Mid Murray Infrastructure Projects, SA

Mid Murray: an agriculture-led economy with transport, water and energy work shaping the program

Economic base

Mid Murray’s economic character is agriculture-led, with a broad base of local services and production around it. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 17.8% of employed residents in 2021. Health care and social assistance accounted for 11.1%, followed by construction at 9%, manufacturing at 8.5%, retail trade at 8.1%, accommodation and food services at 6.9%, and transport, postal and warehousing at 5.3%. This mix combines land-based production with industries that serve households, visitors, businesses and the movement of goods. It gives the council an economy in which access, essential services and workforce availability matter alongside farm and processing activity.

The business structure reinforces that profile. There were 814 registered businesses and 279 employing businesses in June 2025, including 338 agricultural businesses, 114 construction businesses and 42 manufacturing businesses. Transport, postal and warehousing added 48 registered businesses. Population reached 9,674 in 2025 and increased through internal and overseas migration while natural increase was negative. The labour force was 4,488 in 2026-Q1, with 219 unemployed people and an unemployment rate of 4.9%. Population movement and workforce conditions therefore sit alongside production and services as central features of the local economy.

Project program

The council’s project work is directed chiefly towards active transport and water activity, with proposed energy work forming part of the forward direction. Transport work is both active and completed, while water work is active. The largest priced work is smaller-scale transport activity. Transport is also shared with other councils, so part of the transport program operates across council boundaries rather than as Mid Murray-only work. The overall direction links movement, water systems and future energy capacity, while retaining a completed transport component in the program’s history.

This program sits alongside current building activity. Non-residential building work approved to proceed in the 12 months to 30 June 2026 was valued at $10.3m, and residential building work approved to proceed in the 12 months to July 2026 was valued at $61.1m. The non-residential figure was 1.00× the council’s own three-year average. These measures describe a combination of public and network-oriented work with private building activity. They also separate the direction of active, proposed and completed project work from work approved to proceed through building approvals.

Economic connections

Transport work aligns with the council’s agricultural, manufacturing and freight base. Agriculture accounted for 17.8% of employed residents, manufacturing 8.5%, and transport, postal and warehousing 5.3%; there were 48 registered transport, postal and warehousing businesses in June 2025. Active and completed transport work could improve access for the movement of people and goods, while shared transport activity creates a connection across council boundaries. These mechanisms may support existing production, distribution and service networks by improving the conditions in which people and goods move.

Water work is consistent with the needs of an agriculture-led economy and may support water security for production and households. Proposed energy work could add enabling capacity for future industrial and service activity. These are directional connections, not measured outcomes. Health care and social assistance accounted for 11.1% of employed residents, while service capacity included 2 hospitals, 8 approved centre-based childcare services and 1 residential aged care home, with 255 childcare places and 60 residential aged care places. Those services support households and participation in the local workforce as population change continues.

Outlook

The near-term pattern is moderate population growth alongside a predominantly house-based residential approvals profile. The population rose by 0.8% in 2025, while the latest 12 months recorded 140 dwellings approved. Non-residential approvals were $10.3m and sat at 1.00× the council’s own three-year average. The project direction adds active transport and water work, proposed energy work and completed transport work to this construction picture. Together, these signals point to an economy balancing established agricultural activity with service demand and network-oriented work.

The main indicators to follow are the pace and composition of building approvals, labour-market conditions, population sources and the balance between transport, water, energy and completed work. Migration flows are important because they shape the direction of population change and may affect demand for housing and services. The council’s agricultural base makes access and water settings material to local activity, while health, childcare and aged-care capacity affects the ability of households to participate in community and economic life. The labour force and unemployment rate provide current measures against which future building and project activity can be read.

For council and planning staff

Population reached 9,674 in 2025 and increased by 74 people, or 0.8%. The change combined natural increase of -34 with net internal migration of 86 and net overseas migration of 22. Residential approvals were 14.5 dwellings per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to July 2026. Service capacity included 2 hospitals, 8 approved centre-based childcare services and 1 residential aged care home, with 255 childcare places and 60 residential aged care places. These figures place population pace, its sources and service capacity in the same frame.

For buyers’ agents and investors

The 2021 household profile was mature, with a median age of 54 and an average household size of 2.1 persons. Tenure was 47.9% owned outright, 30.5% owned with a mortgage and 16.2% rented. A total of 33.1% had lived at a different address five years earlier. Median weekly household income was $918 and median personal income was $512. In 2026-Q1, the labour force was 4,488, with 219 unemployed people and an unemployment rate of 4.9%. The approvals mix was 139 new houses and 1 townhouse, apartment or other dwelling in the 12 months to July 2026.

For builders and developers

In the 12 months to July 2026, 140 dwellings were approved: 139 new houses and 1 townhouse, apartment or other dwelling. Residential building work approved was valued at $61.1m, and approvals were 0.86× the council’s own three-year average. Construction accounted for 9% of employed residents in 2021. In June 2025, there were 114 registered construction businesses and 34 employing construction businesses. Non-residential building work approved in the 12 months to June 2026 was $10.3m, or 1.00× the council’s own three-year average.

Key takeaways

• Mid Murray remains agriculture-led, with substantial supporting roles for health care, construction, manufacturing, retail and transport.
• The council’s work direction combines active transport and water activity with proposed energy work, while transport work is also shared across council boundaries.
• Population increased in 2025 through internal and overseas migration despite negative natural increase, alongside residential approvals dominated by new houses.

Sources

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing — ABS Census 2021
• Estimated resident population — ABS Regional Population
• Registered businesses — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Health care and social assistance — ABS Census 2021
• Construction — ABS Census 2021
• Manufacturing — ABS Census 2021
• Retail trade — ABS Census 2021
• Transport, postal and warehousing — ABS Census 2021
• Accommodation and food services — ABS Census 2021
• Employing businesses — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Construction — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Manufacturing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Registered businesses, Transport, Postal and Warehousing — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses
• Natural increase — ABS Regional Population
• Net internal migration — ABS Regional Population
• Net overseas migration — ABS Regional Population
• Labour force — Small Area Labour Markets
• Unemployed persons — Small Area Labour Markets
• Unemployment rate — Small Area Labour Markets
• Non-residential building approvals, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Value of residential building work approved (new homes, alterations and additions), latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Non-residential building approvals versus this council's own three-year average, weighted by the value of those approvals — ABS Building Approvals
• Open public and private hospitals — AIHW MyHospitals
• Approved centre-based childcare services — ACECQA national register
• Approved childcare places — ACECQA national register
• Residential aged care homes — AIHW GEN aged care
• Residential aged care places — AIHW GEN aged care
• Dwellings approved, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Population change — ABS Regional Population
• Dwellings approved per 1,000 residents, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Population change — ABS Regional Population
• Median age — ABS Census 2021
• Owned outright — ABS Census 2021
• Average household size — ABS Census 2021
• Owned with a mortgage — ABS Census 2021
• Rented — ABS Census 2021
• Lived at a different address 5 years ago — ABS Census 2021
• Median household income (weekly) — ABS Census 2021
• Median personal income (weekly) — ABS Census 2021
• New houses approved, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Townhouses, apartments and other dwellings approved, latest 12 months — ABS Building Approvals
• Dwellings approved versus this council's own three-year average — ABS Building Approvals
• Employing businesses, Construction — ABS Counts of Australian Businesses