South Australia –
A brilliant blend of
business, career, study and lifestyle.

Do you like the idea of running a successful business and enjoying a great lifestyle? Then make the move to South Australia.

South Australia is currently experiencing its highest levels of immigration in decades. Skilled workers, business migrants and students are choosing to live here because they can have the work and home life they’ve always dreamed about.

The housing is the most affordable in mainland Australia and many people have big back gardens for their kids to run around in. The long sandy beaches are clean – and so is the air. We have festivals throughout the year, thousands of restaurants and cafes, a high standard of living and a low level of traffic, plus a strong economy.

Great Opportunities

There’s never been a better time to move to South Australia. The job market is the best
it’s been in 30 years. There are many and varied opportunities for people who have the qualifications and experience to meet the demands for skilled workers over a range of industries. There are also exciting opportunities for people wanting to establish their
own businesses. A proposal to expand the Olympic Dam mine alone is expected to
create thousands of jobs. Other growth industries include health services, engineering
and management.

Defence is a particularly strong industry. South Australia has won the largest defence project in Australian history worth $8 billion. The Air Warfare Destroyer project will create career opportunities for generations to come. Please be aware that if you’re interested in a defence career, a security clearance may be required for working in some areas.

Dream Lifestyle

South Australia is more than just a great place to work or do business. It has a relaxed, stress-free lifestyle based around a sunshine-filled Mediterranean climate – perfect for outdoor dining, recreation and sport.

Our capital city, Adelaide, is rated as one of the world’s top liveable cities.¹ With a population of 1 million, it has all the attractions and facilities of a major city but everything is within easy reach. International students who come to Adelaide often comment on how easy it is to find their way around and are surprised by the assistance they get from the locals. Adelaide also has a strong tradition of arts and culture. The Adelaide Festival of Arts, WOMADelaide music festival and Fringe attract people from all around the world and we have world-class entertainment and sporting facilities. Adelaide also has more cafes and restaurants, per capita, than any other Australian city, and famous wineries like Penfolds, Yalumba and Jacob’s Creek produce some of the best wines in the world.

But that’s not all. People are able to live comfortably here because the cost of living is low and the housing is affordable. Adelaide’s median house price is two-thirds that of Sydney and much lower than that of Melbourne. You pay a lot less for your home but it will still grow as
an asset.

In South Australia, the cities and regional centres have low-density living. Most homes are detached and built on spacious allotments. And it’s an easy place to get around because we enjoy relatively low traffic congestion. Short commute times allow you to spend more time with family and friends.

World-Class Education

South Australia offers students a bright future. World-class education is a State Government priority for those starting school, to those completing postgraduate degrees. The State has a wide range of private and public schools to choose from, with some specialising in language education, sciences, technology, music and art. For people with young families, this is a great advantage.

The combination of world-class education and a fulfilling lifestyle is also a major drawcard for young people looking to study in South Australia.

South Australia’s educational institutions produce graduates and researchers with internationally respected tertiary qualifications.

Their level of technical literacy is among the highest in the world. Adelaide has three traditional, long-standing universities and has attracted three overseas universities. This has given our state a worldwide reputation for being a ‘university city’. A network of technical and further education (TAFE) colleges covers the state.

For further information please visit:
Community Based Child Care Centres – www.sachildcare.com.au

Department of Education and Children’s Services
Child Care & Early Learning – www.childcare.sa.gov.au

Department of Education and Children’s Services – www.decs.sa.gov.au

Association of Independent Schools of SA – www.ais.sa.edu.au

Catholic Education Office SA – www.cesa.catholic.edu.au

University of Adelaide – www.adelaide.edu.au

Flinders University – www.flinders.edu.au

University of South Australia – www.unisa.edu.au

Carnegie Mellon Heinz School Australia – www.heinz.cmu.edu/australia

Cranfield University – www.cranfield.ac.uk/australia

University College London – www.ucl.ac.uk/australia

Strong competitive advantages

South Australia is a ‘go-ahead’ State, focused on establishing an international reputation as an exporter of quality products. Exports range from wine and cars to agricultural and mineral products. South Australia is also home to several highly developed industry clusters, including defence, information and communication technology, and wine.

In a 2008 business competitiveness survey of 102 cities by the KPMG group, Adelaide rated as one of the most cost-competitive cities in the world. This followed previous surveys by KPMG, which also found Adelaide to be the number one place to do business in Australia. The findings are based on a range of factors including construction costs, office-leasing costs, and road, air and sea freight rates. Utility costs (electricity, gas, telecommunications), labour costs, and taxes and charges were also factored in. For business migrants, this competitive edge makes it easier to settle and establish businesses in South Australia.

They can also receive help from the South Australian Government, which is committed to providing guidance and referral to assist migrants in both the planning stages of migration and upon arrival in South Australia.

Exceptional value and advantages for businesses can be found in the following areas.

n             Business climate: moderate taxes and charges, industrial harmony, government assistance to potential investors, fast tracking of major projects and collaboration between industry, government and community leaders.

n            Management and labour costs: a highly educated and skilled workforce, nationally competitive labour and management costs, low on-costs and cost-competitive professional services.

n            Construction advantages: well-located industrial land that’s highly cost-competitive within Australia, easy access to all transport services, and building completion costs among the lowest of any advanced industrial country.

n          Factory and office rental: among the lowest commercial rents in Australia.

n          World-class telecommunications: satellite and cable networks ideal for regional hubbing, local and international calls among the cheapest in Australasia, advanced IT capacity with a strong local industry and sophisticated IT infrastructure provided by multinational companies.

n            Transport advantages: efficient and easily accessible road, rail, sea and air networks. The State has seven ports with half of all cargo moving through the efficient Port of Adelaide. Significant private and public investment in projects at the port and on surrounding transport routes is providing a boost to shipping services. The Adelaide to Darwin Railway completes the infrastructure necessary for a seamless transport system, providing an alternative link between Australia’s southern centres of economic activity and Asia.

A place in the sun

With 1.5 million South Australians occupying an area 
of 984,377 square kilometres (four times the size of the United Kingdom) there is plenty of room to move. Our State has some of Australia’s most beautiful scenery, with about 3,700 kilometres of coastline and famous outback landmarks.

South Australia has a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The average summer temperature is 29 degrees Celsius, although each year brings one or two hot periods. The average winter temperature is a mild 15 degrees Celsius. With more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, South Australia’s vibrant cosmopolitan community – made up of people from more than 100 different countries – has an outdoor lifestyle all year round.

Adelaide boasts some of Australia’s best architecture. Careful planning has ensured an excellent road system. Traffic flows easily without heavy congestion. Adelaide also has a good public transport system with a green belt of spacious parklands surrounding the city. The result is a feeling of relaxed living and open space – hard to find in modern cities today.

Committed to your success

South Australia is proactive in helping business migrants explore the State as a potential migration destination. You’ll be offered support if you choose to settle and establish a business here. We recognise the enormous contribution business migrants make to our community, so we do all we can to help with the migration and relocation process.

Services include:

n            Exploratory Visit Support

n            Networking and Referral Service

n            Relocation Service

n          Open Days

n            Business Information Sessions

South Australia is eager to help business migrants by offering State Sponsorship to facilitate
visa grants to genuine business migrants considering establishing a business or investing in
our State.

Immigration South Australia

Level 10, 50 Pirie Street

GPO Box 1264 Adelaide 5001 South Australia.

Phone: +618 8204 9250

Fax: +618 8204 9244

Email: immigration.sa@state.sa.gov.au

Website: www.migration.sa.gov.au