million from the Federal Government’s AusLink Strategic Regional Program. This enabled a $4 million expansion of the Bowmans Intermodal to increase capacity, increase productivity and improve safety and security at the site.
The project will expand the road and rail container terminal and help boost the State’s export capability.
Other exciting developments within the Council area include the $200 million, 47 turbine Snowtown Wind Farm. The first turbine appeared in December 2007 and there are currently 14 turbines standing more than 120 metres tall along the Barunga range.
The project is expected to be completed by August 2008 and has the potential to triple in size.
