The Area in Focus

The Copper Coast is famous for having some of South Australia's best holiday beaches. Located a comfortable hour and a half drive from Adelaide, this region of the Yorke Peninsula is rich in history and thriving with coastal developments. Its many attractions and accommodation make the Copper Coast an ideal tourist destination for both local and international visitors.

Located in the Copper Coast region are the Peninsula's three largest urban centres of Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo. Smaller towns and settlements are located throughout the Council area including the coastal towns of Port Hughes, North Beach and Moonta Bay, the old mining settlements of Wallaroo Mines and Moonta Mines, and the rural settlements of Cunliffe and Paskeville, home of the renowned Yorke Peninsula Field Days.

The Region's prosperity is largely attributed to the diversified arable farming activities based on cereal grains, oilseeds and pulses, together with livestock. The Yorke Peninsula and Wakefield Plains region encompass some of South Australia's most fertile land and with recent advances in technology and effective crop diversification, the region has consistently achieved high yields.

The agriculture sector is a major employer within the region and is well supported by significant bulk grain handling and commodity facilities at the deep-sea port of Wallaroo. Growth in the manufacturing sector has been strong, due to increased production in the agricultural sector and associated value-adding industries. Other manufacturing activities within the region include the production of transport equipment, building, construction and other related services.

The region also hosts significant extractive industries, including limestone, granite, dolomite, gypsum, copper and sand mining.

The Copper Coast has a coastline of approximately 50 kilometres which caters to a healthy fishing industry supporting scale fish, prawn, crab and abalone fisheries. Oyster and mussel farming are fast emerging as an industry of the future as is the growing of brine shrimp in the regions many saltpans.

The region has well-developed transport and communication networks, together with a soundly established business and service infrastructure. In recent years there has been strong growth in the health and community services, clerical, sales and services, professional and associate professional occupation sectors.

Yorke Peninsula's retail sector is largely based around the Copper Coast's urban centres of Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta. The Central Business Districts of each of these major towns offer a diversity of general and specialist stores supported by many smaller retail outlets and business services.

Extensive parklands have been established in the major townships of Kadina, Wallaroo, Moonta, Port Hughes, Moonta Bay and North Beach that cater for a wide range of recreational and sporting activities. The newly redeveloped Copper Coast Sport & Leisure Centre, as a regional sporting venue, caters for indoor and ancillary pursuits.

The Victoria, Queen and Davies Town Squares of Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo respectively continue to provide an important open space, reflecting the civic pride of each town community.

Generous areas of foreshore reserve, with their sandy beaches and safe swimming are set-aside at Port Hughes, Moonta Bay, Wallaroo and North Beach. The Port Hughes, Moonta Bay and Wallaroo jetties provide popular recreational fishing venues. Excellent boat launching facilities are provided at Port Hughes and Wallaroo, including a boat service pontoon, protective breakwater and extensive trailer parking.

Numerous active and passive cultural pursuits are supported by the region's many facilities, including libraries, galleries, performing arts, historical sites, local histories and museums. The Ascot Theatre in Kadina provides a modern venue for live and cinematic theatre and Art and Community Gallery display facilities have been developed in the former public library to provide a permanent home for the Kernewek Lowender Art Collection.

The Biennial Kernewek Lowender Festival of Cornish heritage is recognised as one of South Australia's leading cultural events.

The Farm Shed Museum and Tourism Centre at Kadina provides excellent visitor information services, supporting the Region's tourism aspirations. The National Trust run tourist office in Moonta is another good spot to stop for information and souvenirs.

The Copper Coast is fast emerging as a special place in which to live, conduct business and visit. Enjoying a Mediterranean 'just right' mild climate, the districts population, both permanent and visitors, continues to grow as people seek to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle and the regions many assets.