Shaping Our Regional Economic Future Together
19 February 2026
The Alexandrina Council Economic Development team was pleased to host regional colleagues for a recent Regional Development Australia (RDA) Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island Strategy Planning Session at The Business Hub in Goolwa.
As a long‑standing economic development partner supported by Alexandrina Council, RDA plays a critical role in bringing neighbouring councils together to work on issues that extend beyond individual boundaries. RDA is currently undertaking a strategy refresh to guide its work through to 2031, and this session provided an important opportunity for councils across the region to help shape those priorities together.
The workshop explored some big, shared questions:
- Which challenges are too large for one council to tackle alone, yet too local for state and federal governments to prioritise?
- Where can regional advocacy make the greatest difference for our communities?
- And what unifying opportunities could strengthen our region’s economic future and liveability?
A key theme throughout the session was the importance of working as a region. Economic development does not stop at council boundaries, and issues such as housing availability, transport connectivity, investment attraction and regional advocacy are most effectively addressed through collaboration.
Across the discussions, several priorities clearly resonated as shared regional challenges: housing, infrastructure, workforce development, transport and digital connectivity. These issues sit at the heart of business confidence, investment decisions and whether families choose to stay, relocate or grow their futures in our region.
RDA has long been an important delivery partner for Alexandrina Council, supporting outcomes that benefit our local economy. Over the past year, this has included advocacy for key investment attraction projects like the Langhorne Creek Discovery Trail, the delivery of grant writing workshops for local businesses in Mount Compass and Middleton, and sector building initiatives, including manufacturing‑focused workshops designed to strengthen regional capability and resilience.
For Alexandrina Council, hosting this session reinforced the value of strong regional partnerships and coordinated action. It was an opportunity to work closely with neighbouring councils, contribute local perspectives to a shared regional strategy, and continue building the collaborative relationships needed to tackle complex challenges together.