Why more and more people are calling Playford home
There’s a hive of activity in Adelaide’s northern fringes, where the City of Playford is experiencing rapid population growth and is set to welcome 10 new people a day over the next 20 years.
Its mayor, Glenn Docherty, said the figure is equivalent to about three new homes being occupied each day.
“We are one of the fastest-growing council regions in Australia,” he said. “We’re seeing huge numbers of first homebuyers, families and new arrivals building homes, creating diversity and strengthening our community.
“In my time as mayor, I’ve conferred Australian citizenship on nearly 6000 people. These are people who are setting up their lives, families and businesses here.”
In 2025, thousands of new homes were approved to be built – largely in new “greenfield” developments at Riverlea Park and around Angle Vale, Virginia and Munno Para.
By 2046, the estimated population is expected to leap by 62 per cent from just over 113,000 people to around 184,000.
“Riverlea Park alone will eventually have 30,000 people living there,” Docherty said. “To put that into perspective, that’s actually a larger population than Mount Gambier.”
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To complement the development’s growth, council is investing in social, sporting and civil infrastructure, including new, multi-million dollar sports precincts at Munno Para and Riverlea.
Docherty said community engagement and collaboration with the state government, developers and other stakeholders have been critical ingredients for success as a local government at the forefront of growth in South Australia.
“You can’t build homes without infrastructure.” he added. “Our council has provided input into the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, and we welcome SA Water’s $1.5 billion investment in water and sewage. This has been a game changer in our region.”
Aside from the greenfield sites, there are new investments and urban renewal in Elizabeth and other more established parts of the city.
Elizabeth, which recently turned 70, was built on the dream of becoming a satellite city to Adelaide; known for its prominent clock tower and the General Motors Holden plant, which provided work to thousands of locals and post-war migrants.
While car manufacturing has long ceased, different and emerging industries are creating a new wave of optimism and a younger cohort of residents, too. The average age in the council region is 32, compared with 40 years old across the rest of the state.
Many of those people are taking up jobs in health, social services, defence, advanced manufacturing and, of course, the booming construction industry.
The iconic clock tower, meanwhile, still stands tall near the Elizabeth Civic Square but is set to be joined by a multi-storey office tower and other buildings in coming years.
“I think those old stereotypes and stigmas attached to our area are definitely disappearing,” Docherty said. “People are moving here in droves. If it wasn’t a great place to live, work, play and raise a family, they wouldn’t be here.”
Davoren Park resident Justin Faa moved from the Sunshine Coast to South Australia in 2018 to take up a military post at the RAAF Base at Edinburgh. A few years ago, the 29-year-old decided to leave the army but had no intention of leaving the area.
“It’s great – I was lucky to have bought a home at a really good time, so I’m reaping the rewards,” he said. “But what I like now is there are so many renewal projects taking place around me, like Kalara Reserve where I take my puppy Layla for walks.”
While there are some challenges around noise, construction and traffic congestion, Faa said people are willing to put up with temporary disruptions.
“There is a consensus that money is being invested in the north for the right reason,” he said. “It’s still affordable and accessible and I like that in the suburb I live in. Plus, I’m in really close vicinity to trains and public transport.”
Tahlia Murphy bought into the Playford Alive development in 2019 to raise her two children and has never looked back since.
“We were able to build our family home here and the girls love it,” she said. “It wasn’t that long ago when this was tall grass and farms, and it has all changed so much.”
Mayor Docherty said that, despite the optimism and rapid growth, City of Playford needs to keep working hard for its ratepayers.
“Council will continue to develop great spaces like parks, reserves, sports and community facilities,” he said. “Getting these foundations right translates into strong, connected and resilient communities.”
This article was brought to you by InDaily and LGA South Australia.
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