Briefcase: Business Snippets from around South Australia
In this week’s Briefcase, SA’s best landscape design projects are celebrated and Hilton Adelaide’s refurbishment is revealed. Plus, the latest business events.
- South Australia’s best landscapes revealed
- Flinders University and NAB collaborate
- Hilton Adelaide refurbishment revealed
- Architecture firm expands into South Australia
- New Visa pathway announced for world’s top talent
- 995 hectares of land rezoned for Concordia housing development
- South Australian gin recognised amongst world’s best
- Adelaide makes top 10 most liveable cities list
South Australia’s best landscapes revealed
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) SA, Australia’s peak body for landscape architecture, has awarded the state’s best landscapes.
Taking place at Sanctuary Adelaide Zoo last Friday, the big winners included the Mofflin Reserve, Breakout Creek / Purruna Pari Stage 3, Dunstan Adventure Playground, and the Port Lincoln Foreshore.
Purruna Pari, designed by TCL with Green Adelaide, City of Charles Sturt, and City of West Torrens, received two Awards of Excellence, one in Land Management and the other in Parks and Open Space. Part of the River Torrens redevelopment, the landscape includes over 6.2 kilometres of walking trails, permanently vegetated wetlands with five viewing decks, a new river crossing, and an accessible boardwalk.
Other awards included the Gumnut Garden, a residential design by Oxigen, which received the Garden Award of Excellence and the Water for Life Award, and the Dunstan Adventure Playground, designed by the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters and CLOVER Green Space, which won the Play Spaces’ Landscape Architecture Award.
Flinders University and NAB collaborate
Flinders University has announced a collaboration agreement with National Australia Bank (NAB), providing students and teachers with exclusive access to NAB’s premises. The alliance will immerse the students in a corporate environment with a first-hand look at the daily life of the financial institution.
According to Nick Ward, Director of Corporate Banking at NAB, together they are “co-creating value, sharing expertise, and building a lasting relationship that benefits students, the university, and the broader community”.
Students will also be provided with networking opportunities as they are given the chance to collaborate with NAB teams on real-world business challenges.
You might like
Part of the collaboration includes a mentorship program for postgraduate students, connecting them with NAB professionals who will provide mentorship and industry guidance.
Hilton Adelaide refurbishment revealed
Cottee Parker Architects will oversee Amora Hotels and Resorts’ $60 million refurbishment of the Adelaide Hilton Hotel.
The luxury hotel chain, which has establishments across Australia and Thailand, unveiled its plans on Monday last week, which included extensive upgrades to the hotel’s 377 rooms, additional conference and meeting rooms, two restaurants, a business lounge, gym and swimming pool.
Amora is set to take over the hotel in June 2026 when Hilton management steps down.
Architecture firm expands into South Australia
Perth-based architecture and design firm Actus is set to establish a base at the Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen, to assist in key defence projects.
The Landing Pad was set up at Lot Fourteen to provide support for international and interstate companies in their South Australian operations, giving them short-term accommodation leases and opportunities for industry connections.
“The Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen is a highly developed innovation centre and is perfect for our needs. The opportunity to expand operations in a thriving technology-centric environment is an ideal start to our journey in South Australia,” Actus director of operations Justin Cloney said.
The veteran-owned company provides architectural and interior design solutions for Defence and civilian clients and expects to hire 12 more workers in South Australia over the next year and a half.
“Their decision to establish operations in South Australia reflects the growing momentum and opportunity with our major national defence programs,” Defence and Space Industries Minister Stephen Mullighan said.
 |
|
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. Australia-ASEAN Business Forum 2025: Adelaide is set to host the Australia-ASEAN Business Forum on August 26 and 27, 2025, welcoming over 750 senior delegates, including diplomatic officials, investors, and commercial leaders from the Southeast Asian region. Foresight Community of Practice Gathering: Join the Foresight Community of Practice Gathering at MOD. on June 12, 2025. This event welcomes the new SA Water Visiting Futurist, Vaughn Tan, during his four-week residency. Gala Dinner – South Australian Premier’s Business and Export Awards: The South Australian Business Chamber and the Government of South Australia are hosting the Gala Dinner for the South Australian Premier’s Business and Export Awards at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday, August 29, 2025. |
 |
New Visa pathway announced for world’s top talent
The state-nominated ‘National Innovation Visa’ will be available for internationally recognised researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, athletes and creatives, encouraging them to move to South Australia and join the state’s growing innovation districts.
The announcement comes after South Australia was ranked as a top-five city in the Oceanic region by the 2024 Startup Genome Global Ecosystem Report.
Stay informed, daily
“South Australia is a highly sought-after region for skilled and business migrants and rightly so, given our globally recognised excellence for research, innovation, sporting events and culture,” said Industry, Innovation and Science Minister Susan Close.
The visa will be promoted alongside South Australia’s employment and relocation opportunities in the United Kingdom later this year by a South Australian delegate.
995 hectares of land rezoned for Concordia housing development
Part of the largest release of residential land in the state’s history, the plans for over 10,000 new homes at Concordia is “a crucial step toward providing more homes for over ten thousand South Australians,” Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion said.
Where there were once challenges faced by multiple developers in fragmented land ownership, the plans provide a cohesive path to a coordinated delivery of infrastructure, he said.
The plans, which will take place over 30 years and cover 995 hectares of land, feature a range of affordable housing for over 25,000 new residents, and include a town centre and shopping precinct, along with schools, community facilities and emergency services.
The community was invited to share feedback on the draft amendment by 31 July 2025 by visiting the YourSAy website.
South Australian gin recognised amongst world’s best
Australian Distilling Co.’s Navy Gin has won a Gold Outstanding medal at the 2025 International Wine and Spirit Competition.
Known as the “Olympics of the drinks industry”, the awards receive more than 12,000 entries from over 90 countries.
“We are thrilled to be included among the world’s best gins and proud to be recognised as Australia’s most awarded distillery,” Australian Distilling Co. Founder, Michael Hickinbotham, said.
The Navy Gin is known for its distinctive woody and spicy overtones, which are reminiscent of the Navy ships that introduced gin to all corners of the world. These flavours are complemented by undertones of juniper, coriander, cardamom, and nutmeg.
Adelaide makes top 10 most liveable cities list
After coming in at 11th last year and 30th in 2023, Adelaide has been announced as the ninth most liveable city in the world, according to the 2025 Global Liveability Index produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Receiving an overall score of 95.9 out of 100, Adelaide scored perfectly for healthcare and education, 96.4 for infrastructure, 95 for stability, and 91.4 for culture and environment.
Melbourne and Sydney also made the top ten, coming in at 4 and 6, respectively, with Copenhagen edging out Vienna and receiving first place.
“For any of the challenges we face as a state and a nation, the truth is, you wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else,” said Premier Peter Malinauskas.
“As a state government, we have an ambition to continue to grow our already world-leading reputation in so many areas.”
