Charles Sturt is a great place to invest, with a thriving hub of activity, education and employment opportunities.
Located in the heart of Adelaide’s west, the City of Charles Sturt is home to over 124,000 residents and 105 different cultures, who enjoy the diverse experiences and cultural richness the City has to offer.
With over 11,850 businesses operating and committed to the region, an exciting and sustainable employment base of skilled and committed employees has been created.
The Western Adelaide region is set between the CBD of Adelaide and the coast with a port, airport, a dynamic business environment and an innovative workforce. The Western Adelaide Region contains more than 23% of the State’s manufacturing businesses and is increasingly recognised for its biomedical, advanced manufacturing, office and warehousing opportunities.
The Cities of Charles Sturt, Port Adelaide Enfield, Holdfast Bay and West Torrens collaborate as the Western Adelaide Tourism Alliance and have developed a joint Economic Development Strategy, ‘Building Western Adelaide’, specific to the Western Adelaide region.
There are seven major industrial areas and five district shopping centres within the City of Charles Sturt area.
Charles Sturt’s employment profile demonstrates a rapidly increasing skilled and educated workforce that is the basis for a creative and innovative community. The multicultural backgrounds of our community combined with creativity and innovation, provide a unique and well-connected resource capable of increasing your global competitiveness.
Growth sectors identified in the City of Charles Sturt Economic Development Strategy 2022-26 are:
- Defence and Advanced Manufacturing
- Health
- Urban Development
- Tourism
Strategic Pillars outlined in the Economic Development Strategy to guide economic development efforts are:
- Business Friendly
- Diverse and Advanced Economy
- Knowledge and Innovation
- Vibrant and Liveable City
Key economic initiatives include:
• Western Business Leaders – Working with key business leaders in Charles Sturt and Western Adelaide through Western Business Leaders, the group hosts business breakfasts, strategic networking and industry-based forums aimed at facilitating opportunities for businesses to connect, grow, and innovate.
- Employment Lands – Zoning reviews of industrial lands in collaboration with landowners and operators to increase flexibility and improve infrastructure.
- GigCity Precincts – Two GigCity precincts have been established at Hendon and Welland which feature ultra high-speed fibre connections. The Hendon Creative GigCity Precinct has creative industries focus centred around Sunjive Studios, which specialise in film and media production. The Welland Healthy Living GigCity Precinct includes a multi-functional co-working hub, events space and podcasting studio. The hub supports collaboration between start-ups, businesses and entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industries.
- Urban Renewal Group – Aimed at assisting developers to receive an integrated and streamlined approach to delivering significant development outcomes with the minimum of fuss.
- Place Making and Mainstreets – Working closely with traders to improve and activate precincts.
The City of Charles Sturt developed its first Smart City Plan 2018-2025, to strategically guide the City, stakeholders and partners towards a smart and innovative future. The Smart City Plan improves liveability, sustainability and economic diversity and maximise opportunities as they are presented in areas of technology, advanced manufacturing, the digital economy and creative industries.
Through the AdaptWest Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan, with the Cities of Port Adelaide Enfield and West Torrens, the City of Charles Sturt is working to adapt to climate change and to reduce their environmental footprint.
The Net Zero – Our Map to Net Zero Corporate Emissions strategy details targets and actions to reach net zero emissions across council services and operations and mitigate climate change.
The population of the Western Adelaide is estimated to grow by over 42,000 people over the next 18 years. Urban growth in housing in close proximity to employment and the CBD continues to lure investors and homeowners alike to the City of Charles Sturt.
The redevelopment of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) and relocation of rehabilitation services from outside the region, will support this growing population now and into the future. Located across the road is The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, the productive research arm of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
INNOVATIVE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Within the City of Charles Sturt are progressive innovators, such as Complexica, Detmold Group, Fleet Space, Whola, Novafast Holdings, CleanLife, and MacTaggart Scott Australia. Employing more than 100 staff across 4 offices, Complexica is a leading provider of Artificial Intelligence software applications that can optimise sales, marketing, and supply chain decisions. Complexica were founded upon the research of several world-renowned computer scientists, and have commercialised a modularised software platform called Decision Cloud® that empowers staff across multiple business functions to make better decisions. Decision Cloud® is powered by their award-winning Artificial Intelligence engine Larry, the Digital Analyst®, which was named the 2018 Australian Innovation of the Years.
“Having run three tech companies across three continents during the past 25 years, I can say with confidence and surety that there’s no better place to be located than Australia – it provides the best base from which to build a global tech business in terms of quality of life, access to talent, and business opportunities. Within this great country, I am a passionate South Australian, and within this great state have found West Lakes to be the location of choice for Complexica’s head office. The City of Charles Sturt council area provides an unmatched balance of scenic environments from lakes to palms to beach sand – with easy access and unparalleled working conditions for our staff. Come visit our new head office building to see what a great environment this is for a high-tech business!” – Matthew Michalewicz, CEO, Complexica.
Another leading innovator within the city is Detmold Group, which is the umbrella of brands, Detpak, Paperpak, Detmold Medical, and Cup & Carry. Detpak developed a new sustainable packaging range for fresh produce, in response to Australian grocery and convenience stores looking for alternative sustainable solutions to their produce packaging. Innovative solutions were implemented to ensure the range was adaptable to the requirements of a range of fresh produce, such as the use of Detpak’s RecycleMe™ technology as a moisture barrier. This was necessary to ensure the product shelf-life requirements were met whilst still allowing the packaging to achieve the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) for kerbside recyclability. The RecycleMe™ lining is exclusive to Detpak in Australia and New Zealand and provides a highly mineralised resin alternative to traditional coatings, backed by extensive testing and international pulping certification. This innovative solution won the Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year award in the 2023 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards.
“The western suburbs of Adelaide have been home to the Detmold Group for over 50 years. Spread across several sites, and with a large focus on manufacturing here in South Australia, the west has provided ample room for growth as a business as well as a central location for our employees. With everything that the western suburbs has to offer, the Detmold Group will continue to flourish as a global business for years to come” – Sascha Detmold Cox – Acting Co-CEO.
Learn more about the City of Charles Sturt:
