Unearthing a new future for the ‘opal capital of the world’
Coober Pedy locals have been meeting with the Premier as they call for their Far North town to be backed in as a regional hub.
A resident-led campaign, Coober Pedy Together, wants formal recognition of the Far North town as a regional hub, with locals calling for changes they believe would improve life in the town and strengthen its role across northern South Australia.
The group has taken its call for a permanent, around-the-clock emergency services base in Coober Pedy, that brings together police, ambulance, fire, SES and mine rescue capabilities, to parliament house meeting with the Premier and key Ministers.
And the town’s airport has been singled out as an area requiring attention with the group outlining its importance to emergency response, essential workers, visitors and businesses.
“The town’s airport has restrictions on it due to its capacity for larger aircraft; it requires an upgrade for it to allow different carriers and larger aircraft to keep up with the different requirements of local industry,” facilitation member of the group Coober Pedy Together and second-generation opal miner Daniel Measey
Coober Pedy Together has identified the most at-need areas ranging from emergency services and education to housing, transport, tourism and employment.
You might like
“Coober Pedy is a really important place to us; a lot of locals here are very passionate about the place, and it probably has suffered over the years and not really gone forward,” Measey said
“We really want to keep it alive and let everyone know it’s a special place.”
Coober Pedy Council has been in administration for almost eight years after maladministration findings and ballooning debt, with administrators telling InDaily that the council would likely exit administration after April next year.
The advocacy group recently travelled to Adelaide to meet with Premier Peter Malinauskas in its bid to have the town recognised as the Hub of Far North SA.
Stay informed, daily
Members also discussed tourism with Minister Emily Bourke, policing with Minister Michael Brown, and education challenges with Minister Lucy Hood.
While meetings with BHP and property developers explored partnerships and plans for more than 40 housing spaces for essential workers.
“The more we go (to Adelaide), we’re finding, the more recognition we get, and the more awareness of Coober Pedy,” Measey said.
The group claims the town already operates as an important connection point for people travelling and working across the Far North, including remote communities, pastoral stations, mining operations and the APY Lands.
However, residents say the services and infrastructure available in the town do not always reflect that wider responsibility.
Coober Pedy Together has been working to expand vocational training opportunities for young people, with discussion underway to introduce opal cutting, welding and fabrication courses at the local TAFE campus.
Measey said the proposed courses would build on the town’s reputation as the Opal Capital of the World, providing young people, opal miners, cutters, and jewellers with opportunities to develop industry-related skills.
Tourism ideas include building on Adelaide Fringe’s presence in the town, developing new cultural events and experiences, and strengthening attractions such as the Drive-In, a multi-day food, music and cultural festival.
The campaign does not focus on what Coober Pedy lacks—for residents behind the push, the aim is not to reinvent Coober Pedy but to secure greater support for a regional role they believe the town is already performing.
For a town built on what lies beneath the surface, Coober Pedy’s residents are determined to show that its greatest potential is still waiting to be unearthed.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
