Investment Opportunities

Tourism

The Yorke Peninsula Tourism Region is one of South Australia’s favourite holiday playgrounds. For the three years 2003 – 2005 the region attracted a higher proportion of intrastate visitors than any other SA Tourism region with the exception of Adelaide. During this period, there was an average of 478,000 domestic overnight visitors to the region, staying an average of 3.4 nights. Direct spending in the region from overnight tourism to June 2006 was estimated by Tourism Research Australia to be $100 million or an average of $74 per visitor night. Domestic day trip visitors contribute an average 553,000 visits in the region for the three years 2003 – 2005.

Opportunities exist for high quality tourism investment. Just under 2 hours drive from Adelaide and with natural pristine waters from swimming and fishing, the coastline of the Yorke Peninsula provides ample opportunity for tourism facilities.

There is potential for the establishment of a tourist resort, catering for fishing or golfing or both. Such a facility would quickly develop a natural synergy with current tourist attractions and local charter fishing boat operators.

The ability to provide longer term accommodation would greatly enhance the holidaying aspect of the Yorke Region and allow people more time to take in all that is on offer. Such a resort would be a major attractor for international tourists and could offer an attractive relaxing alternative to the other coastal resorts found on the east coast of Australia. Coupled with a first class golf course such a facility would ideally suit the Asian tourist looking to unwind in a native Australian setting. The strong domestic market would provide a good springboard for any investor to target the international market.

In recent months a new link has been created with the Eyre Peninsula with SeaSA developing a ferry service between Wallaroo and Lucky Bay

With some of the best fishing in the state, a high proportion of South Australia’s half million anglers will visit some part of the Yorke Peninsula each year. Furthermore, around 150,000 tourists visit Innes National Park each year to take in the scenic wonder of some of the world’s oldest and diverse geological formations. There is plenty of caravan and camping accommodation across the Yorke Region ensuring easy access to all manner of recreational activity.

The Yorke Region’s coastline is a prime attractor for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit each year for the fishing, surfing, diving, snorkeling, boating and swimming. There is also a variety of sites of historical value including Inneston Township, two underwater maritime heritage trails, Port Victoria Jetty and a host of Museums.

The Adelaide Plains which is in close proximity to Adelaide is rich in history. Port Wakefield is the second oldest port in South Australia and well worth exploring whilst driving along Highway One. Within close proximity of Adelaide the historic town of Two Wells has a wealth of Heritage Buildings and Mallala with its eight road intersection the only one in the southern hemisphere. Mallala is also well known for its national and international motor sports events.

Over the past few years several developments have occurred which have a focus on the Samphire Coast north of Adelaide to Ardrossan. The Samphire Coast is ideal for eco and adventure based tourism and is one of ten priority sites as part of the national WWF Australia Shorebird Conservation Projects.

For further information on the Yorke Region visit:

www.southaustralia.com

www.yorkepeninsula.com.au

www.adelaideplainsmarketing.com.au

www.clarevalley.com.au

Agribusiness

The area covered by the Yorke Regional Development Board is virtually surrounded by sea with the Spencer Gulf on the west side and Gulf St Vincent on the east. This location favours the area with a reliable Mediterranean type climate and ready access to export outlets with bulk handling shipping facilities at Ardrossan, Pt Giles and Wallaroo. The intermodal facility at Bowmans has container loading facilities and is connected to the national rail network.

Soils range from light sands to heavy silty loams supporting Mallee type native vegetation for the most part. The largely undulating topography lies below 300m altitude and most is less than 100m with the highest elevations occurring in the cetre of the Peninsula and along the eastern side of the Adelaide Plains. The soils are ideal for cultivation but very prone to wind and water erosion if mismanaged. Microelement deficiency, mainly manganese, in the south of the Peninsula restricted agricultural development until ameliorative treatment was found some 15 years ago. The predominantly winter rainfall (70%) ranges from 300mm annually at the neck of Gulf St Vincent to over 500mm around Maitland in the centre of the Peninsula and along the more elevated eastern boundary of the Adelaide Plains, providing an average growing season of 6 months.

From first settlement by pastoralists in 1836 the area quickly developed on a base of cereal production. It is served by well developed transport and communication networks with the main roads sealed and well maintained gravel roads. There is no rail service for freight passengers on the Peninsula or on the Wakefield and Adelaide Plains but the Adelaide Plains is traversed by the national Sydney –Perth line, the Adelaide-Darwin line and the State rail network that connects the grain silos at Balaklava, Owen, Nantawarra, Long Plains and Mallala to Adelaide. There are approximately 25 road freight companies in the region.

A valuable extension of agriculture is the potential for value adding opportunities. In recent years the Yorke Region has experienced growth in Hay processing and exporting via companies such as Balco Australia and SP Hay.

Expansion of the Pt Wakefield Abattoirs by Primo Smallgoods has seen the abattoir being transformed into a high tech export pig processing facility employing approximately 360 people.

A substantial boom in the Pork and Poultry industries has been experienced in recent years and the region now features substantial poultry farms and piggeries. There is still potential for these industries to expand further into the future and new developments are cropping up across the region.

Horticulture/Viticulture

The Mallala Council region has a growing number of boutique wineries along the Gawler River and development is still continuing.

There is a strong move towards organic horticulture in the Two Wells/Lewiston area. The Yorke Regional Development Board recognizes the enormous potential for Adelaide’s ‘Food Bowl’around Virginia to expand into the Adelaide Plains region north of the Gawler River.

With access to reclaimed Bolivar water and the competitive cost of land, the Adelaide Plains is already experiencing horticultural expansion into the region with more development planned for the future.

In association with the State Government and Local Councils the Yorke Regional Development Board has contributed to a Horticulture Blueprint for the industry in our region providing a solid foundation for future development in this important and growing industry.

To view the Development of Horticulture Industries on the Adelaide Plains – a Blueprint for 2030 please click here >>

Aquaculture

The aquaculture industry is still very much in the pioneer stages, with approximately 30 aquaculture operators directly involved within this industry in the Yorke Region. There is also potential for interested groups to establish other aquaculture operations within the region.

Pacific Oysters and Murray Cod Farming are currently the two main aquaculture industries within the region. Expanding sectors include King George Whiting commercialization and Rock Lobster holding. Emerging aquaculture industries such as marine finfish farming, sub tidal mollusk culture, prawn farming and land based abalone have significant potential within the Yorke Region.

Energy

The Yorke Region is currently home to a 55 turbine wind farm at Wattle Point at the tip of Yorke Peninsula and a new 80 turbine farm has been approved for the Hummocks region with construction commencing early 2007.

Plans to establish a peaking Power Station at Mallala are well underway.

Further developments such as these are welcomed to the region and there are other potential sites that would be suitable for such developments.

Other Opportunities

Attracted by the history and charm of the surrounding country more and more retirees are choosing the Yorke Region as a retirement destination. This represents an investment opportunity for those organizations which offer aged care services especially for construction of new retirement villages/houses for those country people who are retiring to the coast.

There exists a strong domestic market within the Yorke Region for services for the aged.

Disclaimer
The information contained on this website is for guidance only. Action or lack of action should not be based on this information. Seek appropriate professional advice on your individual circumstances because laws and regulations affecting you are affected by your circumstances and change frequently. Yorke Regional Development Board accepts no responsibility for any consequences of anyone acting on or refraining from acting on, information contained on this website.