Mount Barker is growing faster than expected with an extra 1,779 residents moving in 2024 and over 7,000 new residents over the next five years.
This year’s updated population projections by Council reveals Mount Barker’s total population will be 44,772 by the end of this year and up to 50,175 by the end of 2028.
The Adelaide Hills town is quickly superseding Mount Gambier as South Australia’s second biggest city after Adelaide. The estimated resident population for the City of Mount Gambier in 2022 was 27,749.
Mayor David Leach said looking further ahead and Mount Barker is not yet even a third of the way into its long-term projected growth.
“We’re expecting a significant amount of people to keep steadily coming in. It will taper off towards the end but at the moment we’re looking at an extra 40,000 people coming to Mount Barker in the next 20 or 30 years,” Mayor David Leach told ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman this morning.
The news comes as one of the state’s biggest developers has announced the release of its latest precinct – Frederick Park. Property developer Peet has unveiled plans for 200 lots set to be added to Bluestone Estate along Wellington Rd by the middle of the year.
Mayor Leach said with so much growth, the town is in need of some more infrastructure support and he will be advocating for the reversal of a Federal Government decision last year to withdraw $200M in funding for a major upgrade to Adelaide Road and arterial roads, as well as the installation of an interchange.
“I’m going to go to Canberra with a couple of senior Council staff, we’re going to see the Minister and we’re going to have a quiet chat about the fact that it just needs to be done, with the increasing population it is only going to get worse and we’re going to need that interchange and those arterial roads fixed now,” Mayor Leach said this morning.
Hear more from Mayor David Leach, speaking to ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman via the audio play window below:
