Explainer: So what is a City Deal anyway?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Steven Marshall have announced a coveted ‘City Deal’ for Adelaide — but what does this actually mean?

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The deal is inked. The Prime Minister and Premier have this morning signed off on a City Deal for Adelaide, with an Australian Space Agency at its core. So let’s explain what this means.

What exactly is a City Deal?

The official government department line is “a genuine partnership between the three levels of government and the community to work towards a shared vision for productive and liveable cities”.

Therefore Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Federal Government, Premier Steven Marshall’s State Government and the Adelaide City Council have all agreed on a vision for Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen at the old RAH site.

This three-way support is important.

A perfect example is the State Government-backed hotel beside Adelaide Oval that the council is opposing — if you don’t have all levels of government on the same page, getting things done can be very difficult.

Each City Deal is tailored to that region’s needs. No two look the same.

But they are all centred around using the city’s natural advantages to grow jobs, boost the economy and improve liveability.

Premier Steven Marshall and Prime Minister Scott Morrison tour the Lot Fourteen site on Wednesday morning. Picture: Sam Wundke/AAP

Do they come with cash?

The Federal Government has pitched in $41 million over four years for the space agency.

The funding will not go far enough to realise the State Government’s full vision for the site, meaning there is still some negotiating for funding to happen.

Cities minister Alan Tudge has this morning indicated there will be more cash to come.

What else could the City Deal include?

In addition to the space agency, the State Government wants Lot Fourteen to include an Innovation, Incubator, Startup and Growth Hub, an International Centre for Tourism, Hospitality and Food Services, and a National Gallery for Aboriginal Art and Culture.

What do City Deals in other states look like?

South Australia was the last state to have struck a city deal.

The centrepiece of a deal in Queensland’s Townsville was the North Queensland Stadium project that has delivered local jobs and development opportunities for local industry.

Tasmania’s two largest cities — Hobart and Launceston — have had deals struck to increase the footprint of the state’s only university into their CBDs.

A new Charles Darwin University city campus aimed at transforming the city centre and attracting more international students to the Top End is the centrepiece of the Darwin deal.

Western Sydney’s deal focuses on a North South Rail Link and boosting the region’s agribusiness precinct.

Victoria’s second-largest city, Geelong, has a deal that focuses on revitalising the city centre and ensuring the Great Ocean Road reaches its full potential.

An ambitious public transport project, including 72 kilometres of new passenger rail and up to 18 new stations, underpins the deal for Western Australia’s capital, Perth.

More of today’s space agency coverage

EDITORIAL: SA had hopes raised and disappointed before — but this feels different

THE HISTORY: 50 years ago, we were Space Centre. Now we will be again

BUSINESS: This will see Adelaide take off as ‘City of Entrepreneurs’