Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Mount Barker, Hahndorf, Strathalbyn, Victor Harbor, Goolwa, Kingscote and across the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people. We search locally and across Adelaide, and further afield when the role needs it.
The Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island at a glance
- population growth in Mount Barker in 2024–25
- +3.2%
- To 45,111 people at 30 June 2025.1
- beds at the redeveloped Mount Barker Hospital
- 34 to 102
- A $365.8 million project that will triple bed capacity on completion.2
- people in the Victor Harbor–Goolwa urban area
- 30,900
- Slightly more than Mount Gambier, 30 June 2025.3
Is the region part of Adelaide or regional South Australia?
Both. Mount Barker, Hahndorf, Nairne, Lobethal, Woodside and Stirling are in the Adelaide Hills statistical area, inside Greater Adelaide. Victor Harbor, Goolwa, Port Elliot, Strathalbyn, Yankalilla and Kangaroo Island are in the Fleurieu - Kangaroo Island area, counted as regional South Australia.4
The wider employment-region figures were 37% of recruiting employers with difficulty filling a role in Adelaide South, which includes the Hills, and 52% in the Murray and South East, which includes the Fleurieu and the island, in the year to August 2026.5 They are context for this guide, rather than a direct survey comparison of the Hills and the Fleurieu.
Share of recruiting employers who had difficulty filling a vacancy, 12 months to August 2026. Survey samples are small (403 employers in Adelaide South, 181 in Murray and South East).5
| Region | % with difficulty |
|---|---|
| Murray and South East (includes the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island) | 52% |
| Regional South Australia | 50% |
| Greater Adelaide | 44% |
| Adelaide South (includes the Adelaide Hills) | 37% |
Where are people moving?
Mount Barker grew fastest in 2024–25, followed by Victor Harbor and Alexandrina.1 Unemployment is low across the region, from 2.0% on Kangaroo Island to 3.7% in Victor Harbor.6 Growth brings demand for health, building, education and council staff, and with so few people out of work, we search beyond the local pool.
Estimated resident population at 30 June 2025 and change over 2024–25,1 and smoothed unemployment rate, June quarter 2026,6 by council area.
| Council area | Population (30 June 2025) | Change 2024–25 | Unemployment (June quarter 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Barker | 45,111 | +3.2% | 3.5% |
| Adelaide Hills | 42,875 | +1.0% | 2.1% |
| Alexandrina (Strathalbyn, Goolwa) | 31,427 | +1.6% | 2.9% |
| Victor Harbor | 17,457 | +1.8% | 3.7% |
| Yankalilla | 6,299 | +1.4% | 3.1% |
| Kangaroo Island | 5,212 | +0.8% | 2.0% |
Who employs people in the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island?
The Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network runs public hospitals and health services across the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.7 Its $365.8 million Mount Barker Hospital redevelopment will triple beds from 34 to 102 and add operating theatres, maternity, paediatric and surgical capacity and a mental health unit.2
Wine is a big employer too. In 2026, Langhorne Creek crushed 26,066 tonnes of wine grapes, the Adelaide Hills 21,885 and Currency Creek 7,175.8 Builders, councils, schools, aged-care providers, food producers and professional firms make up much of the rest.
Which roles do we recruit in the Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island?
Open a role type for shortage, training and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are the 2026 national ratings; we count an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Nursing, midwifery and allied health
Registered and enrolled nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists for hospitals, aged care and community services. We also recruit health administration and management staff, and support workers including assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Shortage
- Registered nurses in aged care, mental health, and critical care and emergency, midwives, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are rated in shortage in 2026, and enrolled nurses and hospital pharmacists are rated short in regional areas.9
- Growth
- The new Mount Barker Hospital adds maternity, paediatric, neonatal, surgical and mental health capacity.2
- Local training
- Flinders University's Victor Harbor campus sits within the grounds of the South Coast District Hospital.10
- What to put in your brief
- The registration, the roster and on-call load, and whether the role covers more than one site.
Building and construction trades
Carpenters, plumbers, electricians and site supervisors for builders and contractors in fast-growing towns.
- Shortage
- Carpenters and joiners, plumbers and electricians are all rated in shortage in 2026.9
- Registration
- Electrical, plumbing and gas fitting work needs a South Australian worker registration administered by Consumer and Business Services.11
- Local training
- TAFE SA teaches at its Mount Barker and Victor Harbor campuses and delivers training on Kangaroo Island.12
- What to put in your brief
- The type of building work, the area you cover, the vehicle and tools you provide and the tickets the work needs.
Wine, food and agriculture
Viticulturists, winemakers, cellar and production staff, agronomists and maintenance technicians.
- Shortage
- Agronomists and fitters are rated in shortage in 2026; winemakers are not.9
- Season
- Vintage and harvest set the busiest months, so tell us when your peak runs and how the role changes through the year.
- What to put in your brief
- The varieties or products, the size of the operation, the equipment and whether the role includes cellar door or tourism work.
- How we help
- We look for people with the right experience in the Hills, the Fleurieu and Adelaide, and talk with them about the commute and the season.
Business, engineering and community professionals
Accountants, civil engineers, planners, office managers, social workers and community services staff for councils, practices and service organisations.
- Shortage
- Civil engineers are rated in shortage in 2026; general accountants are not.9
- Growth
- Mount Barker's population grew +3.2% in 2024–25, and growth brings work for councils, planners and engineers.1
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, who the person reports to and whether hybrid work or a compressed week is possible.
- How we help
- We search the region and Adelaide, and talk with each candidate about the role and the travel.
Hiring on Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island had 5,212 residents at 30 June 20251 and a smoothed unemployment rate of 2.0% in the June quarter 2026.6 We search locally and on the mainland for skilled roles. The island is reached by ferry.13 Tell us about housing, travel back to the mainland and any island allowance, because candidates will ask about all three before they commit.
How we help you hire in the Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Commuting, housing and moving
The Adelaide Hills are about an hour's drive from Adelaide,13 so many Hills roles can draw on commuters. Fleurieu and island roles more often need someone to move, and the regional employment plan names limited affordable housing and getting to work as barriers.14 If you can offer accommodation, a relocation allowance or a vehicle, tell us and we raise it with candidates. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in the Adelaide Hills, on the Fleurieu or on Kangaroo Island?
Experienced tradespeople, nurses and allied health professionals, winemakers, engineers and office professionals, recent graduates and people planning a move can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and the towns you'd consider, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Hills, Fleurieu or Kangaroo Island hire
Tell us about the role, the town, the hours and when you need someone to start.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Is it harder to hire on the Fleurieu than in the Adelaide Hills?
The wider employment-region survey points that way, though it doesn't measure the Fleurieu or the Hills directly. In the year to August 2026, 52% of recruiting employers in the Murray and South East, which includes the Fleurieu, had difficulty filling a role, against 37% in Adelaide South, which includes the Hills.5 Hire Australia adjusts the search to suit, drawing on commuters for the Hills and on people prepared to move for the coast.
Can Hire Australia recruit for roles on Kangaroo Island?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits for employers on Kangaroo Island, including in Kingscote. Because the local pool is small, we search the mainland too and talk with candidates about the ferry, housing and island life before we introduce them, so you meet people who have thought the move through.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. Briefing Hire Australia on a Hills, Fleurieu or Kangaroo Island role costs nothing, whichever town the job is based in.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Mount Barker or Victor Harbor?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island. Our search starts with people who live, study or train in the region, along with candidates from Adelaide and elsewhere who are planning a move.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Can I register with Hire Australia for jobs in the Hills, Fleurieu or on Kangaroo Island?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which towns you'd consider, from Mount Barker, Hahndorf and Strathalbyn to Victor Harbor, Goolwa and Kingscote. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and whether commuting or moving suits you.
Sources (14)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25, Estimated resident population and components by LGA. Released 31 March 2026. Data: Year to 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- SA Health (Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network), New Mount Barker Hospital Development. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25, Population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area and other areas. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25, Population estimates by SA2 and above. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State and Regional Snapshot update, South Australia. Released 22 September 2026. Data: REOS, 12 months to August 2026; small regional samples (57 to 403 employers, unweighted); interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, SALM Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2025), June quarter 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- SA Health, Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Wine Australia, for the South Australian Wine Industry Association and Wine Grape Council of South Australia, The SA Winegrape Crush Survey 2026. Published July 2026. Data: 2026 vintage; 282 respondents; higher non-response may explain some regional falls. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Flinders University, Regional SA locations (Flinders University Rural and Remote Health SA: Murray Bridge, Mount Gambier, Nuriootpa, Renmark, Victor Harbor). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Government, Australian Business Licence and Information Service, Plumbing, Gas Fitting or Electrical Workers Registration, South Australia (administering agency: Consumer and Business Services). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE SA, TAFE SA locations: Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu (campuses Mount Barker and Victor Harbor). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- SA Health, Life at Barossa Hills Fleurieu. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan, Murray and South East Employment Region (July 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑