Briefcase: Business snippets from an engineering acquisition to an international airport award
In this week’s Briefcase, Surf Life Saving SA gets a funding boost, and an Adelaide accounting firm receives a national honour.
- Adelaide Airport flying high at 2026 awards
- Global engineering leader to acquire Adelaide company
- SA woman to lead environmental research
- Accounting firm receives national honour
- State Government doubles Surf Life Saving SA funding
Adelaide Airport flying high at 2026 awards
Adelaide Airport was selected as the overall winner at this year’s Routes Asia 2026 Awards for its excellence in airport and destination marketing.
The airport also won the 5-20 Million Passengers category for the second year in a row, handling 9 million passengers in 2025 and surpassing its pre-pandemic levels.
Adelaide Airport was one of five winners acknowledged at the event held on April 14 in Xi’an, China, with other winners including Melbourne Airport and Qantas Airways.
Adelaide Airport Head of Aviation Business Development and Commercial, Jonathan Cheong, called the achievement “a testament to the trust and support of our airline friends”.
“Airlines remain the backbone of connectivity—bringing people, communities, and businesses together—and Adelaide Airport is proud to support that every day. Together, we are opening new opportunities, improving connectivity, and supporting trade and tourism across South Australia,” Cheong said.
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Global engineering leader to acquire Adelaide company
Canada-based global engineering and nuclear company AtkinsRéalis has struck a deal to acquire Adelaide-based project management consultancy Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec.
The agreement is expected to bring together AtkinsRéalis’ global engineering capability with WGA’s regional expertise to deliver complex, multi-year infrastructure projects across Australia and New Zealand.
WGA was established more than 40 years ago and employs more than 800 people to work on major infrastructure projects, including the north-south corridor development.
“At a time when Australia is investing in the next generation of infrastructure, this agreement will help us collectively deliver projects and solutions that are connected, resilient and built for long-term performance at scale,” AtkinsRéalis Australia and New Zealand CEO Tom Hasker said.
SA woman to lead environmental research
An SA researcher has received the Catherine Helen Spence Scholarship to lead an investigation into the barriers preventing greater participation in revegetation projects across the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Adelaide University PhD student Shannon Evenden received $25,000 in scholarship funding to explore why fewer private landholders were engaging in revegetation efforts in order to understand challenges facing regional communities.
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Evenden will spend time at the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden to work alongside global leaders in nature research.
“Shannon’s research is a powerful example that legacy in action, beyond financial incentives to understand the real, lived barriers regional landholders experience when it comes to revegetation,” Minister for Women Katrine Hildyard said.
Accounting firm receives national honour
Adelaide accounting firm Hood Sweeney has been recognised by Human Resources Director (HRD) Magazine as a 2026 5‑Star Employer of Choice.
The yearly awards are given to organisations that demonstrate excellence across people, culture and the overall employee experience, with Hood Sweeney one of only three organisations in SA to receive the award.
The organisation employs over 135 people across their Adelaide head office and four regional offices.
“It’s a reflection of the people we’ve attracted, the culture we’ve nurtured, and our unwavering commitment to building a workplace where connection and purpose matter,” Hood Sweeney’s Director of People and Culture Tahlia Fergusson said.
State government doubles Surf Life Saving SA funding
The state government is doubling core funding to Surf Life Saving SA, giving the organisation an extra $2.5 million over the next four years.
The funding is in addition to a recent $990,000 contribution made to help SLSSA rebuild their volunteer membership following the impacts of the algal bloom.
The money will be used for several purposes, including supporting SLSSA’s State Operation Centre, training lifesavers, regional water safety, shark mitigation, and a variety of assets.
Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing Rhiannon Pearce said the government is “deeply appreciative” of the work done by Surf Life Saving SA.
“This funding recognises the vital role that surf lifesaving plays in our community, particularly over the last summer when they stepped up to better inform and protect us from the impacts of the algal bloom,” she said.
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