Identifying Industrial Location and Site Preferences for Small Business: A South Australian Case Study

Abstract

This paper is based on a survey of 87 small to medium industrial land users which was undertaken in June 1997 to examine industrial property use and preferences within the Adelaide Statistical Division (ASD) of South Australia (SA). Adelaide, the state capital of South Australia has a metropolitan population of 1 million. The study was undertaken in response to a perceived mismatch by small business operators within the industrial land market between demand for and supply of industrial zoned land in Adelaide in terms of location, quality and site characteristics. The survey was undertaken across a cross section of small business land users in terms of location, tenancy and business type at a time when significant areas of industrial land within metropolitan Adelaide were being rezoned for residential and recreational purposes. Small business continues to be a major contributor to the SA economy but may be impeded in its development by uninformed planning decisions. This paper provides a focus on current characteristics and preferences of industrial property users in an attempt to better anticipate future demand for industrial space. The implications of the survey for decision making with respect to management of land and planning policy are explored