• Line up announced for SA’s International Women’s Day event
• Record median price for South Australian property market
• Serving up the state’s Brand
• Planning to fix planning skills shortage

Line up announced for SA’s International Women’s Day event

Business SA has announced the line up of speakers for this year’s International Women’s Day event.

Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot Genevieve Ruegar and South Australia’s Deputy Police Commissioner Linda Williams will be the leading speakers.

The line up also includes Sarah Marquis, Owner and Chief Winemaker of Mollydooker Wines; Alexia Eleni Frangos, Managing Director of Lexicon Creative Agency; and Janice Smith, Founder of Janesce Skincare.

The event will be facilitated by Elspeth Hussey on Wednesday, March 8 at the Adelaide Oval with this year’s theme being ‘Embrace Equity’.

Previously held at SkyCity, the event has been relocated to Adelaide Oval to accommodate a doubling of capacity following two sell-out years.

“We are looking forward to welcoming a massive crowd this year at Adelaide Oval,” Business SA’s CEO Andrew Kay said.

“We hope to see both women and men come together to hear our speakers, enjoy a fantastic lunch, and embrace the meaning behind International Women’s Day.”

Record median price for South Australian property market

Statistics from the Valuer-General’s price data show a new record median price has been set over the 2022 December quarter.

The Metropolitan Adelaide median price has increased by 2.13 per cent from the previous quarter with an average sale price reaching $670,000, while regional cities median price increased to $350,000 with a 6.06 per cent increase from the previous quarter.

Comparing the median house price to the same quarter last year, Metropolitan Adelaide prices have grown by 11.57 per cent while regional house prices increased by 18.64 per cent.

Units and apartments across Metropolitan Adelaide also set a new record median price of $465,000, which is an increase of 5.88 per cent from the previous quarter and 12.05 per cent from the same quarter last year.

However, the number of sales throughout the State have decreased by 7.18 per cent compared to the previous quarter.

Real Estate Institute of South Australia’s CEO, Andrea Heading said that “although interest rate rises certainly had an effect on the volume of sales, purchasers were still willing to pay premium prices for properties that were realistically and transparently priced.”

The top-selling suburbs in the past 12 months were Henley Beach, Elizabeth North and McClaren Vale with increases of 38.74 per cent, 36.19 per cent and 33.48 per cent respectively.

Other big movers included Osborne, Smithfield and Port Noarlunga South.

Serving up the state’s Brand

Chef and restaurant owner Callum Hann is among a raft of new faces on the re-established Brand SA board that will be led by chair Jane Jeffreys.

Jeffreys runs her own national consulting firm and has worked with the Adelaide Convention Centre and Port Adelaide Football Club.

Other members include journalist and presenter Rebecca Morse and Foodlands Supermarkets Australia chief executive officer Franklin dos Santos.

Also among its ranks are two InDaily 40 Under 40 alumni: Alyawarre woman and artist Jade Torres who is director of Pwerle Aboriginal Art Gallery, and co-founder of Never Never Distilling Co George Georgiadis.

Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion said the board members will bring individual knowledge, skills and industry expertise to help support local business growth.

Brand SA is now a dedicated agency within the Department of Trade and Investment, with about 8000 businesses registered and using the State Brand.

The board will hold its first meeting later this month to work on championing Brand SA’s mission to protect and strengthen the state’s image and reputation while guiding customer choices to shop local.

Brand SA has started the ‘Spend Your Support’ campaign launched to help River Murray businesses in need and encourage South Australians to buy directly from flood-affected communities.

Planning to fix planning skills shortage

The first meeting of the BEELG on Wednesday. Photo: supplied

The state government has created a working group of South Australian industry and higher education representatives to address the lack of tertiary pathways for careers in urban planning.

The new group, named the Built Environment Education Liaison Group (BEELG), held its first meeting on Wednesday and discussed ways to increase the graduate pool in surveying, architecture, conveyancing, valuation and planning.

Chaired by Planning Minister Nick Champion, the group focused on strategies to create clear pathways from entry-level courses to undergraduate and master’s degrees.

The majority of South Australian planning degrees are post-graduate, which has raised concern in the industry about a lack of undergraduate pathways to careers in urban planning.

The BEELG included representatives from the University of South Australia, Flinders University and the University of Adelaide, along with officials from the Department for Trade and Investment and key industry boards and peak bodies.

“It is invaluable to be able to bring this group together to drive and deliver solutions to the skills shortage the industry is facing in South Australia,” Champion said in a statement.

“In bringing together industry, government and education providers, we have a real opportunity to enhance and grow our talent base.”