Briefcase: Business Snippets from around South Australia
In this week’s Briefcase, the best of Adelaide design is celebrated and Nova Systems lands a major contract. Plus, the latest business events.
- SA creatives honoured at annual design awards
- Applications open for Rural Women’s Award
- Tens of thousands raised at Opblue Gala
- DHL starts construction of Edinburgh Park warehousing facility
- Developer lured back to SA
- Construction to start on affordable apartments at Bowden
- FedEx to roll out EVs, beginning in Adelaide
- Adelaide golf course wins award for bee hive initiative
- Surge of interest in AUKUS supply chain program
- SA company selected to support emergency helicopter services
SA creatives honoured at annual design awards
Senior Creative Andy Scott of Showpony was honoured with the major award at the 48th Annual AADC Awards last week, attended by more than 330 of the state’s creative community.
Scott won the Silver Watering Can Award for his outstanding contribution to the advertising industry in South Australia. He received a standing ovation, honouring his 30 years of service to the sector.
“He is not the most outspoken person in the room, but when he speaks, you know that what he says is worth listening to,” AADC co-President Paul Kitching said.
“The ultimate quiet achiever. Someone who has not only filled our eyes and ears with clever copywriting and creative gems for decades – but recently opened our ears and minds to the lives of so many others in our creative industry through his podcast, CLICK.”
Showpony also won the Gold Chair Award for its Sucks To Be You campaign for South Australia Police. That campaign picked up seven awards on the night.
The Rita Siow Design Chair, named in honour of the late Rita Siow, celebrates the most outstanding design entry of the year and was awarded to Voice®’s packaging for Elseworld.
The Master’s Chair for best in Craft went to Sean Kane of Fuller for his custom-crafted typeface developed as part of Adelaide Football Club’s rebrand, also developed by Fuller.
The Chair for Good was introduced in 2022 to highlight creative work that drives social change. This year, NATION’s work for Wildlife Crime Detection Hub took home the Chair for their Easier to Detect campaign.
A full tally of all the night’s Award and major award winners:
- Showpony / 9 (plus the Gold Chair)
- Fuller / 2 (plus the Master’s Chair)
- Studio Landmark / 2
- Simple / 2
- NATION / 2 (plus the Chair for Good)
- StudioBand® / 2
- Voice® / 1 (plus the Rita Siow Design Chair)
- Parallax / 1
- Cornershop / 1
- Seeingsounds / 1
- The Audio Embassy / 1
Applications open for Rural Women’s Award
The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award has started accepting applications, with winners to take home a $15,000 Westpac grant to grow an existing business or program.
This year, SA entrepreneur Kelly Johnson was the recipient for her work in transforming food waste into eco-conscious meals.
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Over the past two decades, more than 350 women have taken part in the program which is sponsored by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA).
“We see many women at the heart of South Australia’s rural industries and regional communities, driving innovation, resilience, and long-term prosperity,” Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven said.
“The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is about celebrating individual achievement and recognising the wider impact these leaders have on their communities and industries.”
Applications close on November 7. For more information, visit www.agrifutures.com.au/rwa.
Tens of thousands raised at Opblue Gala
More than $77,000 was raised for charity at the second annual Opblue Gala, with funds to be spread across the not-for-profit’s three core projects.
More than 150 South Australians gathered at Golding Wines for the event, raising money to fund clean water, education and meals for children in Africa.
Opblue co-director and event organiser Fallon Rooke said the $77,800 raised was “extraordinary”.
“But what’s even more powerful is what it translates into; classrooms filled with children, meals that keep kids learning, and clean water that saves lives,” Rooke said.
DHL starts construction of Edinburgh Park warehousing facility
International logistics company DHL has broken ground on its 20,000 sqm warehousing facility at Edinburgh Park.
Due for completion in the third quarter of 2026, the site will serve the company’s customers in retail, technology, consumer, life sciences and healthcare sectors.
DHL supply chain Australia & New Zealand CEO Steve Thompsett said the site was a key part of the company’s focus on strengthening national service offerings.
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Young Carer’s Voices and Hearts Luncheon: The 2025 Young Carer Voices & Hearts Luncheon will be an exclusive gathering at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 9, 2025. This event is dedicated to honouring the remarkable contributions of South Australia’s Young Carers and amplifying their voices. South Australian Zero Homelessness Summit 2025: This event on October 23 aims to unite key stakeholders from across the state to foster practical solutions for ending homelessness in South Australia. |
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Developer lured back to SA
Adelaide-born David Allington – executive director of Landcap Development – said changes to state planning regimes to boost housing in the state convinced him to return to SA to invest in an “abundance of opportunities”.
His company Landcap Development has just announced a new partnership alongside Toro Property Projects in the Senses project at Mount Barker.
Previously Allington was working for Stockland where he was general manager of Victorian communities, overseeing a $3 billion residential property portfolio.
“South Australia has recognised that it needs a major housing boost by introducing changes to the planning regime, rezoning 530 hectares of land for housing and long overdue investments in infrastructure,” Allington said.
“The new housing market in South Australia has significant potential, bringing with it new investment and interest from developers like Landcap and investors in our projects.”
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Construction to start on affordable apartments at Bowden
SA builder Hindmarsh will soon start work on 80 affordable rental apartments at Bowden on Third Street – directly opposite Plant 4 and one of the few remaining development sites in the area.
“This development will significantly contribute to the inclusivity and housing diversity of Bowden, while extending opportunities for people on lower incomes to live in Bowden,” Renewal SA’s acting chief executive Shane Wingard said.
A total of 221 car parks will be built as part of the complex too, with a minimum of 170 publicly accessible.
“Bowden was designed to be a transport-oriented community for residents, with excellent access to trains, trams, walking and cycling paths, but it has also become a very popular destination to visit,” Wingard said.
“To support that growth, and to ensure businesses in the area have the best opportunity to grow, we are taking this opportunity to deliver parking as a key part of this project.”
FedEx to roll out EVs, beginning in Adelaide
The rollout of logistics giant FedEx’s 55-strong electric vehicle (EV) fleet will begin in Adelaide, with the introduction of 15 Fuso eCanter trucks.
The remaining EVs will be deployed in other major Australian cities, and the company plans on expanding into additional regional and metro areas as new charging infrastructure is installed.
“The introduction of these electric vehicles to our pickup and delivery fleet in Australia marks a pivotal moment in our operations,” FedEx Australasia regional vice president Peter Langley said.
“It is an important initial step we have taken to help reduce the environmental impact of our pickup and delivery operations while continuing to provide the efficient and reliable service our customers expect.”
Adelaide golf course wins award for bee hive initiative
A golf course at West Beach has won an environmental award for its beekeeping program.
The Pat GC was awarded Most Outstanding Environmental Initiative at the 2025 Gold Australia National Awards of Excellence.
It landed the award for its work in hosting six beehive colonies on its course.
The company said the bees support local pollination, biodiversity and community education.
“What began as a sustainability initiative has evolved into something much more meaningful—our course is now a thriving habitat with the return of native birds, bats and bees and our members and visitors are actively engaging with our environmental story,” West Beach Parks CEO Kate Anderson said.
Surge of interest in AUKUS supply chain program
A shipbuilder program run by the Australian Submarine Agency that qualifies businesses for the AUKUS supply chain has drawn significant interest from around the country, with more than 170 expressions of interest lodged.
The Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program fast-tracks qualification for local manufacturers seeking to supply parts for the US Virginia Class submarine build program.
Expressions of interest lodged were for different parts such as valves, castings, mechanical assemblies, pipe fittings, forgings and machined parts.
SA company selected to support emergency helicopter services
StarFlight Australia – which will operate helicopter emergency air services in Tasmania from next year – has selected SA-based Nova Systems as a systems integration partner.
The company will work with StarFlight to integrate new technology and systems into the helicopter fleet to enhance critical search and rescue capabilities and lifesaving services.
This will better enable StarFlight to find missing walkers, people lost at sea, and enable law enforcement, with all imagery being live-streamed to personnel on the ground.
“Our focus is on keeping people safe, and through this work with StarFlight and the Tasmanian Government, we will provide world-class capabilities through new technology that will assist emergency services in Tasmania to do their jobs more effectively,” Nova Systems CEO Dean Rosenfield said.
