Waikerie named South Australia's 2026 Agricultural Town of the Year

The Riverland community of Waikerie has been crowned the 2026 Agricultural Town of the Year, in recognition of its community spirit and pursuit of agricultural excellence.

The Agricultural Town (Ag Town) of the Year Award was announced last night at the 2026 Regional Showcase Awards, which was held at Peter Lehmann Wines in the Barossa.

Waikerie has been recognised for its promotion and support of agriculture in the Riverland, which has evolved and strengthened since the town’s previous finalist appearances in the 2023 and 2022 Ag Town of the Year competitions – where it made the Top 10 and Top 5, respectively.

The independent judging panel praised Waikerie for its strong vision for the future and willingness to continue to grow and evolve, including looking beyond its own borders for ideas and opportunities.

Judges Kris Lloyd AM, Professor Simon Maddocks and Joyce Ceravolo praised the depth and quality of the town’s award submission and the panel’s exceptional experiences from what they described as “one of the best visits ever” to a country town.

They were particularly impressed by the way the town involved young people and students in telling Waikerie’s story, giving the next generation an opportunity to shape the current and future narrative of their town by sharing their own experiences and perspectives.

Waikerie was selected from 91 nominated towns from across South Australia, with Burra and Cummins named as the other two finalists.

As this year’s winner, Waikerie will receive a trophy, a special town entrance sign, a community celebration event and sign unveiling ceremony, media exposure and stories published by InDaily and SALIFE magazine.

Waikerie joins an elite line-up of Ag Towns of the Year: Lameroo (2025), Penola (2024), Wudinna (2023), Mypolonga (2022), Kimba (2021), Pinnaroo (2020) and Cleve (2019).

Now in its eighth year, the Ag Town of the Year Award recognises South Australian towns that excel in agricultural practices and are great places to live and work, while highlighting the vital role that agriculture plays in regional development.

The award is an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), delivered in partnership with InDaily.

In addition to announcing the Ag Town of the Year winner, the 2026 Regional Showcase Awards were also presented across six categories, celebrating regional success stories across South Australia, as published by InDaily (Solstice Media).

2026 Regional Showcase Award winners:

• Regional Resilience Award - Riverland town unites for those feeling the bite of drought by Christine Webster
• Business Innovation Award - Adelaide Hills winemaker wins big overseas by David Simmons
• Meaningful Connections Award - ‘Bikes snapped in half’: Mates conquer the Flinders on posties’ wheels by Gabrielle Hall
• Community Empowerment Award - Five in the running for Whyalla Steelworks as mine site expands by Helen Karakulak
• Lifelong Learning Award - Bid to save birds, plus rare butterfly and its Riverland colonies of ants by Christine Webster
• People’s Choice Award - Whisky business: Distiller targets SA’s most robbed bank by David Simmons