Welcome to the May 2026 edition of West Torrens Business Leaders' News.

Inside you will find update on programs, local events and initiatives that connect people and opportunities across our city.

We have packed this edition with practical news and support for local businesses, so please feel free to share it with a colleague and invite them to subscribe. For more tools and local business support visit our Help for Business website page.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. We look forward to celebrating your achievements and working alongside you!

The City of West Torrens in partnership with Be Well Co and supported by the Office for Small & Family Business and the Government of South Australia, invites small businesses leaders and staff to an exclusive and free stress management workshop.

In this practical 2-hour session, you will learn what stress is, when it can be helpful or unhelpful, and simple strategies to manage pressure at work. Running a small business brings constant demands, from finances, customer needs to problem-solving and competing priorities. With the rising costs and ongoing global uncertainty, taking time to build stress management skills can make a real difference.

Stress Management Workshop - Event Details

Date & Time: Wednesday 20 May 11.30 AM - 2.00 PM

Location: City of West Torrens Civic Centre, George Robertson Room.

Please check-in at the Customer Centre on the ground floor.

Address: 165 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Hilton

Parking: Available at the West Torrens Library car park, or VIA off-street parking nearby.

Catering: A light lunch, coffee and tea will be provided during the workshop. Please bring your water bottle and coffee cup.

Would you be interested in attending?

You can sign up via this link or simply contact the City of West Torrens by email to malves@wtcc.sa.gov.au

If you are unable to attend this workshop, Be Well Co is delivering a webinar on Wednesday 6 May at 9.30 AM. To attend the webinar, register here.

Want to feel more confident about tax, superannuation and day-to-day basics of running a small business?

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) offers "Essentials to strengthen your small business", a free online learning platform with more than 30 short courses on practical topics like record keeping, cash flow, deductions, GST and superannuation.

To support business owners ahead of end of financial year, the ATO is also running a free Masterclass series across May and June 2026 with the option to submit questions when you register.

Upcoming sessions:

• Essentials to strengthen your small business: How to set yourself up for success – 12 May
• Starting a small business – 19 May
• 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

Register for the free session "How to set yourself up for success" on 12 May here.

For more information and contacts please visit ATO website.

The City of West Torrens is offering the Life Beyond Work workshop to our community. This session is ideal for people who are approaching, or who have recently entered retirement. Local businesses may also wish to consider the workshop as a professional development opportunity for employees at this stage of life. We are please to offer residents and people who work in West Torrens a reduced rate of $135.00 per person, valued at $195.00.

Life Beyond Work Workshop- Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Time: 2.00 PM - 5.00 PM

Location: West Torrens Library, Hilton

Parking: West Torrens Library car park and off-street parking.

Cost: $135.00 per person (valued at $195.00). Reduced price is strictly for West Torrens residents and workers.

Would you be interested in attending?

You can sign up via the City of West Torrens website or via event registrations or simply contact the City of West Torrens by email to info@wtcc.sa.gov.au

Had it with influencers, dubious advice and marketing hype? Mindarma’s expert-curated Brain Food platform providing a welcome alternative, featuring hundreds of trusted resources to help nourish your mind.

Developed by leaders in workplace mental health, Brain Food platform is free to access for all South Australian owners and employees of small and family businesses. Simply landing on the Brain Food home page brings an immediate sense of calm. Free from pop-ups or sales prompts, the beautifully designed platform features breathtaking Australian aerial landscapes, calming colours and vintage illustrations.

Explore a variety of guided mindfulness audio exercises. Try a short, simple introductory practise, discover how to offer self-compassion or play tracks designed to support deep relaxation and sleep. Voiced in the soothing Irish tones of Mindarma principal psychologist Dr Sadhbh Joyce, all exercises are suitable for regular meditators or absolute beginners.

On Brain Food you will discover quotes, articles, reading recommendations, videos, podcasts and research across topics like sleep, nutrition and financial wellbeing.

Thanks to the South Australia government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Program, every small and family business now has access to this comprehensive resource platform as well as Mindarma’s full schedule of webinar events. Delivered in association with the Black Dog Institute, these events feature practical expert insights from some of Australia’s leading clinicians and researchers. Register for upcoming events or watch past events on the Brain Food platform.

Want to bring Brain Food to your workplace? Contact info@mindarma.com to request a digital promo pack featuring posters, web banners and social posts.

The City of West Torrens is supporting small businesses to reduce single-use plastic by upgrading to more sustainable milk dispensing options.

A limited number of rebates are available to help eligible beverage and food businesses install "milk on tap" systems. These systems use large, refillable and reusable milk kegs, which can significantly reduce the need for single use plastic milk bottles.

This program is designed to support businesses to adopt more circular-economy practices and help reduce plastic waste across the city.

Rebates of up to $500 per installation are available and are paid on a reimbursement basis. If this is for you, don't miss out! Visit the City of West Torrens website now and read the Milk on Tap Rebate Guidelines.

Planning an exhibition for SALA Festival 2026 in West Torrens? The City of West Torrens is offering a limited exhibition registration subsidy to help local artists and venues take part. This initiative acknowledges the important role that artists and venues play in the cultural life of the council area.

Eligible applicants can access subsidies of:

• Up to $185 for a solo exhibition (to 6 May 2026)
• Up to $250 for a group exhibition

Subsidies are available for artists exhibiting at a venue in the City of West Torrens and apply to SALA Festival 2026 registration costs only. Places are limited and are assessed in order of application received.

More details and the application information are available on City of West Torrens website.

You can register your exhibition with SALA here: SALA registration resources.

If you are looking for the latest programs or grants, Grants Guru can help you cut through the noise. It is a grants search tool that lets you filter opportunities to what's relevant, save favourites and set up alerts so you are notified when new grants open (including government and other funding sources).

For West Torrens businesses, it is a simple way to stay across what is available, without spending hours trawling multiple websites. Plan ahead and put forward well-prepared grant applications by registering with GrantGuru.

The Western Adelaide Jobs Expo 2026 was held on 25 March 2026 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, bringing job seekers and employers together for practical conversations and real opportunities.

With 140 exhibitors, the expo showcased local employers, training providers and employment services, alongside workshops on contemporary topics including AI and automation.

First launched in 2022, the event continues to grow each year. In 2026 the City of West Torrens join the team, and the main arena was filled!

Thank you to our sponsors, exhibitors, recruiters, job seekers, volunteers and event team for making the expo such a success.

Check out City of West Torrens LinkedIn page for Western Adelaide Jobs Expo highlights.

This event is delivered in partnership with the City of Charles Sturt, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of West Torrens, and Workforce Australia Local Jobs – Adelaide North.

From 1 January 2026, South Australian legislation came in effect requiring certain businesses and facilities to have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on site. Penalties of up to $20,000 may apply for non-compliance.

If you are an owner or operator of an in-scope premise, you may need to:

• Install and maintain an automated defibrillator (AED).
• Display appropriate AED signage so people can quickly locate the device in an emergency.
• Register AED on the South Australian AED Register within 2 weeks of installation via SA Ambulance Service.

No sure whether your premises need an AED?

SA Health website provides guidance on which buildings and facilities are covered and what you need to do.

Choosing an AED for your business.

Find more information about the different AED available on SA Health website.

Council has recently endorsed a new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, designed to help make our places and spaces welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for all.

Two rounds of consultation helped shape the plan, which details future actions to make our buildings and outdoor places more usable, information more accessible, and make it easier for people to join in activities and contribute to council decisions, regardless of ability.

Council’s Disability Inclusion Advisory Group played a key role in contributing to the plan and encouraged input from people with disability in our community and their families and supporters during consultation.

‘Disability comes in many different ways and forms; it affects people in many different ways, and it affects the community as a whole. This plan is a guide to make spaces, services and communication more accessible for people with disabilities and make it more welcoming for everybody.’ - Bexta Noonan, West Torrens Disability Inclusion Advisory Group member.

To learn more about the plan or chat about how your business can be inclusive and accessible, contact our Access and Inclusion Officer Jordana on 8416 6377, email jwilks@wtcc.sa.gov.au or visit our website at Disability access and inclusion City of West Torrens

We are pleased to share that Discovery Parks at West Beach Parks has been awarded Best Caravan and Holiday Park at the 2025 Tourism Industry Council SA (TiCSA) South Australian Tourism Awards, earning a place in the Hall of Fame following 3 consecutive years of recognition in this category.

This milestone caps off a standout period for the broader West Beach Parks organisation, with recognition across tourism, safety and sustainability. The latest award builds on a series of recent recognitions, including:

• Best Continuous Improvement of a WHS Management System – 2025 National Safety Awards of Excellence.
• Club, Venue or Facility of the Year – On Course for The Pat GC – Golf South Australia Awards of Excellence.
• Most Outstanding Environmental Initiative for The Pat GC – 2025 Golf Australia National Awards.

This recognition reflects on a continued commitment to safety, sustainability, customer experience and innovation across all areas of West Beach Parks operations. These achievements belong to the team, whose passion, professionalism and dedication underpin everything they do and continue to elevate the standard of the business every day.