Murray Bridge — Read text

The RURAL City of Murray Bridge Economic Development & Growth Strategy Growing. Thriving. Strong. 2026-2030

We acknowledge the Ngarrindjeri people as the traditional owners of this land on which we meet and work. We respect and acknowledge their spiritual connection as the custodians of this land and that their cultural heritage beliefs are still important to the living people today. We recognise the living culture and combined energies of the Ngarrindjeri people, our global pioneers and community members today for their unique contribution to the life of our region. 2 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

Mayor and CEO Message 5 About this Strategy 6 Strategic Context & Alignment 8 Strategic Development Approach 11 Economy Overview 12 Council’s Role in Economic Growth 14 Framework: Focus Areas & Key Moves 16 Focus Area 1 Progressive Wellbeing 16 Focus Area 2 Activating Infrastructure 17 Focus Area 3 Sustainable Growth 18 Implementation Logic & Phasing 2026-2030 21 Measures What Success Looks Like 22 Governance, Resources & Implementation 23 High Level Action Plan 24 Appendices 35 Contents Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 3

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Mayor and CEO message As Mayor and Chief Executive Officer, we are proud to present the Economic Development & Growth Strategy 2026–2030 for the Rural City of Murray Bridge. Importantly, this Strategy adopts a wellbeing economy approach, recognising that success is measured not only by growth, but by improved quality of life, stronger social inclusion, and resilient natural and built environments. This is a living roadmap that will guide decision-making, strengthen partnerships, and support advocacy to State and Federal Governments – ensuring infrastructure, land use and industry development are aligned to opportunity. We acknowledge the contributions of our community, industry partners and government stakeholders in shaping this Strategy. Delivering its outcomes will require continued collaboration, innovation and shared commitment. T ogether, we are building a stronger, more resilient and prosperous Murray Bridge, a place where people, businesses and industries can confidently invest, grow and thrive. Our region has entered a defining period of growth. Strong population increases, rising investment, and our strategic location position Murray Bridge as a key driver of South Australia’s future prosperity. This Strategy provides a clear and coordinated pathway to harness this momentum and deliver lasting economic, social and environmental outcomes for our community. Building on extensive planning, advocacy and collaboration, the Strategy brings together our priorities into a focused framework, centred on ten Key Moves across three focus areas, aligned with our Strategic Plan 2024–2028. Our approach is guided by the four P’s; planning for growth, preparing our organisation and community, partnering with key stakeholders, and placemaking to create vibrant, connected places. These principles ensure growth is purposeful, well- managed and community focused. Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 5 Wayne Thorley Mayor Heather Barclay Chief Executive Officer

about this strategy The Economic Development & Growth Strategy 2026–2030 sets out how the Rural City of Murray Bridge will harness population and investment growth to deliver a more prosperous, resilient and inclusive local economy. The Strategy is intended as a working document that guides annual business planning, informs infrastructure and land use decisions, and supports funding and partnership negotiations with State and Federal Government. Recent years of planning, research and advocating for government investment under an aspirational framework has resulted in long-term commitment to critical community building infrastructure. The EDGS aims to deliver these confirmed directions. The Strategy builds on recent years of planning work, consolidating existing projects and initiatives into a clear framework of ten ‘Key Moves’ across three focus areas, underpinned by a Strategic Plan (2024-2028) focused on Growing, Thriving, Strong. The purpose of the Economic Development and Growth Strategy is to: • Align Council’s economic development efforts with its Strategic Plan 2024–2028 under the broader Community Plan’s theme of a “Dynamic Economy - where people, business and industry are seizing opportunities to learn, earn and grow. People thrive when they participate in a dynamic economy”. • Provide a practical implementation roadmap for Council, partners and industry over the next four years. • Embed a wellbeing economy lens ensuring economic growth improves living standards, social inclusion and environmental resilience. Growth Aspirations Growth Di r ections 6 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 7

Strategic Context & Alignment Local / Regional The Economic Development and Growth Strategy is anchored in RCMB’s broader policy framework: • Community Plan 2016-2032 – Thriving Communities: long term community aspirations shaped by extensive engagement. • Strategic Plan 2024-2028 – A Dynamic Economy: one of four themes, focusing on people, business and industry seizing opportunities to learn, earn and grow. • Structure Plan 2024 and Code Amendments: provide the spatial framework for residential and employment lands growth State The Economic Development and Growth Strategy draws strands of activity together into a single, implementable framework for economic development and growth, ensuring alignment with South Australian Government objectives outlined in: • Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) and associated housing and employment targets. • The Housing and Employment Lands Roadmap which provides for a pipeline of both housing and employment lands, to support Local, State and Federal economic aspirations. • The State Infrastructure Strategy 2025 • The South Australian Transport Strategy 2025 • The Storm Water Management Planning Priorities for SA 2022 As a result of effective advocacy over recent years, the South Australian Government has committed $103.7 million to public transport, improved connectivity, medical, education and public realm initiatives for delivery from 2026 to 2030. 8 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

Federal Murray Bridge is strategically located and just one hour from Adelaide along the states eastern growth corridor - it offers space and opportunity for large scale development on affordable serviced land - its proximity to Adelaide and direct rail and road freight connections is one reason it provides opportunity to contribute to the Federal Governments ambition to grow Australian Farm outputs, and strengthen export supply chains - it also offers a place to support sovereign capability - it is to be connected to the Port of Adelaide via the high productivity road freight route, providing a strategic base for food and Agri-business, logistics, warehousing, advanced manufacturing and machining, defence aligned industry and critical and emerging technologies. By concentrating value-adding, cold-chain and logistics activity within its employment precincts and future freight bypass, RCMB can provide a high-efficiency platform for South Australian grain, livestock, horticulture and food products to leverage Federal reforms to export services, digital certification and market access led by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of Australia and Austrade. Through close partnership with the State Government’s Trade and Investment Strategy to 2030 and related export diversification and agrifood programs, RCMB can position its precincts and transport investments as priority regional nodes that translate Federal export policy into tangible jobs, investment and higher value agricultural exports from the Murraylands and broader South Australian regions. The National Housing and Homelessness Plan (NHHP) sets the long term national framework for safe, affordable and well-located housing and informs Commonwealth-State agreements and investment streams. Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) and Housing Support Program (HSP) fund new social/affordable dwellings and enabling infrastructure and planning for growth councils. RCMB has already secured Housing Support Program funding for its growth initiatives to develop an infrastructure scheme, open space master plan and growth area code amendment to accelerate housing supply. RCMB’s aspirations for affordable and worker housing overlays, residential code amendments and uplift in public housing directly mesh with HAFF/HSP focus on supply, infrastructure and planning in growth regions. The RCMB growth-ready positioning under GARP and Structure Plan, with residential expansion at Gifford Hill and other master planned areas supports a strong case into Commonwealth housing programs as a high growth regional city. RCMB has opportunities to support the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy 2025. Australia’s freight task is growing with domestic freight projected to increase by 26% between 2020 and 2050. The National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy is a holistic, coordinated and multi-modal approach to freight and supply chains agreed by all jurisdictions. Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 9

National Growth Areas Alliance As mentioned, the Rural City of Murray Bridge is strongly aligned with current Federal Government priorities for housing supply, productivity growth and liveability in fast-growing regions. As a designated growth area council, Adelaide satellite city and member of the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA), The Rural City of Murray Bridge (RCMB) is part of the national cohort expected to deliver a significant share of new homes and jobs under the National Housing Accord and related population and regional development frameworks. The Economic Development and Growth Strategy positions Murray Bridge to support Commonwealth objectives by unlocking housing, enabling infrastructure, strengthening freight and industry connections along key national corridors, and growing a skilled workforce that can contribute to national productivity and resilience. Council can actively leverage national partnerships, programs and data to ensure that local investment decisions help deliver wider Australian Government goals for sustainable growth, climate-ready infrastructure and inclusive economic participation in regional Australia. Active participation positions RCMB for further external funding to drive these objectives. 10 The Rural City of Murray Bridge