RENEWABLE ENERGY
The region is uniquely placed to drive renewable energy initiatives and meet growing power demand. The region has the land, sun, and wind resources to facilitate different renewable energy options. The construction of solar and wind-powered desalination plants provides the best commercial opportunities to meet regional needs.
The Australian Government’s commitment to the funding of renewable energy programs provides an opportunity to secure loans and capex investment for key projects.
HYDROGEN
The South Australian Government has released a hydrogen prospectus, detailing 3 hydrogen hubs to position South Australia at the forefront of global clean hydrogen production and exportation. It recognises the ideal location of Cape Hardy, connecting renewable resources with an indicative distance to the port of 60km, and the potential for small-scale and large-scale hydrogen export.
The prospectus demonstrates how the State can prosper from rising global demand for hydrogen, a commodity that is forecast to contribute as much as $1.7bn and 2,800 jobs to the national economy by 2030.
The hubs are located at Port Bonython, Port Adelaide, and Cape Hardy/Port Spencer.
http://www.renewablessa.sa.gov.au/topic/hydrogen
PORT INFRASTRUCTURE
The construction of the region’s first multi-commodity Cape Class port will provide investment opportunities for third-party importers and exporters. The provision of container infrastructure at Cape Hardy provides an opportunity to export high-quality grains to niche overseas markets.
Similar opportunities are available with a wharf, industrial and housing development at Proper Bay in Port Lincoln.
The port will also become an import and export link for resources such as Hydrogen (Green Ammonia), Graphite, Magnetite, Copper, other minerals, and processed food and resources from across the State. RDAEP has assisted Iron Road to identify potential customers and to establish MOUs with businesses such as the Hydrogen Utility (H2U), EPCBH, Quantum Graphite and others.
The port is also a project that can grow with the long-term future needs of a broad range of producers, including grain growers, and the Peninsula. The proposed site has 1,100 hectares of land available for other industries including a range of minerals and agricultural exports, imports of key inputs to the mining and agriculture sectors and use as a potential Hydrogen export hub.
RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE
The construction of the region’s first standard gauge railway line to Cape Hardy provides investment opportunities for connection of the line to the national standard gauge railway network.
The opportunities will be magnified if the connection is made via Whyalla, as this will provide an export outlet for mining projects in the north of South Australia, as well as enhance exports options for the steel manufacturing industry.
MINERAL RESOURCES
Growing international demand for high-quality resources for new technology applications – such as large flake graphite for graphene; kaolin (at 80+ ISO) for paints inks and inks; and zircon for ceramic glazes – provides an opportunity to support niche mining projects at various locations across the region.
The availability of high-quality magnetite (at 67% iron ore with few impurities) will accelerate steel smelting processes because pelletisation is not needed, and atmospheric emissions will be reduced.
TOURISM
Anticipated growth of the tourism sector – notably the influx of tourists from China and India – creates opportunities to provide accommodation and related tourism infrastructure. The best opportunities are in the vicinity of the regional airports at Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Ceduna.
Substantial growth of the self-drive tourism sector and increasing interest in Aboriginal tourism and whale watching at the head of the Great Australian Bight creates opportunities for the provision of improved tourism infrastructure along the Nullarbor Plain.
AIRPORTS
Much of the land at the Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Ceduna Airports is under-utilised. Increasing numbers of tourism and business travellers, along with growing mining activity, will provide opportunities to establish business enterprises associated with aviation.
Investment opportunities will also be available for the expansion and development of airport infrastructure and services.
FISHING & AQUACULTURE
The construction of a fishing industry Marine Offloading Facility at Thevenard will start in 2016. The facility will support the sustainability of the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery and provide opportunities to harvest a larger variety of fish resources. Commercial opportunities exist for the development of on-shore fish processing and freezing enterprises to support fishing industry operations.
Similar opportunities will become available after 2017 with the planned development of similar fishing industry wharf infrastructure at Proper Bay in Port Lincoln.
AGED CARE FACILITIES
The ageing of the regional population will generate demand for additional and improved infrastructure and services for the aged sector. This will mainly occur in the larger regional centres of Whyalla, Port Lincoln and Ceduna. However, increasing demand for aged care facilities is anticipated in Cleve, Cummins, Wudinna, Tumby Bay and Streaky Bay.
Data indicate that retirement growth and facility demand will be magnified in coastal townships.
Even though size thresholds are critical to the commercial viability of aged care centres, there will be commercial opportunities for the construction of aged care facilities and provision of employment and other services.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
The availability of specialist tertiary education facilities provides study opportunities for regional and overseas students.
The University of SA research centres at Whyalla, along with comparatively cheap rental housing and a wealth of regional shopping facilities, provides overseas students with a cost-effective alternative to studying in metropolitan Adelaide. Whyalla also provides a convenient gateway for travel to other parts of the region and South Australia.
The facilities in both Whyalla and Port Lincoln are presently under-utilised and have the capacity for investment to provide research and development courses tailored to meet overseas student needs.
WHYALLA INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Implement initiatives with the private sector to develop the Whyalla marina precinct.
- Provide infrastructure and services to strengthen Whyalla’s tourism appeal, and facilitate new tourism business enterprises.
- Develop business enterprises at the Whyalla Airport.
- Implement infrastructure and services to progress the Disability and Aged Care Masterplan.
- Develop renewable energy business initiatives.
- Implement initiatives to increase occupancy and use of the Whyalla Industrial Estate.
PORT LINCOLN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Implement value-adding initiatives and provide the infrastructure to grow the culinary and tourism sectors.
- Expand facilities and services to enhance business capacity at Port Lincoln Airport.
- Reconfigure and upgrade port infrastructure to improve operational efficiencies and enhance cruise tourism development.
- Develop purpose-built infrastructure at Proper Bay to improve fishing and aquaculture industry operations.
- Implement waste and stormwater infrastructure projects.
CEDUNA INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Upgrade infrastructure at Thevenard Port to improve export capacity and capability.
- Provide strategic infrastructure to develop Aboriginal and eco-tourism product at Ceduna, the Nullarbor Plain, and the Great Australian Bight.
- Develop onshore infrastructure and services to support minerals, oil and gas exploration and operations.
- Upgrade infrastructure and services at Ceduna Airport.
- Develop onshore processing factories at the Thevenard Marine Offloading Facility to enhance fishing industry operations in the Great Australian Bight.
- Implement stage 2 of the Thevenard Marine Offloading Facility to facilitate growth of the recreational boating, fishing, and cruise tourism sectors.