ArMy PreSence in South AuStrAliA - Defence SA

102. In addition, the Army is well located to protect
the 25% of Australia’s defence industry
capability that is located north of Adelaide
including at the EDP and Technology Park.
103. With Defence and defence industry already
well-established in South Australia, the
degree of cooperation within the EDP would
be difficult to envisage anywhere else
in Australia. Industry in South Australia
already assists Defence with EW research,
communications, vehicle sustainment,
counter-IED developments and many other
capabilities relevant to Army. Building on
this capability makes sense and generates
a momentum that is in both the Army and
industry’s interests. Exploiting this advantage
by also locating Army’s EW and UAV assets
in the EDP would provide even greater
opportunities for support, thereby sustaining
defence industry which would, in turn, provide
better support for Army, Defence and Australia.
Family Friendly
“ Where possible, Defence should locate
bases in ‘family friendly’ areas which provide
better employment, specialist medical and
educational opportunities for families and
with the potential to reduce posting
turbulence in order to improve retention”. 18
104. As a smaller capital city, Adelaide has long
been recognised as providing residents with
a very attractive, affordable and liveable
lifestyle. In South Australia barracks have
been established in a secure area where
service personnel are well supported,
their families are happy and they can
focus on developing Defence capability,
while acknowledging that they may deploy
anywhere in Australia or overseas.
105. With their families content, soldiers are
happier and more likely to serve more
effectively and for longer. Retention becomes
a significant cost saving for the Army and,
while this depends on civil employment
trends, a soldier with a happy family is more
likely to remain in the service for longer.
106. Compared to other capital cities median
house prices in Adelaide are low 19 as indicated
in Table 2. In particular, when compared
to Darwin, Adelaide provides an excellent
opportunity for soldiers to purchase real estate
and establish their families at an earlier stage
of their life.
Table 2. Median house Prices Australia
october 2011
Sydney $637,646
Darwin $614,063
Canberra $566,095
Melbourne $542,968
Perth $524,055
Adelaide $432,299
Brisbane $429,33920 Hobart $327,340
107. Adelaide also offers soldiers and their families
a very pleasant Mediterranean climate, relative
ease in moving about the city and easy access
to beaches and other recreational areas such
as the wine districts of the Clare Valley, Barossa
Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and the
Adelaide Hills. The lifestyle is considered
relaxed with an emphasis on being outdoors.
With most soldiers recruited from the southern
and eastern States, many soldiers and their
families find the seasonal variations of Adelaide
preferable to the tropical climate of Darwin.
108. The feedback from soldiers and their families
who have recently arrived in Adelaide is that
they are ‘delighted’ with the reception they have
received and that the transfer from Darwin to
Adelaide was essentially seamless. Soldiers
were impressed with the available schooling,
both public and private, the opportunities for
spouse employment and overall community
support. They said that State and local
Governments were demonstrably welcoming
of Defence personnel living in Adelaide. Within
South Australia, there is unequivocal support
at all levels of Government and from local
41 Army Presence in South Australia Maintaining the Momentum 2012