The Northern Regional Development Board agrees that the predicted boom in residency for Port Augusta - as reported in The Transcontinental April 2 - will have profound effects on the city's infrastructure and procedures.
Chief executive officer Jerry Johnson predicts that there will be a mass boom in economic growth for the town in conjunction with the housing boom.
Transport and logistics are high on the NRDB's economic scope, with the development board speaking to many key investors looking to set base in the city.
"It's consumables for the mining industry that are going to be big business in the coming years," Mr Johnson said.
"Look towards the highway and the amount of new transport outlets that have set up along there."
Engineering and construction services are also set to make their increased presence in the city.
Recent figures provided by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations however, indicate a small drop in population, along with an increase in unemployment for the rural centre.
It is however, the closure of the Baxter Detention Centre that Mr Johnson attributes to the two figures.
Port Augusta is not conceding in any form, rather Mr Johnson views the city as being on the up and up.
NRDB figures indicate that Port Augusta is experiencing the most growth out of any regional centre in South Australia, especially in terms of economic, business and residential growth.
The loss of Baxter was merely a welcome setback.
"Image issues were a concern with Baxter," Mr Johnson said.
"For Port Augusta in the long term future, freeing up that facility for defence is the best thing that could happen for the city."
Recent figures show that there was an increase in unemployment figures for the town from 491 persons to 616 persons, an increase by 125 incorporated with a small drop in population.
About 60 people included in the unemployment surge can be attributed to the closure of Baxter.
There is nothing to be worried about the CEO stated as Whyalla also had a modest increase in unemployment.
Speaking to local businesses, Mr Johnson is finding that while the figures show there is a higher percentage of unemployed in the city, business leaders are finding that in every sector people are searching for staff.
At the moment, there is a pressure point on the retail sector in and around the community marked Mr Johnson.
Big end retailers are looking to "find the land", with a number of potential investors in the town holding talks with the NRDB.
Concerns for the retail sector are however prominent in the CEO's eyes, warning that Port Augusta must maintain a "pure retail heart" in order to surpass its competition in Whyalla and Port Pirie.
Two different retail centres in the two other rural cities has seen a "fracture" in their shopping precincts, leaving one used far less than was intended and showing a bad face to visitors and the community alike.
Mr Johnson observes that Port Augusta is not big enough for a main shopping precinct and a smaller satellite one.
Neither is Whyalla or Port Pirie, which is why it is paramount that Port Augusta maintains its CBD retail precinct so that the city offers more than other regional centres to potential investors.
A concentration of areas in which to shop, leads to increased patronage for all those set up in that area and as such will attract more business to the city.
Operations at the airport will also promote the town's up and coming image to potential investors and residents Mr Johnson said.
There has been a shift from Port Augusta being an industry town - supplying rail services, electricity and the likes - to the town being focused as a service town for the mining industry.
The increase in population leads to an increase in opportunities Mr Johnson said.
This is something the town needs to exploit in order to capitalise from the mining sector.
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