Economic Development

Our vision is to build on our regional economic strengths, grounded in the people, places and products that make the Barossa unique. Our Local Economic Development Plan sets out direction for building a stronger local economy and a thriving visitor destination to 2027.

Who are we, where do we live and what do we do?

Our Community profile provides a breakdown of our community by district and includes key information on population, housing, employment, industry sectors and occupations.

Employment statistics are an important indicator of socio-economic status, indicating the strength of the local economy and social characteristics of our population.

The two most important measures are the unemployment rate (number of people over 15 looking for work) and participation rate (the labour force expressed as a percentage of the total population). Our unemployment rate is 3.4%, which is below the Greater Adelaide average, while our participation rate is 61.4%, which is comparable with the Greater Adelaide average.

We are committed to the principles of a small business friendly council, helping small businesses to flourish. This means removing red tape, providing timely advice and streamlining Council processes.

Our Visitor Economy & Events Team, based at the Barossa Visitor Centre in Tanunda, also offers a range of services to support tourism businesses.

For more information on the center click here. Visitor Services • The Barossa Council

We are also investing in a grants program in 2026-27 dedicated to supporting events and activation, find out more information and how to apply here: Event Support and Sponsorship

Our Local Economic Development Plan sets out key strategies and actions to help us aim high, and measure our progress. Check out our Economic Activation and Strategy Snapshot or view the full Barossa-Local-Economic-Development-Plan.pdf 2022-2027.

Key actions we're taking:

We play a key role in creating an attractive investment environment. This includes building the infrastructure to attract new investment, major events and a diversified tourism offering.

We’ve invested $100 million in building regional infrastructure as part of The Big Project. This includes the landmark $45.7 million Barossa Park Project and the $17.1 million Barossa Creative Industries Centre.

There are many grants available to support business expansion or diversification, improve efficiency, support sustainability or enter new markets. For a complete list of grant opportunities click HERE.

Our team may be able to provide a Letter of Support on merit.

Regional Development Australia Barossa Gawler Light Adelaide Plains is a non-government organisation that works with businesses and communities to sustainably grow our regional economy and creative more liveable communities.

Business to Business (B2B) Program

The RDA B2B support program links businesses with local experts at a subsidised rate to help small businesses thrive in areas that matter most, including marketing and branding; finance and business planning; technology and IT, HR and workplace safety, and tourism and hospitality.

A new addition to the B2 program is planning support, helping businesses understand how to navigate planning and development pathways and the role Council plays. If you’re considering a new development, commercial activity or change of use on your property, this B2B service provides up to two hours of planning support.