Salisbury Council growth strategy reveals 37,000 jobs to be created in new precinct, RM Williams to expand Adelaide operations
A northern council has revealed a huge plan to drive growth, create jobs, build houses and release land with RM Williams to expand Adelaide operations.
Salisbury Council has unveiled an ambitious 25-year economic growth strategy at a glitzy event, revealing RM Williams is set to expand its Adelaide operations while a new industrial precinct in the area’s west could eventually create more than 37,000 jobs.
The council in Adelaide’s north lined up an all-star crew to talk at the strategy’s grand unveiling on Wednesday night, including Deputy Premier Susan Close, RM Williams chief operating officer Tara Moses, Committee for Adelaide chief executive Sam Dighton and other bigwigs.
Salisbury Council chief executive John Harry said the strategy was a plan for the area’s growth, including jobs to support population growth and new housing. “You can’t have housing development without a corresponding opportunity for jobs,” he said.
Ms Moses said RM Williams was expecting to almost double the size of its manufacturing and distribution operations in the next five to ten years, after already doubling its size last year. She said the company was working with Salisbury Council in “ideating” the details of the expansion, which would support its growth in international markets, particularly in Europe.
A document outlining the Economic Development and Growth Strategy said the council was “planning and developing a new precinct west of Port Wakefield Rd that supports green industry attraction”.
It said Greater Edinburgh Parks and the land west of Port Wakefield Rd had “been identified as being of national significance, with the potential to create over 37,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing, defence, logistics, minerals and food processing”.
In a media statement, the council said an outcome of the strategy would be its development of 1600 homes.
A council spokeswoman said the figure included about 220 homes being developed at Ingle Farm and an estimated pipeline of 1380 dwellings to be built, subject to community feedback, on underused council land over the next 25 years.
The council said another outcome was the unlocking of more than 1000ha of industrial and commercial land in partnership with the state government and other stakeholders, with seven land rezonings already underway.
A separate rezoning underway at Dry Creek would create 15,000 new homes.
The growth strategy features a four-year plan outlining short-term commitments made by the council, including the expansion of its Polaris Business Centre and more investment in its Salisbury City Centre – which has already attracted more than $200m in private investment.
The strategy is guided by the state government’s Greater Adelaide Regional Plan.
Dr Close said the council’s strategy showed it was “prepared to stake its reputation on becoming an economic powerhouse, and that it is prepared to work with the state government and bring its own resources to that”.
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Originally published as Salisbury Council growth strategy reveals 37,000 jobs to be created in new precinct, RM Williams to expand Adelaide operations
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