City of Charles Sturt Business Recognition Awards Night

The City of Charles Sturt recently celebrated the achievements of our local business community at the biennial Business Recognition Awards at Woodville Town Hall. The event brought together 275 attendees and recognised 41 winners, alongside many outstanding finalists from across our city.

The awards highlighted the diverse businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals helping shape our local economy - recognising leadership, innovation, sustainability, community impact and business excellence across a wide range of industries. From emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses to long-standing local organisations, the evening showcased the strength and depth of our business community.

Hosted by Mike Smithson and featuring local businesses throughout the evening, the event showcased the diversity, innovation and strength of our business sector. We extend our thanks to our sponsors, judging panel, and everyone who contributed to making the evening such a success.

Congratulations to all nominees, finalists, winners and our Business Legends - recognising organisations that have been operating within the City of Charles Sturt for more than 25 years. Their ongoing contribution continues to shape and strengthen our local economy.

Award winners and business profiles are featured below.

Digital Marketing in 2026 Recap

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our latest Western Business Leaders Brunch & Learn workshop. We had a full house of local business owners and marketing leads gathered at Jarmer's Kitchen for a practical session with Ryan Jones from Refuel Creative, exploring what’s really working across search, social and content, and where AI can support the process.

Some key themes from the session included:

• Cutting through the noise and focusing on what actually delivers value
• Using AI as a tool to support strategy, not replace it
• Understanding how customer behaviours and digital platforms continue to evolve
• Building smarter, more integrated marketing approaches

A big thank you to Ryan for sharing practical insights grounded in real-world experience and to everyone who attended for some midday networking!
We love seeing local businesses investing in learning, growth and staying ahead of the curve

Check out some of the event highlights from the day below. 

Women in the West Workshop Recap

The vibe at the Healthy Living Precinct was electric earlier this month for our Women in the West - Build your Connections and Visibility workshop. As the last workshop format in our Elevate Series, the connection and take-aways weren't in short supply! 

Thank you to Amy Springhall, founder of The Visibility Project, for delivering a highly practical and energising workshop for women in business. 

The City of Charles Sturt acknowledges the South Australian Government’s Office for Small and Family Business for their support through the Connecting Women in Business grant to make this event possible.

Check out some of the event highlights from the evening below. 

City of Charles Sturt Business Directory

Get your business listed for free! We are very excited to announce we are launching our local business directory. 

Are you a City of Charles Sturt business? Make it easier for customers, visitors and other local businesses to find you by registering for our free online Business Directory.

The directory showcases local businesses across the city and helps promote shopping local, collaboration and connection within our business community. It’s quick to register, easy to update, and completely free.

If you are a home-based business, we have added a new field (private address) which doesn't display your home address but ensures your eligibility.

Register your business below to feature in our business directory launch.

NDIS Networking Event Recap

Thank you to those who attended our Western Business Leaders - NDIS Networking Event last month.

Thank you to all of the NDIS industry professionals who joined us at the Healthy Living Precinct to hear about market changes, gaps, and updates within the NDIS landscape, connect with like-minded businesses, and understand how council can facilitate partnerships and future collaborations.

Thank you to our presentation speaker, Sharon Floyd of Engels Floyd Quality Consulting, for her industry update.

Check out some of the event highlights from the evening below. 

Western Adelaide Jobs Expo 2026

Recap the excitement and energy from the 2026 Western Adelaide Jobs Expo held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: 

• Gold Sponsor: TAPS - Trainee and Apprentice Placement Service
• Silver Sponsors: BAE Systems Australia and ASC
• Bronze Sponsors: Adelaide Economic Development Agency, ADF Careers, Alliance College, CITC - Construction Industry Training Centre, StudyAdelaide, and VIVA Mutual.

The expo is a partnership between the City of Charles Sturt, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of West Torrens, and Workforce Australia Local Jobs - Adelaide North.

Enrol to Vote - Local Government Elections

Are you a body corporate (Sole Owner or Sole Occupier (tenant)) or a group of property owners or occupiers (tenants)? 

If so, you may be eligible to enrol, nominate and vote in the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections. 

Enrolment for the Council’s Supplementary Roll closes 5pm, 31 July 2026.

Visit the link below for more information and to check your eligibility. 

Henley Beach Business Association Survey

The Henley Beach Business Association (HBBA) is an independent incorporated business association, and its role is to strengthen business visibility, encourage visitation, and foster connection and a greater sense of community across Henley Beach. 

HBBA is developing its strategy for the next 2–3 years. The strategy will be simple and practical, shaped by your input and guided by the three priorities from its Constitution: Business, Visitation and Community.

HBBA invite all Henley Beach businesses to complete a short survey (3-4 minutes) to understand 
-    What matters most to local businesses and organisations? 
-    What would help strengthen the Henley Beach business community? 
-    Ways HBBA can assume a valuable and inclusive role.

If you are a Henley Beach registered business or organisation, the HBBA are keen to hear from you. Responses will be confidential and fed into the strategy by the Strategy Subcommittee. The survey closes on 12 June.

Beverley Employment Precinct: business engagement to drive revitalisation

The City of Charles Sturt is undertaking targeted engagement with businesses and landowners in the Beverley Employment Precinct to support revitalisation, regeneration and future employment growth.

The project will consolidate Council’s understanding of existing and potential industrial and employment land uses, infrastructure capacity and the current business mix across the precinct. Engagement with local stakeholders will help identify development constraints, investment opportunities and the types of support needed to encourage renewal and economic growth.

Key focus areas include infrastructure and access requirements, opportunities for investment attraction, promotion of vacancies and new projects, and workforce needs — with connections to initiatives such as the Western Adelaide Jobs Expo and Workforce Australia Local Jobs Adelaide North.

This work reinforces Council’s commitment to supporting strong local employment precincts and partnering with business to shape practical, place-based solutions that drive long-term economic outcomes for Western Adelaide.

Develop, buy or lease in the West

Commercial property including office, retail, industrial and development sites can be found by searching on the following sites:

Commercial Real Estate and Property For Sale and Lease in Australia
Commercial Real Estate & Commercial Property For Sale and For Lease

If you are seeking a space within Charles Sturt, get in touch with our team, as we would love to assist you.

Women in the West Summit 2026

Join us for our final installment in our Women in the West Elevate Series to increase the confidence, capabilities, and visibility of local women in business.
Please come along and be inspired to take action and leverage connections.

Morning tea catering to be provided on arrival. Our Summit will feature cabaret style seating arrangements and plenty of time for networking to build your networks! 

The City of Charles Sturt acknowledges the South Australian Government’s Office for Small and Family Business for their support through the Connecting Women in Business grant to make this event possible. This event is open to all women in business, based anywhere in South Australia.

When: Thursday 18 June, 9am-12pm
Where: Jackson Square, 57 Manton Street, Hindmarsh, 5007

Back of the Napkin Lunch Full of Business Opportunities - Western Adelaide

Cohosted by The Circle, South Australia’s leading First Nations Entrepreneur Hub, plus Workforce BluePrint.

Speakers on what is needed for contractors, projects, developments and suppliers. 

With more than 475 First Nations businesses and contractors across metropolitan and regional South Australia, The Circle plays a critical role in connecting capability to opportunity.

Businesses are central to the conversation, listening to how councils, government agencies, major projects and the broader business community engage, procure and partner. The event is grounded in real business opportunities, building trusted relationships and practical pathways to contracts, collaboration and long-term growth.

MC’d by Wendy Perry, MD @ Workforce BluePrint with Reverse Pitches, First Nations Enterprises and Business Opportunities for All - everyone is welcome with lunch provided.

When: Friday 19 June, 12pm-2pm
Where: Links Hotel, 346 Tapleys Hill Road, Seaton, 5023

What's On in Our City: 
Coastal Sounds Festival

Coastal Sounds returns to our coast this June Long Weekend and it's going to be bigger than ever.

Partnering with City of Port Adelaide Enfield you can discover 13km of music, art and dance along the foreshore in West Beach, Henley Beach, Grange and Semaphore. We’re also partnering with local businesses along the way so make sure you stop by to see what’s on offer. 

This event is with thanks to Revive Live - an Australian Government initiative.

When: Sunday 7 June 2026 (June Long Weekend), 10am – Late
Where: West Beach, Henley Beach, Grange & Semaphore

Make sure you follow the event to get the latest updates.

ATO Masterclasses

The ATO is hosting a free Masterclass series to help you understand the essentials of running a successful business.

• Record keeping – 29 May
• Cash flow for small business success – 2 June
• Tax time essentials: Claiming deductions for your home-based business – 9 June
• Tax time essentials: Claiming small business tax deductions – 16 June
• Tax time essentials: How to successfully report, pay & lodge correctly – 23 June

Entrepreneur's Organisation Participant Update

Two local businesses supported through our High Growth Stream recently participated in Accelerator Day with EO Adelaide as part of our Business Support Program partnership.

Pavi Nuthakki from Pro Connect Support Coordination Services and Cheryl Drury from First Step Solutions joined fellow business leaders for a day focused on growth, leadership, and business development. We’re proud to support local businesses accessing opportunities like these through our ongoing partnership with EO Adelaide and look forward to sharing more from their journey soon.

A New Kind of Allied Health Collective Takes Shape in Bowden

Physiotherapist Juliana Portolesi has been quietly building something special at 54 Gibson Street, Bowden. What began in 2020 as a physiotherapy practice and yoga studio has grown into something Juliana describes as a community as much as a clinic. The yoga studio became a place where people returned week after week — not just for classes, but for connection, belonging, and support through whatever life brought their way.

Now, as the yoga studio evolves into a small number of private consulting and treatment rooms, Juliana is inviting a handful of practitioners to join the next chapter of the space.

The vision is intentionally unhurried, centred on depth of care rather than volume of appointments. Juliana is seeking practitioners looking for a professional home base, not simply somewhere to see clients one day a week. A dietitian and remedial massage therapist are particularly sought after as natural complements to the physiotherapy services already at the heart of the practice, while one larger room may also suit an exercise physiologist working in a quiet, 1:1 consult-based model.

The light-filled rooms have been thoughtfully designed to feel calm and professional rather than clinical, with shared spaces that encourage connection between practitioners and support a welcoming experience for clients.

Rooms will be available soon, with only a limited number of positions offered. Expressions of interest are now open for practitioners who share the values of the space and are looking for somewhere that genuinely feels like a professional home.

Expressions of interest are now open below. 

Linlin Interiors

Local City of Charles Sturt interior designer, Lin Wang of Linlin Interiors, has brought her signature boutique hospitality style to a new restaurant opening soon in West Lakes. Lin is a recent Business Support Program grant recipient and regularly attends our Western Business Leaders events. 

The upcoming venue, Ruh, will feature Mediterranean cuisine including kebabs, couscous and more, alongside stunning lakefront views and a thoughtfully designed interior experience. We look forward to showcasing the new restaurant in next month’s newsletter.

Creating a thriving Western Adelaide is dependent on a resilient business community. Grants are a great way to fund your projects but they open, close and change regularly. Stay up to date by signing up to Grant Guru, our grant finding service so you don't miss out on future funding.

AI Program to support small and family businesses

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping how businesses operate, from saving time to improving accuracy and customer service.

The AI Capability Pilot Program is designed to help small and family businesses (with less than 20 FTEs) understand, adopt and use AI safely and effectively in their day-to-day operations.

Delivered by simplefy.ai, the program provides practical, cost-effective and tailored support to help businesses overcome common barriers to AI adoption, including time, cost and capability.

Participating businesses will receive nine hours of tailored support, including a hands-on group session and one-on-one coaching, plus six months’ access to ongoing support through an online participant platform.

The program focuses on building real capability, helping businesses identify where AI can add value, apply governance and cyber basics and develop confidence to use AI tools ethically and responsibly.

Learn more about the program options and how to apply below.

Energy and Climate Change Assessment Grants

If you run your business from home in the City of Charles Sturt, our Energy and Climate Change Assessment Grants are a great opportunity to better understand your home’s energy performance and uncover ways to make your space more comfortable and cost-effective.

The grant funds a Home Energy Scorecard Assessment, where an accredited assessor visits your home, reviews your building and appliances. They will provide a personalised star rating and report, and talk you through tailored recommendations, rebates and incentives you may be eligible for. You will also receive an energy bill audit to help identify simple ways to reduce your household running costs.

Find out more and check your eligibility below.

You can search for current open tenders on the SA Tenders and Contracts website, which is commonly used for public tendering for major purchases of goods, services and works.

Chief Street Integrated Streetscape Upgrade, the Tender Code is CCS058759 and can be found using the following link: Display Tender CCS058759
This tender closes 30 June. 

Tapleys Hill Road Streetscape Upgrade, the Tender Code is CCS058651 and can be found using the following link: Display Tender CCS058651
This tender closes 2 June. 

You can also register with SA Tenders and Contracts to receive notification of the latest upcoming public tenders and contract opportunities via the link below.

If you have business news, a story to share, would like to contribute information or have questions about anything featured in this newsletter, please get in touch.

If you know other businesses who would benefit from this information, please share this email with them and encourage them to be part of our Western Business Leaders. 

Don't forget to follow our dedicated Business Facebook page for all the latest stories as they happen.