The Summit Precinct is designed to stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities, and position Mount Barker as a leading destination for leisure and entertainment in South Australia.

Spanning approximately 50 hectares, the precinct is designed to cater to both local and interstate visitors, enhancing the region's tourism and economic landscape and creating significant local employment.

The Summit Precinct is a public-private partnership aimed at creating a tourism, leisure, sport, and entertainment hub. It will feature both public and private developments, including recreation facilities, a tourist park, hotel, and hospitality venues. These will complement the Summit Sports and Recreation Park, Summit Aquatic and Leisure Centre, and planned features like a large adventure playground and walking trails. The 50-hectare precinct is located near Bald Hills Road, Springs Road, and the Golf Course.

The Summit Precinct offers a unique chance to attract major commercial investment in Mount Barker, boosting the economy, creating local jobs, and providing top-tier tourism and recreation facilities. Private sector support is essential for this investment. By partnering with Accord Property, the Council retains control through land ownership and legal agreements while giving the private sector enough flexibility to run the precinct efficiently. As one of SA’s fastest-growing areas, Mount Barker needs jobs and sustainable industries to support its growing population.

The land will stay in the ownership of the Council, with Accord operating under a long-term lease. This approach lets the Council keep ownership rights and control over what is developed on the land and in the Precinct.

The Summit Precinct vision has been in the works for a number of years. Council purchased land at Bald Hills and Springs Roads in four transactions since 2008 to create a regional tourism and sports hub. Detailed planning for the tourism and recreation part began in early 2023. After a national call for developers in mid-2023, Council entered into confidential negotiations, choosing Accord Property, a South Australian company, as the master developer for the site.

Accord Property has submitted a Development Application for a 120-room, four-star hotel on Springs Road, marking a key step in Council’s vision for a tourism and leisure hub at the Summit Precinct. Future plans include a $15 million wellness centre integrated into the hotel, enhancing visitor experiences and boosting tourism and the economy. If approved, this hotel would be the first of many planned tourism and leisure facilities aimed at making Mount Barker a top visitor destination and providing new community recreation options.

Council estimates the fully developed Summit Precinct will create 250 jobs and attract over 650,000 visitors in its first year, growing to over a million annually within a decade. Visitors will come for sporting events, recreation, holidays, conferences, and special events. With facilities like the Summit Sports and Recreation Park and Summit Aquatic and Leisure Centre, the Precinct aims to become a top destination for tourism, recreation, sport, and entertainment.

The site will also cater to more activities for families and the children and youth of our region through structured and unstructured recreation and leisure activities.  This is in response to a call from our community for more activities for our young people to engage with within our region.  We heard this through the survey results of our annual Community Scorecard, and it is also a key action arising from our Child and Youth Action Plan.

No, the Summit Precinct will have both commercial and community facilities. Public features include an adventure playground, an expanded Laratinga Wetland Trail, and a restored Mount Barker Creek corridor. Community facilities also include the Summit Sport & Recreation Park and Summit Aquatic & Leisure Centre, both of which will be further developed as demand and population grows.

The master plan for the Summit Precinct includes private sector opportunities like a hotel, tourist park accommodation, and indoor recreation activities. Public and community facilities include a Regional Adventure Playground, extended Laratinga Wetland Trail, rehabilitation of Mount Barker Creek, and the restoration and potential adaptive reuse of the three historic stone barns.

Accord Property submitted the most comprehensive and competitive proposal that aligned best with Council’s objectives. An independent panel reviewed all submissions and recommended Accord, which was then chosen by Council as the developer partner.

Council has previously shared its plans for the Summit Precinct through local media and its website. However, once the Expression of Interest (EOI) entered the assessment and negotiation phase, the need for confidentiality prevented further public updates to protect Council's commercial position. Now that legal negotiations are nearing completion and the hotel Development Application has been lodged, Council can provide more information on the Summit Precinct’s status.

Council will have legal agreements to regulate the land uses and activities within the Precinct, focusing on tourism, community, leisure, sports, and entertainment.

The privately developed parts of the Precinct won't have broad community consultation but will be assessed under the Planning and Design Code. Public consultation will be held for community aspects like future stages of the Summit Sports and Recreation Park, Summit Aquatic and Leisure Centre, the adventure playground, and Mount Barker Creek corridor rehabilitation.

The Precinct development will allow for a second oval and two additional soccer pitches, and the Summit Aquatic and Leisure Centre will have space for an outdoor 50m pool and indoor sports courts. The addition of accommodation and leisure activities will help attract regional, state, and national events to the area.

The heritage stone barns are a key feature of the Summit Precinct, connecting to our rural history and enhancing the area. Council is committed to preserving the barns and exploring options for their restoration and future use. The design of the proposed hotel is inspired by the barns, and other developments in the Precinct may follow a similar approach.

Mount Barker is one of Australia’s fastest-growing districts, located in a popular tourism region. Council aims to create a nationally recognised tourism destination, offering visitors a place to stay, play, and explore the Adelaide Hills. There is strong demand for diverse accommodation options to meet the growing needs of Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills.

The hotel is expected to start construction by late 2025 or early 2026 and be operational by 2028.

The final design of the hotel will be confirmed after the development application process, but some concept design plans are available.

Please note, these plans are not confirmed and may differ slightly to final plans and construction.

Upgrades to Springs Road, including lighting, protected right turns, and cycling/walking routes, will occur alongside the precinct development. Detailed traffic planning is currently being developed by the developer with input from Council.