Learn

Learn

The District takes in some our South Australia’s most productive farmland, natural landscapes, clean air and abundant water. From the Onkaparinga River in the west to the Bremer River to the east, the landscape ranges from the lush pastures of Meadows, through the thriving urban centre of Mount Barker to the gum-studded paddocks of Harrogate. In between, you’ll find orchards, market gardens, crops, livestock, vineyards and natural bushland reserves, all in an area larger than the Adelaide Plains.

A sensational, sustainable future

• We’re ensuring our productive rural land remains available for agriculture and associated activities, enhancing primary production and creating green-collar jobs.
• Further fragmentation of farmland will be prevented, adequate buffers between farming activity and other land uses are being maintained and biodiversity corridors and reserves will all help preserve our region’s precious rural character.
• The food, wine and tourism regions including and surrounding Mount Barker are already world-renowned, and a bid to have the Mount Lofty Ranges recognised by UNESCO as an area of global significance will enhance that reputation significantly.
• Treated water from the region is supplied for agriculture, industry and public parks. We have the largest council wastewater treatment plant and recycled water scheme in South Australia – a state that is globally recognised for leadership in water resource innovation. 

We’re developing a variety of strategies to ensure Mount Barker’s future growth is sustainable, preserving and strengthening the environment that makes our region so special.

We’re working on an Environment Strategy to guide us over the next five years. The Strategy is our map to becoming a sustainable district, one that is low-carbon and resilient, biodiverse, liveable, water wise and resource efficient.

Our Rural DPA promises new opportunities that support and enhance our rich cultural landscape, through opening up the possibility of more on-farm activities, including processing, farm-gate sales, tourist accommodation and farm experiences. Small scale and home-based industries centred on farming, heritage and arts and crafts can expand the scope of our rural sector while preserving its essence.

The food, wine and tourism regions including and surrounding Mount Barker are already world-renowned, and a bid to have the Mount Lofty Ranges recognised by UNESCO as an area of global significance would enhance that reputation significantly.

A 120-megalitre reclaimed water storage dam meets around one-fifth of the district’s demand for recycled water, and we’re seeking new ways to capture and harvest stormwater, bringing economic and environmental benefits.