• South Australia’s consumer confidence falls, while businesses remain optimistic
• Hydrogen supply chain directories launched
• Local family law firm wins top prize at national law awards
• Flinders Uni to offer Bachelor of Surveying from 2024
• Seven AgTechs to share in $600k
• Beer gets boujee

South Australia’s consumer confidence falls, while businesses remain optimistic

David Firth, the BankSA general manager for business in the state, said there was a disparity in confidence between South Australian consumers and businesses following the July results of the BankSA State Monitor survey.

“We’ve seen business confidence rebound this survey following two previous declines, while consumer confidence continued the downward trajectory of the previous two surveys,” Firth said.

While both measures are sitting about the 100-point benchmark, indicating more positive than negative attitudes overall, the results reveal that cost-of-living pressure is one of the key issues impacting consumer confidence.

The cost of energy was identified as South Australian consumers’ number one concern.

Despite this, Firth said businesses “remain resilient” with a 19 percent increase in businesses hiring and a 12 percent increase in hiring intentions in the coming months.

“These are strong indicators that sit at the core of running a business – hiring and investing – demonstrating increased optimism that owners have for the outlook of their businesses,” he said.

– Grace Atta

Hydrogen supply chain directories launched

The state government has released two publications that map and promote the capability of local businesses to service South Australia’s green hydrogen industry.

Compiled by the Industry Capability Network of South Australia (ICN SA), “South Australia’s Hydrogen Industry Supplier Directory” lists more than 260 businesses which submitted their ability to contribute to the production, storage, transport and distribution of renewable energy and hydrogen, as well as downstream applications such as the manufacture of green iron.

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The directory is matched with the “Statement of Capacity: Hydrogen Supply Chain Mapping South Australia” that outlines the specific capabilities of local businesses, such as “water desalination for hydrogen production” and the “manufacture of pipe fitting”. This will allow the state government to appropriately match South Australian businesses and workers with opportunities arising through the Hydrogen Jobs Plan and other hydrogen projects.

Businesses not currently listed on the Directory are invited to contact ICN SA to be considered for inclusion in future updates of these documents and project opportunities.

Local family law firm wins top prize at national law awards

Resolve Divorce has won Boutique Law Firm of the Year at this year’s Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards in Sydney.

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The award recognises firms who are pioneering innovative practices challenging the structure and culture of traditional firms, and recognises outstanding performance by a boutique firm.

Founding partner Rose Cocchiaro said she was proud to shine a spotlight on the South Australian legal sector.

“My business partner Chanel Martin and I have seen phenomenal success with our clients who use our revolutionary approach to family law, but it is humbling to be honoured by my peers and rewarding to have a moment to recognise that the chances I took so long ago, have paid off,” she said.

– Clem Stanley

Flinders Uni to offer Bachelor of Surveying from 2024

Prospective students can now apply to undertake the tertiary degree at Flinders University in order to pursue a career in the surveying industry.

The four-year degree will give students the skills needed to become Licensed Surveyors in South Australia, after the existing course in the state stopped taking students mid-2022.

It follows pressure from Premier Peter Malinauskas, the Surveyor General and the Surveyor’s Board of South Australia who called on the universities to train local talent to address a skills shortage in urban planning.

The Flinders University course will be a double-degree Bachelor of Geospatial Information Systems/Bachelor of Surveying and will be available from 2024.

The institution has also begun discussions with TAFE SA to plot extra tertiary options and recognition pathways into the Bachelor of Surveying double degree.

Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion said the program will prepare more South Australians to address the housing crisis.

“There is rising demand for built environment professionals amid a nationwide skills shortage, and these courses will help address the long-term needs of one of our most important industries,” he said.

“Graduates will play a vital role in addressing skills shortages in our State, helping to tackle the housing crisis.

“We want South Australians learning and developing their careers here rather than heading interstate for study.”

Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said the degree would be vital to the state’s ability to “grow and prosper”.

“We’re committed to supporting the State Government’s vision for a locally developed highly skilled workforce to deliver complex outcomes in sustainable planning,” he said.

“By leveraging our strengths in engineering, environment, technology and business, our newly developed Bachelor of Surveying will deliver the highly skilled expertise required to meet current and emerging planning and infrastructure demands.”

– David Simmons

Seven AgTechs to share in $600k

The state government has announced seven recipients that will share in $600,000 in grants to support primary production and agribusiness in SA.

The AgTech Growth Fund provides grants of up to $100,000 to projects that address one of three specific industry challenges being:

• Improve drought resistance and climate adaptation for primary producers
• Improve carbon management, sustainability credentials or natural capital on farm to measure and monitor performance to consumers and the supply chain
• Improve market access and maximise value for primary producers through traceability and credentialling.

The companies set to benefit include a business revolutionising irrigation, one creating reporting systems for winegrape growers, and another developing a cordless shearing handpiece.

The seven projects receiving funding are:

• Bio-Optics Australia – trials and data collection to certify a new version of their optical, hand-held testing device for wool producers to know fleece quality in real time
• Athena Irrigation Technologies – further development of an irrigation scheduling system
• Eldridge Fresh Organics – development of an AI system to integrate greenhouse monitoring of temperature, water control and carbon emission reporting to inform future upgrades
• AirborneLogic – Implementing technology and reporting systems for winegrape growers to share carbon stock data through the industry’s sustainability program
• Mobiishear – Development of a cordless shearing handpiece
• COtL – Software development for real time data and decision-support on the MEsonet (SA automated weather station network) for climate related crop disease and pest models
• Datahash – adding a consumer engagement capability to verify dairy industry retail compliance data.

Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the latest funding provides a “significant boost” to the agtech sector.

“South Australian primary producers have a well-founded reputation for being some of the most innovative and resourceful in the world,” Scriven said.

“The Fund brings primary producers and AgTech developers together, to collaborate on innovative solutions for real challenges facing the agriculture sector in South Australia. Continued development of AgTech solutions in partnership with primary producers provides real efficiencies and will further encourage their uptake by primary producers.

“The return on realising the potential of AgTech is currently estimated at $2.6 billion a year in extra agriculture gross value of production in South Australia. There is also the benefit of better managing our scarce resources which continues to become ever more important as the challenges of climate change increase.”

– David Simmons 

Beer gets boujee

Coopers are reinventing the art ‘n’ wine trope, promoting its new Australian Lager with a contemporary art exhibition at GAGPROJECTS Gallery in Kent Town over the weekend.

Adelaideans can taste the “First Drops” of the brew – a permanent addition complete with the iconic Coopers roundel – after years in the making.

The public is invited to take an “immersive journey” through the product’s conception and try the final result.

“We wanted to create a modern Australian lager that is more flavoursome and contemporary compared with the traditional lagers in the market,” Coopers general manager Michael Shearer said.

Despite a winter debut, punters can expect “refreshing crispness, combined with subtle cues to a sun kissed South Australian summer” packaged in an “eye-catching turquoise design”.

“The work undeniably evokes the visceral feeling of a sunny afternoon in a local beer garden,” Shearer said.