Emerging Industries

Competitive Advantages, rationale

Northern South Australia encompasses two of Australia's tourism icons:

Both are rich in cultural heritage - indigenous and non- indigenous - natural beauty; and a sense of place that is unique and highly attractive to the burgeoning tourism market.

In 2005, the region attracted approximately 560,000 overnight visitors that stayed nearly 2.2 million nights.  Because of the inadequacy of current data collection approaches for the region, it is likely that this figure is a significant underestimation of the real numbers of tourists visiting the region and staying overnight at various campsites and roadside stops.  Parachilna Hotel44,000 of these tourists were international, 189,000 were from interstate and the rest from within South Australia.  Approximately 48% of all visitors to the region came for a holiday/leisure. 

Tourism is a major generator of economic wealth for the region.  Every business and individual throughout the region benefits either directly or indirectly from increased tourism numbers.  In 2004, the Bureau of Tourism Research estimated that spending by domestic, overnight visitors to the Flinders Ranges and OUtback region was $166 million or an average of $90 per visitor per night. 

The tourism experiences that the region offers can be grouped into the following loose categories:

By and large, the industry is comprised of small family owned businesses and co-operatives, complemented by a range of tourism ventures developed and operated by communities throughout the region (including progress associations, volunteer groups or local councils).  There are a small but growing number of icon businesses with the capacity to market internationally in their own right.

The Coffee Pot - Pichi Richi RailwayThe region also has a handful of small to medium size food producers some of whom have or support commercial plantations of both native and non-native foods.  Complementing this segment of the market is a significant segment embraced predominantly by wild harvest of native plant foods.

The indigenous communities have embraced the opportunities arising out of the native harvest segment of this sector.

The region has strengths in quandong production, wattle seeds and bush tomatoes as well as in kangaroo meat production and aquaculture.

Woomera MuseumA characteristic of the food industry in northern South Australia is that of a cottage industry with a few notable exceptions such as Tulloch's, Nectar Brook Discovery Plantation, Dew's Meats, Whites Meats and Metro-Velda.

The Board plays an important role in bringing together companies in this industry to help them with their business planning and to co-ordinate through the establishment of cluster groups a unified voice with Government. 

Emerging product throughout the region include dates, olives, sandalwood trees and native lime.

The Goyder Line is a major limiting factor in the growth of the food industry and also serves to define where our regions competitive advantage in this sector lies.

There is a strong linkage between regional foods, arts and tourism with events such as "A Brush with Art" and "Tastes of the Outback" drawing the three emerging industries together.

The Board is an active participant in Desert Knowledge Australia's Linked Business Network program (refer - www.desertknowledge.com.au/dka/index.cfm?attributes.fuseaction=national_linked ) which brings together business clusters in the bush foods and tourism sectors from across Australia.

Board's Missions for the sectors

Steamtown - PeterboroughTourism - To foster and support the growth of a vibrant and prosperous tourism industry that underpins the positioning of the Flinders Ranges and Outback as a preeminent visitor destination through sustainable growth that reflects the cultural, natural and built heritage of the region.

Food - To develop a viable food industry that supports and complements our strengths in native foods, aquaculture, processing and extracting and which enhances our tourism industry.

Performance objectives

In support of these Missions RDAFN seeks to:

Specific performance objectives to achieve this will be to:

Significant Current Developments