You will find detailed below a quick outline of the Murraylands and Riverland Region.

The Murraylands & Riverland is an area of 36,720 square kilometres in the central eastern part of South Australia covering the River Murray and adjacent Murray Mallee to the Victorian   border. The region’s economy is dominated by primary production (broadacre grains, livestock, horticulture, fruit, nuts and wine grapes) and both production and revenue from these industries and the secondary industries that depend on them are closely tied to climatic conditions. Tourism has traditionally provided an important second source of revenue to the region, and reduced water availability and climate change have re-emphasised the need for diversity within the economy.

Most of the townships in the region are small, with Murray Bridge (50 minutes from Adelaide) the largest regional centre. Until recently, regional economic development in the two sub-regions (Murraylands – incorporating the Murray River south of Morgan and the Mallee hinterland to the Victorian border; and Riverland – the River Murray between the border and Morgan) was managed independently under two separate Regional Development Boards. With the introduction of RDAs, these two regions were amalgamated, but there remain significant social, economic and environmental differences between the two regions, and the process of developing a single overarching Road Map is part of the gradual unification of the two sub-regions.

The current population of the region is estimated at 69,543 (37,120 in the Murraylands and 33,165 in the Riverland ) and is expected to grow as a result of projected population growth in South Australia. The Murray Bridge area will be the major beneficiary of this growth (30,000 new residents) and planning is currently underway to ensure built and social infrastructure keeps pace with population. Communities within the region are also keen to capitalise on population growth, and strategies are in place to attract ‘tree-changers’ to both riverside and dryland townships.
 

The region has benefited from skilled migration, and local communities have been welcoming of different cultures with Chinese, Afghan, Uzbek, Bhutanese and Sudanese communities now well established, and both Murraylands and Riverland regions are positioning as a preferred region for inward migration of refugees and skilled migrants.

The environmental condition of the region has improved as a result of salt management and interception, delivering improved water quality in the River Murray and reduced the loss of agricultural land to salinity; other significant environmental activities include improved broadacre soil retention and better understanding and management of the social, economic and environmental value of wetlands and lagoons. Water trading has resulted in the sale of water entitlements from horticultural production, changing land use and contributing to a culture of efficiency and innovation. Masterplanning approaches to natural resources management will continue to develop the culture of sustainability that is evident across the region.