• SA-based Utopia Care wins international award
• Santos oil project on ice
• Southern Angels hits investment milestone
• Arts Minister announces latest round of arts grants
• CH4 partners with Mitsubishi
• Applications for Regional Event Fund opens
• Langhorne Creek vineyards hit the market
• Oversize heavy vehicle movement made easier
• New course for builders to retain apprentices
• UAE partnership to unlock opportunity
• Australia’s digital wellbeing ranked 37th in the world
• Fringe pens partnership with NRMA

SA-based Utopia Care wins international award

NDIS provider Utopia Care won the Most Outstanding Provider of Personalised Support in the Disability Sector at the 2025 International Enablement Awards in London.

Founder Tony Smith said he was proud of the international award, which recognised the commitment of his staff to make the lives of people living with disability fulfilling.

“Our team works exceptionally hard, every day, to make sure that we serve our clients and support them to live their best lives,” Smith said.

“Our clients are at the heart of everything we do – we’re there to make their lives easier and to give them peace of mind that we can support them when and where they need it.

“On behalf of our clients, their families and their guardians, we have accepted this award and we will continue to put them first and foremost.”

Santos oil project on ice

A West Australian oil project being spearheaded by Adelaide’s top company has been deferred, with Santos’ joint venture partner Carnarvon breaking the news.

Carnarvon told shareholders that Santos had decided not to purchase a storage boat nor enter Front End Engineering and Design at this stage.

As such, the previous 2025 target for a final investment decision in the Dorado offshore oil project has been pushed.

“Given the quality of the Dorado project, we at Carnarvon are disappointed by this latest deferral to the project,” Carnarvon CEO Philip Hulzenga said.

“Carnarvon is fully supportive of the joint venture’s desires to realise value for the asset and will support any initiatives for drilling as soon as possible.”

Santos announced this week that it generated US$1.4 billion in sales revenue during the fourth quarter, and US$5.4 billion for the full year.

CEO Kevin Gallagher said the company’s operational focus for 2025 would be to deliver the Barossa and Pikka projects.

“While our focus remains on delivering Barossa and Pikka, which will set us up with strong, stable long-term production, Santos has a suite of high-quality development options for the future, including Dorado and the Bedout Basin, Narrabri, the Beetaloo Basin, PNG and Alaska’s North Slope,” Gallagher said.

“These options will be progressed in accordance with our disciplined capital allocation framework, at the right time to backfill and expand production, and in a way that delivers maximum value for shareholders.”

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Southern Angels hits investment milestone

Adelaide-based startup investment group Southern Angels has surpassed $10 million in investments.

The investments in early-stage companies has gone to 33 entities since Southern Angels was founded.

Outgoing chair David Saint – to be replaced by Ryan Williams – said he was “intensely proud by what the group has achieved over the past seven years”.

“With everyone’s help and enthusiasm, we have grown to 50 members and invested more than $10 million directly into dozens of early-stage tech startups.”

South Australian Grain Industry Awards, an inaugural gala dinner event hosted by Grain Producers SA to spotlight the grain sector, at Adelaide Oval on February 4.

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Arts Minister announces latest round of art grants

Arts Minister Andrea Michaels MP has announced the latest round of arts grants, with almost $1.6 million going to 56 projects across the state.

Michaels said that 30 per cent of grants would go to regional artists, including a major commission grant of $100,000 to Mimili Maku Arts in the APY Lands for its Melting Point project and exhibition.

In addition, $15,000 will go to the Part of Things coworking space in Barmera, $3395 to writer Alysha Herrmann in Mount Gambier, $16,000 to illustrator Andrew Joyner in Strathalbyn, $14,200 to artist and musician Jason Sweeney in Meningie, $50,000 to textile artist Kasia Tons in Lenswood, $3500 to artist Zoe Freney in Ironbank, and $9130 to writers Rachael Mead and Heather Taylor Johnson in Basket Range.

“Regional communities deserve access to fantastic arts and cultural experiences just as much as those in the city and we will continue to support artists to bring to life new projects for all South Australians to enjoy,” said Michaels.

CH4 partners with Mitsubishi

South Australian enviro-tech CH4, which hopes to reduce livestock emissions through its feedstock product made out of dried Asparagopsis seaweed, has partnered with Mitsubishi to accelerate the adoption of its cattle feed supplement across Asia-Pacific markets.

The partnership will focus on expanding commercial sales of Methane Tamer in Australia and introducing the product to Japan.

The companies will also evaluate potential production sites in South East Asia, leveraging Mitsubishi’s regional expertise in the aquaculture and agricultural segments.

“This partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation marks another significant milestone in our mission to achieve gigaton-scale emissions reductions by 2035,” CH4 global co-founder and CEO Steve Meller said.

“Mitsubishi’s deep experience in agricultural products and services and strong presence across Asian markets makes them an ideal partner as we work to expand the reach of our innovative methane reduction solution.”

CH4 is opening its production facilities at the Louth Bay EcoPark north of Port Lincoln on Thursday.

Applications for Regional Event Fund open

A South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) managed fund is encouraging organisers of developing and established events across the state to apply for funding.

Applications opened on 23 January for developers of new and innovative regional events staged between 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026, and will close on 18 March 2025.

Event organisers can apply for up to three years’ funding to the value of $50,000 per year for an ‘Established Event’ and up to $20,000 per year for a ‘Development Event’.

For funding guidelines and to register for a SATC webinar visit www.torism.sa.gov.au/events/event-funding.

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Langhorne Creek vineyards hit the market

Privately-owned family business CMV Group is selling its Jim’s Block and Sid’s Run vineyards at Langhorne Creek with price expectations of $12 million.

CBRE agribusiness director Angus Bills said the listing was an opportunity to invest in well-established vineyards offering scale and consistent production volume.

“The scale and production capabilities of Langhorne Creek Vineyards make it an attractive option for investors looking to expand their portfolio or enter the industry at scale,” Bills said.

Expressions of interest close on 12 March 2025.

Oversize heavy vehicle movement made easier

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has worked with the state government to introduce three Oversize Overmass (OSOM) trial notices in South Australia, reducing the need for heavy vehicle operators to apply for permits on key routes.

South Australian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said he was pleased to see the changes come into effect after requesting the NHVR to reduce heavy vehicle access permits in South Australia.

“Streamlining heavy vehicle access will allow operators to travel more efficiently,” he said.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto OAM said the new notices will simplify processes for operators and enable larger and heavier movements of indivisible loads.

The trial will be assessed over the next 12 months, with future stages focusing on reviewing Performance-Based Standards combinations, livestock transport and tri-drive prime mover access.

New course for builders to retain apprentices

Master Builders SA has launched a new initiative for SA builders to ensure they have the skills to train and retain apprentices.

The free, four-part training program is called Maximising Apprentice Performance, and is aimed at providing building owners and managers the skills to keep apprentices on the right track.

“SA’s statistics are alarming, with nearly 55 per cent of apprentices who are directly employed in the field failing to complete their course, saying that they feel unsupported or unsure they’ve got what it takes,” MBA CEO Will Frogley said.

UAE partnership to unlock economic opportunity

Trade and Investment Minister Joe Szakacs is leading a delegation to capitalise on the recently signed Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), unlocking opportunities for South Australian businesses.

Since the return of direct, daily Emirates flights in October last year, local producers of premium perishables unlocked a total weekly direct air freight capacity of nearly 200 tonnes between South Australia and the UAE.

“While we’re buoyed by the recent expansion of air freight options direct into the Middle East, we know the job is far from over and we need to strike while the iron is hot,” said Szakacs.

The Minister’s delegation will attend key meetings in Dubai with Emirates, Leader Healthcare, and ClimaGulf.

It will continue to India, meeting with food and agriculture importers and officials from tech, space, and defence companies.

The latest ABS trade statistics reveal the UAE has overtaken Singapore as a destination for South Australian products, with total exports now worth $254 million to the South Australian economy each year.

Australia’s digital wellbeing ranked 37^th in the world

Surfshark’s Digital Quality of Life Index ranks 121 countries based on internet quality, affordability, e-security, e-infrastructure, and e-government.

Australia dropped by seven places since last year, with internet quality lagging at 59^th place.

Surfshark chief security officer Tomas Stamulis said the poor performance was due to low internet speeds, a consequence of the “limited infrastructure of the National Broadband Network”.

“The rollout of faster 5G networks has been slower than in other developed countries, further hindering Australia’s ability to compete in internet quality on a global scale,” Stamulis said.

Across the Index’s five pillars, Australia performed best in e-government, ranking higher than 91 per cent of the countries analysed.

The nation ranks 14^th in e-infrastructure, 20th in internet affordability, and 42nd in e-security. In the overall Index, Australia lags behind New Zealand (32nd) and the UK (9th).

Fringe pens partnership with NRMA

NRMA Insurance will be the presenting partner of the 2025 Adelaide Fringe and will match donations across the festival’s philanthropic avenues.

NRMA customers will also benefit and receive complimentary Fringe Memberships, including two-for-one tickets across participating shows, exclusive deals, offers throughout the year, early access, and more.

“We’re thrilled to have NRMA Insurance join us as a partner this year, supporting our community and helping us achieve our mission of becoming the most inclusive festival in the world,” Adelaide Fringe director and CEO Heather Croall said.

“Adelaide Fringe is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and the incredible energy that comes from bringing people together through the arts.”