Suitability Assessment

A Curated Community

The vision for Tonsley Innovation District is to be a place that creates high-value jobs by collocating world class research and education institutions and a related variety of innovative businesses alongside vibrant, modern residential living and retail space.

Encouraging business-to-business and business-to-research collaboration through clustering activity from businesses with a shared industry focus in fields where South Australia has a comparative advantage is also critical to Tonsley’s vision. Tonsley’s industry attraction efforts are focused on high-value manufacturing businesses across four key focus sectors:

Tonsley's Suitability Assessment

Tonsley has a business suitability policy that reflects Tonsley’s economic development objectives. Businesses interested in locating at Tonsley must be able to demonstrate that they are aligned with the project’s overarching objectives, but the policy is not punitively restrictive to exclude certain industries.

This provides a mechanism for ensuring that the Tonsley business community remains aligned with the district’s overall vision and strategic objectives, helping to maximise the site’s synergies and collaboration potential.

Investors considering Tonsley are required to meet the following Suitability Assessment criteria. To be suitable, the primary purpose of a company’s business activity must either:

fall within the realm of high-value manufacturing (from any industry)
be primarily associated with high-value manufacturing
fall within the realm of any of Tonsley’s four focus sectors
be primarily associated with any of the four focus sectors.

A Definition of High-Value Manufacturing

Manufacturing firms turn ideas into products and services. High-value manufacturing refers to firms creating a competitive edge through the application of leading edge technical knowledge, expertise and innovation. It includes the entire chain of activities from research through to design, development, distribution, implementation, operations and maintenance.

These firms create and capture value through:

the application of new technology
new business models
design and branding
solutions-based manufacturing
globally networked and servicing global markets and supply chains
being differentiated by things other than cost.

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Exemptions from Suitability Criteria

Tonsley is a mixed-use redevelopment. Residential and retail land use are important elements that support the functions of an innovation district through increased amenity and activation of the site.

The Suitability Assessment applies to “use-sensitive land or buildings”, being those where control of land use is required to achieve Tonsley’s vision.

Examples of use-sensitive buildings would be industrial, commercial, education or research office, workshop or storage facilities.

Some uses at Tonsley are non use-sensitive and the Suitability Assessment will not apply. Examples of uses that are not use-sensitive include retail (including cafés, restaurants and the like), residential dwellings or business services that support the efficient operation of day to day commercial activities within the district.

Where a business use is considered to support the operation of Tonsley Innovation District through increased amenity or activation or is able to demonstrate it provides a desirable service or function to the site as a whole, it may also be considered suitable.

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