Lead Story
Issue No. 42 - August/September 2008
The Surprising North
by Professor Richard Blandy
In economic terms, the City of Playford is doing well.
This news may surprise a lot of people, whose perspectives are coloured by regular news stories of various social problems in Playford, which includes some of Adelaide’s historically underprivileged zones in its 35 suburbs. But notwithstanding that Playford may have its share of social difficulties, it undoubtedly possesses a strong local economy, one that has grown faster than the State economy in recent times.
Playford’s economy is now steadily diversifying away from an excessive dependence on manufacturing activity. And it is upskilling fast, which augurs well for the future. The main problem Playford faces is that its citizens are not as integrated into their successful local economy as would be desirable.
Eighty per cent of the local jobs created since 1991 have been taken by people living outside Playford, while 70% of the jobs held by citizens of Playford are located outside Playford.
Using data available before the latest Census data were released, I have estimated Playford’s gross regional product in 2006 at just under $2.1 billion. This represents about 3.4% of the SA economy.
Over the 1991-2006 period Playford’s economy grew at an estimated average rate of 2.7% per annum, compared to a figure of 2.5% for SA as a whole. Over the past five years, however, Playford grew markedly faster than the State economy - 4.9%pa compared to 2.5%pa.
Roughly the same story is true of employment: jobs in Playford grew by 2.4%pa over the 1991-2006 period compared with the corresponding figure of 0.8%pa for the State as a whole, with Playford’s job growth accelerating to 3.9%pa, compared to 1.9%pa for SA, in the past five years.
Drivers of local growth
Table 1: Playford’s Industry Structure, 1991 - 2006
Value added by Industry (per cent of total industry value added)
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