Our State - South Australia

The quality of South Australia’s infrastructure is critical to its economic performance and social capital.  Infrastructure SA, an independent advisory body, has just released the 20-Year State Infrastructure Strategy . South Australia’s first long term infrastructure strategy sets priorities to guide government infrastructure policy and investment to achieve efficient and integrated outcomes. On...

South Australia’s Open Your World wellbeing strategy - focussing on mental, physical, social, and community wellbeing - was recently launched.  It concentrates on five priority areas: promoting the opportunities and benefits of sport and physical activity creating connections through arts and culture encouraging use of green spaces in recognition of the health, wellbeing and environmental benefits...

The Department of Human Services is committed to supporting vulnerable South Australians during this challenging time and has established a number of initiatives to assist. These include the COVID-19 Relief Hotline which connects those in need to community services and a men’s referral hotline for those concerned about their use of violence. On this episode of ‘Our State’, the acting Chief Executi...

Every business is being affected by COVID-19 with impacts on customers, staff and supply chains. This has been a challenging period for small business owners and start-ups. Financial support is available to those which have suffered a significant loss of income or been forced to close as a result of coronavirus-related restrictions. On this episode of ‘Our State’, Small Business Commissioner John...

The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on many agricultural industries and primary producers in South Australia. All agricultural industries and related businesses across the food supply chain have been declared an essential service. This includes: trucks and freight services carrying food and produce feed, hay, fertilizer and other agriculture products veterinary and animal health/...

The State Government’s $5.7 million package is designed to help South Australia's tourism sector get through the current COVID-19 crisis as well as rebound strongly at the other end.   Funding to help small tourism businesses and to assist organisers of regional and community events forms the bulk of the assistance. Other initiatives include dedicated digital training for tourism operators an...

A range of measures are being implemented to protect the health and wellbeing of all South Australians and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Many of us still have questions about the virus such as how long it can survive on surfaces and is it safe to go to a hospital or to our local GP? On this episode of ‘Our State’, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr Michael Cusack takes caller...

SA Health is calling on all South Australians to Stop the Spread of COVID-19 in South Australia.  By making some fundamental changes in the community, school and in the workplace we can protect ourselves and others from getting sick.  Stay home and avoid contact with others if you are sick Wash your hands regularly Cover your coughs and sneezes Wipe down frequently touched surfaces On this episode...

Sitting at the forefront of culture and technology, bold ideas, new ventures and creative thinking, Lot Fourteen is a nucleus of diverse, yet connected industries and a place for everyone to come, be inspired and enjoy.  The seven-hectare precinct in the heart of Adelaide is bringing together people from everywhere to share spaces, experiences and most of all ideas across innovation, research, art...

South Australia’s screen industry is currently experiencing unprecedented growth with the recent wrapping of Mortal Kombat , the state’s biggest ever film production. It follows recent locally-made hits including Netflix sci-fi I Am Mother, Hotel Mumbai , SBS drama series The Hunting and the Foxtel series Upright , with more hotly-anticipated television series hitting screens this year. The latest...

The Department for Child Protection aims to give young South Australians in its care every opportunity to reach their full potential.  It works in partnership with vulnerable families, government and non-government organisations, foster carers and the community to care for and protect at risk children and young people by addressing abuse and neglect and keeping them safe from further harm. One yea...

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Adelaide Fringe. In the years since it was established by a small group of independent artists, the fringe is now the largest arts festival in the southern hemisphere. The festival brings valuable tourism opportunities and economic benefits to our state. In fact, the 2019 Adelaide Fringe saw an increase in tourist attendance by 72% compared to the previo...

The Australian Water Quality Centre recently secured a three-year contract with Victorian water utility Yarra Valley Water.  From 1 July, the Centre - a business arm of SA Water - will provide sampling, laboratory testing, analysis and reporting services, to support water and wastewater services for more than 1.9 million people in Melbourne. The AWQC is leading the way nationally with its use of i...

South Australian communities are beginning the long road to recovery following a very damaging start to the bushfire season. Kangaroo Island and the Adelaide Hills have been the worst hit. The State Recovery Office supports South Australian communities to recover after a disaster.  On this episode of ‘Our State’, Director of the State Recovery Office in the Department of Human Services Georgie Cor...

The State Government, in consultation with industry, has identified areas of growth and how it can help unlock and accelerate business expansion and job creation.  In this episode of Our State, Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister David Ridgway explains how nine priority sectors have been identified as focus areas because of their strong potential to meet increasing interstate and global demand,...

Hear Holly Scott’s harrowing story on this episode of Our State. The Enough is Enough road safety campaign seeks to underline the devastation road trauma has on peoples’ lives. Join Lifetime Support Agency Acting CE Trudy Minett, The Advertiser’s Josephine Lim and SAPOL’s Sue O’Conner as they discuss this very important issue. 

Hear the Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment’s new Chief Executive Leonie Muldoon pinpoint her department’s areas of focus as it aims to contribute to growing the state’s economy.  Leonie has extensive trade and investment expertise across multiple international markets, and brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to the role, as you’ll hear in this week’s Our State podcast. 

South Australia has a fantastic events calendar with world-class sporting, arts, cultural and food and wine events, both in Adelaide and South Australia.  Due to the better weather a lot of those events are clustered in the spring / summer period, which not only means that South Australians get out and about more, it also provides a more compelling reason for tourists to visit South Australia in t...

Asthma, lead paint and the summer heat can all have an impact on our health. It’s important to be aware of the dangers and triggers and how best to manage them as the weather gets warmer. On this episode of ‘Our State’, Executive Director of Health Protection and Licensing Services at SA Health Dr Chris Lease, talks about how to stay healthy over summer.

Did you know that South Australians come from about 200 countries and are affiliated with more than 100 religions? The Multicultural Festival provides an opportunity to celebrate our state’s cultural diversity with a day of food, music, dance, arts and crafts! This year this free community event will feature over 75 community groups that will share their culture and traditions. On this episode of...

The State Library of South Australia’s main role is to collect and preserve the heritage of our state. This includes books and other written documents published in South Australia as well as photographic materials and artefacts that are part of archival collections. The oldest item in the collection is from 2500BC! Exhibitions also play an important role in connecting the community to the state’s...

The State Theatre Company South Australia’s 2020 season will be full of amazing theatrical experiences! The 2020 season is the first from the company’s new artistic director Mitchell Butel, a Helpmann award winner who has spent the past three decades working across Australia as a performer and director. Joining Mitchell for a chat on this week’s episode of ‘Our State’ is Clara Solly-Slade who is t...

The State Government’s recently released Arts and Culture Plan South Australia 2019-2024 includes six goals to promote the role of arts and culture in the lives of South Australians. The Arts Plan sets out the Vision: To Dream. To Explore. To Create. Leading to new pathways and horizons with arts and culture as central to the success of South Australia and the Mission: To guide the growth of and i...

South Australia’s inaugural Space Week - held from 27 September to 3 October 2019 - brings together a diverse range of people in the space sector, including industry leaders, researchers, scientists, teachers and students across a series of events. The 8th Space Forum, held on Monday 30 September, is the centrepiece of Space Week and, for the first time, was held jointly with 19th Australia Space...

The cyber security sector is growing at a rapid rate and the need for a skilled workforce ready to take on these jobs is ever increasing, with an already astonishing global skill shortage – by 2026, Australia will need an additional 18,000 cyber security workers to meet demand.  In South Australia, there is a need for cyber-trained workers for major defence projects, as well as the economy more br...