Economic activity is inherently variable and monitoring it is a major challenge, especially in regional economies where resources are fewer and activity is more variable. Using a recent study of the Riverland region, the authors set out the information available, its limitations and means by which it may be extended. It is argued that monitoring must respond to specific needs and extend to information beyond the scope of the merely economic. It is not simply a matter of tracking commonly used economic variables but of understanding specific economic challenges and using that understanding to target economic and social information.