Tailem Bend’s population may boom to 5000 or more, council predicts

Locals support locals – that’s why this recent post is now free to read. Your support can help Murray Bridge News tell important local stories. Subscribe today.

Tailem Bend is poised for a population boom like it has never seen before, the Coorong council predicts.

As Greater Adelaide prepares for growth over the next 30 years, the state government has earmarked several regional centres for their potential, including Murray Bridge.

But don’t sleep on Tailem, either, community and corporate director Myles Somers said in a report to the council’s most recent meeting.

There was a “high likelihood” that the town would experience “very strong” growth to more than three times its current population of 1700.

Locals support locals. Your support helps Murray Bridge News tell important local stories.

“In considering … projections for an additional 10,000 homes in Murray Bridge over the (next) 30 years, council now considers a high-growth target as a very likely outcome for Tailem Bend,” he said.

“Under this scenario, population growth over 30 years results in the town growing to 5630.”

That would mean building more than 1700 new homes at Tailem, almost tripling the size of the town.

Given how much land was available to the east, though, Mr Somers said – chiefly north of Kulde Road, out to Gardner Road – growth would be achievable in an orderly, economic and environmentally sustainable manner.

A higher population would benefit agricultural businesses who were crying out for workers, as well as the council itself, which needed to raise more rate revenue to maintain its road network.

At their October meeting, councillors agreed that Tailem Bend and Wellington East deserved to be included in the Greater Adelaide plan because they were within commuting distance of the city, and would feed into Murray Bridge and Mount Barker.

Previously – in its 2022 growth plan – the council had indicated that such rapid population growth would only be possible if a new industry or major employer set up in the district.

• More information about the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, have your say: Visit yoursay.sa.gov.au/greater-adelaide-discussion-paper and fill in the survey, or drop a pin on the interactive map, before 5pm on November 6. Alternatively, you can fill in an online form at plan.sa.gov.au or email plansasubmissions@sa.gov.au with the subject line “Greater Adelaide regional plan discussion paper”.
• More information about the Coorong growth strategy: www.coorong.sa.gov.au.