Autism SA’s Southern Hub at the Tonsley Innovation District
Autism SA Southern Hub is located at 6-8 MAB Circuit, Tonsley SA 5042.
- Infoline: 1300 AUTISM (1300 288 476)
- Phone: (08) 8379 6976
- Fax: (08) 8338 1216
- Email: admin@autismsa.org.au
Get Directions: Click Here for Google Maps
Finding Autism SA at the Tonsley Innovation District
Train and Bus Transport to Tonsley
Tonsley has train and bus transport with a direct rail link and road corridor to the CBD.
The Tonsley Train Station is located on the western side of Tonsley and provides convenient transport to and from the CBD. It operates 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.
The FLEX Autonomous Bus operates on the road network at Tonsley and can transport you to and from the Tonsley Train Station. This is a free service.
Buses 719, 721, 721F, 722 and 722F offer regular transport options to and from Tonsley from Stop 23 on South Road.
Visit the Adelaide Metro website for timetables and real-time service information.
Driving to Tonsley
There are two entrances to Tonsley by car, Tonsley Boulevard via South Road on the east and Alawoona Avenue via Marion Road on the west.
Cycling to Tonsley
Cyclists have dedicated off-road lanes and shared paths within ring roads at Tonsley.
Secure bicycle storage and repair stations are located in the MAB
Electric vehicles at Tonsley
A bank of free-to-use electric vehicle (EV) chargers are available at the Tonsley Solar Garage, located on the north eastern corner of Carpark P1.
A fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles are available at Tonsley, including the premium Tesla Model X, through myCar, Adelaide’s first and only green chauffeur service.
What is close by to Tonsley
Tonsley is on the doorstep of exciting cultural, sporting, leisure and shopping experiences, all set against a backdrop of hills, open space and the coast.
The world-renowned McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills wine regions are less than 30 minutes drive from Tonsley.
Stunning beaches, including Glenelg and Brighton, are just 15 minutes away.
TheFleurieu Peninsula, with popular destinations such as Victor Harbour, Goolwa and Port Elliot, is an easy drive via the Southern Expressway. You can also catch a ferry from the peninsula to the world famous nature haven of Kangaroo Island.
Other places of interest nearby include:
What is the Tonsley Innovation District?
A 61-Hectare Mixed-use accessible district
A 61-hectare site located 10km south of Adelaide, Tonsley is recognised as the global benchmark for reimagining and redeveloping traditional manufacturing facilities.
South Australia’s premier high-value manufacturing location is ready to welcome your business into its thriving innovation community.
A HIGH-VALUE MANUFACTURING HUB
On Tuesday, 5 February 2008, during a meeting held at Mitsubishi’s Tonsley Park car manufacturing plant, 1,000 Mitsubishi employees were told they would be losing their jobs.
Mitsubishi had just announced the closure of their manufacturing arm in Australia. This was the beginning of a nationwide decline of car manufacturing and a signal that traditional Australian manufacturing was no longer able to compete on a global scale. A new approach was required.
In 2010, the Government of South Australia purchased the former car manufacturing plant at Tonsley and set about delivering a new vision for the site that would see it become a sustainable economic base for future industries.
Manufacturing is recognised as an essential element in a resilient and prosperous South Australian economy. The redevelopment of Tonsley is providing the opportunity for the manufacturing industry in South Australia to adapt and better utilise its strengths, transitioning from traditional to high-value manufacturing.
Today, Tonsley is home to over 1,700 employees, 70% more than when Mitsubishi announced their closure, working across co-working spaces, smaller and larger tenancies under the Main Assembly Building (MAB), or larger allotments such as Siemens Energy or Hydrogen Park SA. Add to that some 8,000 students going through the site each year within TAFE SA and Flinders University, and there is a lot of activity and innovation within the district.
Under the umbrella of high-value manufacturing, Tonsley Innovation District targets four focus sectors that reflect South Australia’s economic strengths and opportunities.
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.
Innovation projects at Tonsley
Tonsley offers a 61-hectare collaborative testbed for developing and trialling new innovations and technologies in a real-world setting. The complex and multi-faceted nature of the Tonsley development provides great opportunities to translate and apply new thinking in many of the world’s future industries.
The future trends and industries being explored at Tonsley are Energy, Mobility, Ageing, Manufacturing, Connectivity and the Future of Work, Live and Play.
Future Energy
A centralised District Energy Scheme is being delivered at Tonsley by Clean Peak Energy. Up to 5MW of on-site renewable power generation from rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV), battery storage and smart metering technologies will be used by Tonsley’s businesses and residents.
Tonsley is home to Australia’s first hydrogen production and distribution facility, Hydrogen Park SA. Australian Gas Networks are utilising a 1.25MW Siemens Energy electrolyser to produce hydrogen gas from renewable energy, helping pave the way for the deployment of a hydrogen economy in Australia.
Future Mobility
Tonsley has been home to several cutting-edge autonomous vehicle trials that have operated within the districts road network and Main Assembly Building (MAB).
The 10-seater FLEX autonomous shuttle by Flinders University navigates the road network at Tonsley and transports passengers to and from the nearby train station. FLEX is free to use and can be booked in advance.
Aurrigo also house four-seater PodZero driverless vehicles at Tonsley that can be operated within the MAB, transporting passengers to different tenancies and retail spaces.
The world’s smartest transit hub, Matilda, was also developed at Tonsley by SAGE Automation to provide a seamless integration between passengers and autonomous vehicles. You can find and use a Matilda Smart Transit Hub at Gate 1 of the MAB.
Future Ageing
The Global Centre for Modern Ageing serves as a leading response to the international ageing phenomenon.
Their world-class living lab at Tonsley unites older people, businesses and researchers to co-design and validate products, services and experiences that will better serve the lives of ageing people in Australia and around the world.
Future Manufacturing
Reborn as South Australia’s epicentre of high-value manufacturing, Tonsley plays an important role in helping industry develop and adopt the latest manufacturing technologies.
The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation (TMI) Hub and its Cyber-physical Factory is a catalyst for promoting understanding and application of Industry 4.0 practices. Central to accelerating the growth of advanced manufacturing in Australia is continued development and diffusion of Industry 4.0 capabilities including robotics and automation in highly networked and flexible production systems that take advantage of cloud computing.
Future Connectivity
Businesses and organisations at Tonsley have access to GigCity, affordable, gigabit-speed internet that is up to 100 times faster than the national average.
Access to enabling-technology like GigCity provides opportunities for businesses to reimagine how their organisation operates and underpins innovation in a global, connected world.