Briefcase: Business Snippets from around South Australia
In this week’s Briefcase, another success for Southern Launch and the new Qantas business lounge takes off. Plus, the latest business events.
- Successful return of SA space mission provider
- Ronald McDonald House expands
- Andromeda raises $5 million
- SA’s $200m RAAF defence hanger takes shape
- Flinders researchers call for female gig workers
- UniSA projects attract $2.7 million in funding
- Significant Elizabeth South landholding for sale
- GP’s health education dreams brought to life
- Qantas launches new route and Adelaide business lounge
- SA trial for rooftop solar oversupply management
- SA Governor to spruik state on world stage
Successful return of SA space mission provider
On 14 May 2025 at 11:47AM local time, South Australia-based space mission service provider Southern Launch and Varda Space Industries’ W-3 mission touched down in South Australia at the Koonibba Test Range after 61 days in orbit.
The capsule lifted off aboard the Transporter-13 rideshare mission on March 14 2025, with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
“The W-3 mission has demonstrated that Southern Launch is the world leader in operating a commercial range for reentries,” said Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp.
The W-3 capsule payload was a navigation system called an Inertial Measurement Unit developed by the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated. The Varda capsule reentered the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25 providing a unique environment that offers researchers a chance to gather data for multiple applications.
The re-entry comes just ten weeks after Southern Launch and Varda successfully achieved the W-2 mission, Australia’s first-ever commercial spacecraft reentry.
“The Koonibba Test Range is the number one place on Earth to conduct these missions,” Damp said.
Ronald McDonald House expands
North Adelaide’s Ronald McDonald House Charities will begin renovations at the end of the month to add five new rooms to meet growing demand.
CEO Melissa Monkhouse said last year the charity had to turn away 190 families, while the cost-of-living makes it even more expensive for families travelling for healthcare to get a hotel in the city.
“The renovation will at least alleviate some of that pressure for regional families,” Monkhouse said.
The million-dollar expansion will mean they can host about 140 more families on average each year in the soon-to-be 25-room property. The build is being done by Bella Build & Design, which is providing service in-kind.
This comes as the Ronald McDonald House Charities South & Central celebrate 25 years in South Australia.
Andromeda raises $5 million
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Andromeda Metals has completed a $5 million placement, with institutional investors buying new shares at $0.013 per share – a 23.5 per cent discount to the company’s closing price prior to the raise.
Funds will be used to progress its mining projects, general working capital and the costs of the placement.
“We have received growing interest from a range of new investors seeking to invest in Andromeda, following recent announcements regarding the progress of our development funding process and our HPA breakthrough results,” Andromeda acting CEO Sarah Clarke said.
SA’s $200m RAAF defence hangar takes shape
Almost 2000 tonnes of structural steel have been erected to complete the frame of a four bay aircraft hangar in northern Adelaide to facilitate the specialist maintenance of Defence Force military aircraft.
The aircraft hangar will support the long-term maintenance and modification requirements for the Australian Defence Force’s fleet of RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and RAAF E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Once complete the structure will be 240 metres long, 60 metres wide and 25 metres high, with the four-bay hangar almost 50 per cent longer than Adelaide Oval. The DMMF facility is expected to be complete mid-2026.
New Zealand has also signalled its intent to utilise the DMMF base for maintenance and repair of its P-8A Poseidon fleet.
“This facility will ensure that South Australians will be performing important maintenance and upgrades on defence aircraft for decades to come,” said South Australian Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Stephen Mullighan.
Flinders researchers call for female gig workers
South Australian institution Flinders University is calling for women with experience working for gig economy platforms to contribute to research.
Those with experience working for Uber, Ola, UberEats, Airtasker, Mable or similar companies are being asked for help with research.
See below for further details.
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2025 AEDA Business Summit, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas will attend the summit and will be joined by a stellar lineup of business leaders and industry experts on May 20 at the Adelaide Oval. Mastering Marketing: The Australian Marketing Institute is bringing together some of South Australia’s top Chief Marketing Officers for a one-day seminar on May 21 at The Drive. Know Your Business – Essentials and Strategies for Growth: The South Australian Business Chamber is hosting a free session in Loxton designed for regional businesses on 23 May. SA: State Budget Lunch: The Property Council’s State Budget Lunch, a highlight on the organisation’s events calendar, will be held on June 11 at Adelaide Oval. The 3rd Australian Space Cyber Forum: The third Australian Space Cyber Forum comes to the Adelaide Convention Centre on June 23 and June 24, 2025. The 19th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference: AWITC is heading to Adelaide from July 20 to 23, 2025. Held every three years since 1970, this event is a key technical forum for the Australian wine industry. |
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UniSA projects attract $2.7 million in funding
Seven UniSA projects led by researchers have received $2.7 million in funding from Australia’s Economic Accelerator program.
These include:
- Dr Nicole Dmochowska ($405,050): Development and preclinical validation of a laparoscopic magnetometer probe based on quantum sensors for intraoperative mapping of the spread of gastrointestinal tumours.
- Dr Marta Llusca Jane ($497,250): Realising Net Zero Emissions: An affordable Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) Demonstrator for Industry and Agriculture.
- Dr Yanting Yin (replacing Wen Qi Zang) ($354,900): Fluorescence Fingerprint enabled High-Density Optical Data Storage.
- Dr May Song ($470,162): Future proofing against resistant bacterial priority pathogens: innovative formulations to treat infections and save lives.
- Dr Bin Guan ($192,339): A robust chemical sensing platform for optimised process control in mineral processing operations.
- Associate Professor Shahraam Afshar ($499,128): A photonic rheometer for blood characterisation.
- Associate Professor Joanne Tingey-Holyoak ($362,353): Advancing a digital tool for improved water decision-making in agriculture.
Significant Elizabeth South landholding for sale
An 8.52-hectare landholding in Elizabeth South has been brought to market by Colliers on behalf of the state government’s Renewal SA.
The infill development site at John Rice Avenue is offered for sale with the opportunity to deliver a residential accommodation development.
“It provides developers with a rare opportunity to create a vibrant community, benefitting from the strategic location and extensive infrastructure, in one of South Australia’s fastest-growing residential areas,” Colliers associate director SA Rhys Newman said.
Stay informed, daily
The properties are offered for sale by Expressions of Interest, closing on 22 May via tenders.sa.gov.au.
GP’s health education dreams brought to life
InDaily 40 Under 40 alumnus Dr David Lam has hosted free rural health forums across South Australia, providing life-saving training to frontline health workers.
Made possible by a Qantas Regional Grant, the forums are based on the content of Dr Lam’s GP Lyf Hacks podcast and video series, which he started during the COVID pandemic.
Rural doctors and nurses in the towns of Port Lincoln, Streaky Bay and Kangaroo Island joined the forums, hosted by Dr Lam – the former RACGP Australian GP of the Year.
“It’s been a privilege to come back and bring GP Lyf Hacks health education to rural towns like Port Lincoln, where I learnt how to be a rural doctor, and Streaky Bay, where I’ve worked alongside some very resilient small teams to keep people safe,” Dr Lam said.
“Sometimes there would be just three of us, myself and two excellent nurses, keeping someone’s loved one alive 700km away from the nearest intensive care or paediatric unit.
“Anything can come through the door at any time – someone having a heart attack, stroke, or kids with life-threatening infections or asthma attacks.”
Qantas launches new route and Adelaide business lounge
Qantas has announced new flights between Adelaide and Auckland set to take off in October 2025, pending Government and regulatory approval. This marks the airline’s return to non-stop international flying from South Australia.
The new route leads to connections to North America via New Zealand on the airline’s QF3 service from Auckland to New York.
“Tourism expenditure from New Zealand grew by 29 per cent in the last year, with 48,000 visitors coming to South Australia in 2024,” said minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs, Zoe Bettison. This seasonal route will add more than 30,000 seats between the two capital cities, boosting South Australian tourism.
“It is great news that Qantas is re-establishing a direct international flight out of Adelaide with this new service to Auckland,” said Premier Peter Malinauskas.
Qantas is also opening its first Domestic Business Lounge in Adelaide Airport. Available from mid-2025, the new lounge is designed in collaboration with Architectus and takes inspiration from the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Adelaide Central Markets and Kangaroo Island’s Flinders Chase National Park.
The opening of the lounge “marks the final stage in construction of the new Adelaide Lounge precinct,” said Adelaide Airport Managing Director Brenton Cox.
The lounge has capacity for 190 customers and around 80 per cent of seats have access to power stations and wireless charging mats. The lounge also features locally sourced furniture and lighting including a commissioned blown glass light installation from the JamFactory.
The lounge will serve dishes by Qantas Creative Director of Food, Beverage and Service Neil Perry and lighter snack options by Maggie Beer.
“The new lounge has been designed based off feedback and the features we know our customers’ value the most,” said Qantas Group CEO International Cam Wallace.
SA trial for rooftop solar oversupply management
Energy company ENGIE and SA Power Network are conducting 12-month trial into how to manage the periodic oversupply of rooftop solar energy.
ENGIE general manager for innovation Ryan Wavish said more than 40 customers have opted into the program so far, encouraging the company to increase the trial limit to 100 households in SA.
“Our residential customers who have opted in to the trial offer allow us to adjust the amount of energy exported to the grid from their rooftop solar panels when there is too much supply, and prices are negative. Importantly, these customers are compensated for doing so,” Wavish said.
“It is a win-win situation. As an electricity retailer, this means ENGIE is not double paying for both customer solar feed-in tariffs (FiTs) and also the cost of exporting power into a negative market when there is too much rooftop solar generation.
“At the same time, our customers are compensated more than they would’ve earned for exporting their excess solar power through solar feed-in tariffs.”
SA Governor to spruik state on world stage
South Australia, Governor, Frances Adamson AC, will travel to Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines from this week to “promote South Australia’s strengths”.
The Governor will spruik the state’s international education, sustainable agriculture, wine, aviation, tourism, arts and financial services sector.
During her trip, Governor Adamson will attend 35 official meetings and events across the three countries, with a particular focus on education in South Australia.
Alongside promoting South Australian industries, the Governor hopes to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties and foster new partnerships on the global stage.
