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RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 16 Golden North's move to Murray Bridge represents the return of large-scale ice cream manufacturing to the region aoer a 40-year absence, reposi6oning Murray Bridge's previous reputa6on as "South Australia's ice cream capital". The proximity to dairy suppliers in the Murraylands and Fleurieu Peninsula, freight access via the freeway to eastern markets, and close proximity to Adelaide were cited as key factors in the decision to relocate. The reloca6on will enable Golden North to expand beyond ice cream into other dairy products using 100% South Australian milk, suppor6ng local dairy farmers and posi6oning the brand for na6onal and interna6onal growth. This investment aligns with Murray Bridge's strategic posi6oning in food processing and manufacturing, u6lising exis6ng industrial infrastructure while suppor6ng the region's agricultural supply chain network. The move reinforces the success of the work undertaken by Council to date in ahrac6ng major food industry players alongside Thomas Foods Interna6onal, Costa Group, and other agricultural processors. The Golden North reloca6on adds to the momentum with over $1 billion in private sector investment captured in Murray Bridge, further valida6ng the region's transforma6on from a tradi6onal rural service centre to a diversified food processing and manufacturing hub posi6oned for sustained growth. This addi6on strengthens the private sector confidence in Murray Bridge's strategic employment zones and reinforces the region's compe66ve advantages in food processing, agricultural innova6on, and strategic transport connec6vity. Source: murraybridge+2, glamadelaide+1 4.1.1 PALLAMANA/MYPOLONGA Approximately 7 km North of Murray Bridge is the home of Thomas Foods Interna6onal. The surrounding area comprises 2 000 ha of land zoned Rural, suppor6ng the economic prosperity of South Australia primarily through the produc6on, processing, storage and distribu6on of primary produce, forestry and the genera6on of energy from renewable sources. The area is accessed via current and proposed heavy vehicle route north – south with access via Monarto South Freeway interchange & Swanport Freeway interchange. To support future expansion and encourage other allied industries, Council is proposing to rezone this area in the future to Strategic Employment land. Other current businesses and ac6vi6es within the zone include Grains & Cereals, Hay Produc6on, Fruit Growing and Solar Farms. The zone is well serviced by SA Power Networks high & low voltage supply, SA Water and SEAGAS, dependent on specific loca6on. Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 91

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 17 Figure 2. Pallamana Thomas Foods Interna5onal - $300+ Million Reconstruc5on Thomas Foods Interna6onal represents the largest single private investment in the RCMB over the past five years. Following the devasta6ng fire that destroyed their Murray Bridge facility in January 2018, the company commihed to rebuilding "bigger, beher, stronger". Construc6on commenced in December 2020, with the new state-of-the-art facility 10km north of Murray Bridge, becoming opera6onal in May 2023. It is significantly described as "the single largest investment by the company in its 30-year history". Key investment details include: • Capacity: Ini6al 600 head of cahle per day (Stage 1), expanding to 1,200 head beef and 15,000 head small stock per day when complete • Employment: 350 staff in Stage 1, scaling to 2,000+ jobs at full capacity The facility achieved a $60 million export deal with Chinese company Shanghai Paradise Garden in 2024, with poten6al to grow export values further pending accredita6on. Source: foodanddrinkbusiness+2, indailysa, murraybridge 92 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 18 4.1.2 FLAGSTAFF PARK The Flagstaff Park area is approximately 700 ha of land 5 km south of the Murray Bridge township. Zoned ‘Rural Intensive Enterprise’ it accommodates mul6-purpose intensive agricultural produc6on, processing facili6es and suppor6ng ancillary industries. Current businesses within the zone include Big River Pork, Ingham’s Feed Mill, and poultry farming. Recently Council have received interest from businesses within the Defence and Armament sectors to locate here. Heavy Vehicle Access is via Swanport Freeway interchange is 3.7km away. Figure 3. Flagstaff Park Inghams Enterprises - $279 Million South Australian Expansion Inghams, Australia's largest integrated poultry producer, completed a major expansion program centred on its Murray Bridge facili6es between 2016 and 2019 with the feedmill opening in February 2019 and labelled the ‘most advanced feedmill of its kind in Australia’. Investment components include: • New greenfield feedmill: Part of $279M statewide investment • Weekly feed produc6on capacity: 11,000 tonnes • Employment crea6on: 650 construc6on jobs, 850 supply chain jobs Source: graincentral+1 Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 93

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 19 Big River Pork - $14 Million Expansion Big River Pork, one of Australia's largest pork processors, completed a significant expansion at its Murray Bridge facility in 2017 and 2019 to meet long term supply agreements. Investment details include: • Employment: 140 new full-6me equivalent jobs (expanding workforce from 190 to 330) • Government support: $900,000 grant from Economic Investment Fund and Regional Development Fund • Economic impact: $79 million boost to state gross product over 10 years with poten6al for future expansion. Source: foodmag+1 4.1.3 MONARTO SOUTH STRATEGIC EMPLOYMENT ZONE The Monarto South employment precinct is located 10 km Northwest of Murray Bridge and comprises 400ha of strategic employment land. The zone has excellent access to markets via rail and Heavy vehicle access via Monarto South Freeway interchange and a Proposed North – South Freight Corridor. The Strategic Employment zoning allows a range of industrial, logis6cal, warehousing, storage, research and training land uses together with compa6ble business ac6vi6es. Current businesses and ac6vi6es within the zone include Australian Portable Camps, Ingham’s Hatchery, Timber Processing, Food Processing and Storage, Transport, Manufacturing, the Monarto Innova6on Precinct and Grain Storage. Services in the Zone include SA Power Networks (high & low voltage) supply and SA Water. Figure 4. Monarto South Strategic Employment Zone 94 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 20 Balco Australia Balco Australia supply feed stock interna6onally. An expansion to build a new processing and storage facility on a 157-hectare greenfield site in Monarto is their fourth hay processing plant, increasing capacity by 100,000 tonnes and crea6ng over 20 new jobs. The company has moved its headquarters to Adelaide to centralise opera6ons as part of its strategic growth plans. At a recent event hosted by RCMB in July, an interna6onal visi6ng investment delega6on Balco announced plans to establish a green energy-supported, advanced industrial ecosystem at the site including a rail spur to the exis6ng rail network for enhanced logis6cs. Source: hDps://balco.au/exploring-future-opportuni5es-with-dezhou-delega5on/ Australian Portable Camps (APC) Australian Portable Camps is a na6on leading producer of complete camp solu6ons based on a modular construc6on and is ver6cally integrated: manufacturing, engineering, fabrica6on, roofing, carpentry, plumbing, wastewater, u6li6es and logis6cs. Their business model is built on innova6on and their one- stop-shop concept which offers turnkey projects for large scale off grid sites. The APC facility sits on 65 hectares and has 72,000 m² of undercover produc6on lines already opera6ng with a planned expansion of15,000 m² more undercover facility space. On-site housing for workers has been proposed offering camp-style accommoda6on for staff, including migrant workers to help with local workforce housing shortages. The worker accommoda6on plan includes staff transport into Murray Bridge, communal ameni6es and managing concerns regarding noise, ligh6ng, fencing, and stormwater. Costa Group (Adelaide Mushrooms) - $90 Million Produc5on Expansion The Costa Group is also located nearby, but not within, the Monarto South Strategic Employment Zone. Costa Group acquired Adelaide Mushrooms in 2013, invested $90 million ($60 million expansion plus $30 million ini6al facility) to double produc6on capacity at its Monarto facility in 2017 making it the largest and most technically advanced mushroom produc6on facility in Australia. Investment highlights include: • Government support: $1.8 million from South Australian Government • Produc6on capacity: Doubled from 120 tonnes to 240 tonnes per week • Employment: 200 new jobs created Source: costagroup+1 Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 95

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 21 4.1.4 TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INFRASTRUCTURE Monarto Safari Park - $40 Million Wild Africa Expansion Private investor Gerry Ryan OAM is leading a transforma6onal expansion of Monarto Safari Park in partnership with Zoos SA to create the largest safari experience outside of Africa. Key facts include: • Government investment in visitor centre: $16.7 million ($11.25M federal, $4.55M state, plus RCMB funded slip lanes) • 80-room luxury resort, 25 glamping sites, new visitor informa6on centre • Employment: 223 FTE posi6ons during construc6on, 90 FTE ongoing opera6ons • Visitor centre completed February 2022, resort comple6on in 2025. Figure 5. ArFst Impression Monarto Safari Park SA Water Infrastructure Support SA Water invested significantly in network expansion to support private sector growth, par6cularly the Monarto Safari Park expansion. Infrastructure investment details include: • Water main installa6on: 7kms of new water main • Pump sta6on upgrades: White Hill pump sta6on upgrade plus new Monarto booster sta6on • Purpose: Support Monarto Safari Park Wild Africa expansion and local agricultural opera6ons Source: murraybridge+2, sawater 96 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 22 4.2 HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT The Murray Bridge economy requires a growing workforce and customer base to support a thriving business environment. The workforce requires accommoda6on. Strong growth is reflected in land division and construc6on approvals with the following either under assessment, approved or underway: • 100 new allotments at Newbridge • 200 new allotments at Narooma • 150+ new allotments at Hindmarsh Road • 90 new allotments at Ridge Road • 70 allotments at Ellendale Avenue • 229 dwellings in Living Choice lifestyle village Residen6al Growth Areas Code Amendment is currently with the Minister for approval and seeks to release 89 ha of land for residen6al development. The Murray Bridge Structure Plan iden6fies the loca6on of poten6al future land use precincts needed to support the growing region. The plan iden6fies key growth op6ons and will form a fundamental link to the State Government’s Greater Adelaide Regional Plan including providing up to an addi6onal 22,500 dwellings. Planning and Land Use Services (PLUS) provide a land supply dashboard that is updated quarterly and reports on land supply and development ac6vity within selected greenfield and strategic monitoring areas across Greater Adelaide including an interac6ve tool for Murray Bridge. Available here hhps://plus.geodata.sa.gov.au/landsupply/index.html Figure 6. PLUS Land Supply Dashboard example Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 97

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 23 Figure 7. ResidenFal Growth Areas 98 The Rural City of Murray Bridge

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 24 Gifford Hill Precinct (Costa Property Group & Grange Development) - $7.5 Billion Approximately 7 km southwest of the Murray Bridge CBD the Gifford Hill precinct represents the largest single residen6al development in South Australian history proposing to deliver 17,100 new homes for 44,000 new residents by 2065. Figure 8. Aerial view of Gifford Hill Precinct (image courtesy Grange Development and Cost Group) Development informa6on includes: • Land area: 1,860 hectares (Costa/Grange acquired 909 hectares represen6ng 81.4% of developable land) • Infrastructure: Poten6ally seven schools, new town centre, six neighbourhood ac6vity centres • Employment: 12,450 ongoing posi6ons upon comple6on • Timeline: First stage (1,400 homes) to market in late 2026 Figure 9. ArFst Impression Gifford Hill town centre (image courtesy Grange Development and Cost Group) Source: murraybridge+2 Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2026-2030 99

RCMB Economic Opportuni-es & Challenges Discussion Paper 25 Living Choice - $100 Million Re5rement Community Living Choice are developing a major re6rement community. Project details include: • 229 residen6al units for over-55s • Facili6es will include a community centre, bocce courts, pickleball courts, and country club • Loca6on: Former Murray Bridge racecourse site (Maurice Road) • Timeline: Development approval sought 2024, construc6on an6cipated 2026 pending final approval. Source: murraybridge+2 4.3 INVESTMENT ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC GROWTH AREAS The private sector investments strongly align with the Council’s three strategic employment zones as detailed in the RCMB Investment Opportuni6es Prospectus. The Inghams feedmill and Big River Pork expansion demonstrates the success in ahrac6ng major food processing investments, leveraging proximity to agricultural supply chains and freight access via the South Eastern Freeway. Thomas Foods Interna6onal's massive reconstruc6on validates this area’s posi6oning for large-scale meat processing, supported by the proposed 2,000+ hectares of strategic employment land and established heavy vehicle routes. Costa Group's mushroom facility and the broader Monarto Safari Park expansion demonstrate the zone's capacity to support both advanced agricultural processing and tourism-related investments, capitalising on strategic transport links. The documented investments total over $1 billion in commihed private sector capital between 2020- 2025, with the Gifford Hill development represen6ng an addi6onal $7.5 billion commitment over the next 40 years. This investment momentum is supported by: • Infrastructure Readiness - Established power, water, gas, and transport infrastructure in strategic zones • Government Support - Coordinated federal, state, and local government backing for major projects • Supply Chain Advantages - Proximity to Adelaide markets while maintaining rural land costs and access to key freight routes for rail and road to/from the Eastern States • Workforce Availability - Regional workforce supplemented by Adelaide commuter accessibility The convergence of agricultural processing (Thomas Foods, Inghams, Big River Pork), advanced hor6culture (Costa Mushrooms), tourism infrastructure (Monarto Safari Park), and large-scale residen6al development (Gifford Hill, Living Choice) demonstrate Murray Bridge's transforma6on from a tradi6onal rural service centre to a diversified regional economic hub posi6oned for sustained growth. 100 The Rural City of Murray Bridge