South Australia's Second 'Major' City

[yousername]

What about Mt. Gambier? It's pretty and has a nice beach, not a hard sell.

[skyliner]

What about Mt. Gambier? It's pretty and has a nice beach, not a hard sell.

Has a nice beach???? (over 30km from the coast). Mostly very cold as well.

MG is is a great central location and is IMO by far the most presentable of our main centres. but to go forward as a major pop. hub it needs the railway back, recovery from Timbercorp and Great Southern, the Penola Pulp Mill. It is a little isolated from big centres to feed more pop. into it however. It's business reach of influence would take in about 50 000 at an educated guess. (ie -north to Bordertown, east to Portland, NE to Hamilton, south to Pt MacDonnell and west to the coast).

And Capitalist, yes , monato was planned I believe in the late 70's as a place over 100 000 as Adelaide was predicted to reach 1.4 m well before now. All you can see is a forest of semi desert trees. I still have the plans - quite a vision. They were talking of electifying the rail to Murray Br. in the process.
Alas, Adelaide did not grow that fast and and also finances fell over.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Waewick]

to get the state to grow we really need to think outside the square

one of the biggest issues in SA is the mentality that we aren't good enough or a place that people would like to like, thats all bullshit but we happily accept the stereo types from interstate.

Thats what got me thinking about creating a 2nd population hub, one that isn't help back by "heritage adelaide" but still have a vision on how to be a place that people want to live.

IF this mining boom ever eventuates we should try and capitalise by doing things differently, I discussed this partially in the mining thread but the State NEEDS to look at the way we do things and try and do them differently. Don't get me wrong i'm all about private enterprise but when it comes to this kind of thing you really need State Government intervention.

It would be hard work but i think the benefits would be immesaurable if we could get ourself back on the map and make SA a state that isn't ashamed of itself.

[Waewick]

it seems I wasn't the only one thinking about it

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5887787001

ADELAIDE has crippled expansion of the state's rural centres and should be stripped of its regional skilled migration status to unlock economic growth, country mayors say.

As the Federal Government yesterday flagged development of "second capitals" to manage the forecast population boom, regional leaders said Adelaide's unique status stopped many skilled workers from settling in country areas

[chrism4549]

As someone looking at this from overseas, I'd like them to start with the state and the national government talking with each other. I get emails to remind me to apply, videos about migrating to SA and stuff...and the link to apply is shut down until further notice. Getting a state sponsored visa is easier so that's what we were looking at. Three years to see if it works out (the 475).

I can understand the need to do things across the state. Teachers, doctors, and so forth. I'm in IT so there is probably not a lot of demand outside a major metro area. I wouldn't want to live in a small town, anyway. Each type of job probably has to be classified individually.

I'd like to see them promote the 3 year visa more. We have a some laid-off teachers here that would be interested, I think. A couple I know just went to China for ESL (English as a Second Language). The 3 year allows you to rotate people in and out to control population and infrastructure. If it works out, then they apply for permanent status.

Maybe the new administration will have a more cohesive policy.

Here's the video, BTW.
http://makethemove.migration.sa.gov.au/

[cruel_world00]

As someone looking at this from overseas, I'd like them to start with the state and the national government talking with each other. I get emails to remind me to apply, videos about migrating to SA and stuff...and the link to apply is shut down until further notice. Getting a state sponsored visa is easier so that's what we were looking at. Three years to see if it works out (the 475).

I can understand the need to do things across the state. Teachers, doctors, and so forth. I'm in IT so there is probably not a lot of demand outside a major metro area. I wouldn't want to live in a small town, anyway. Each type of job probably has to be classified individually.

I'd like to see them promote the 3 year visa more. We have a some laid-off teachers here that would be interested, I think. A couple I know just went to China for ESL (English as a Second Language). The 3 year allows you to rotate people in and out to control population and infrastructure. If it works out, then they apply for permanent status.

Maybe the new administration will have a more cohesive policy.

Here's the video, BTW.
http://makethemove.migration.sa.gov.au/

The video used in that campaign is so much better than any of our tourism stuff. Why don't we pitch our city like this more often? (I'm talking interstate etc. That video looked far more exciting and modern than the usual fodder)

[Wayno]

The video used in that campaign is so much better than any of our tourism stuff. Why don't we pitch our city like this more often? (I'm talking interstate etc. That video looked far more exciting and modern than the usual fodder)

Agree 100%.

[Waewick]

I think people are still embarrassed to be South Australian and South Australia is seen in a negative light by everyone...especially South Australians.

how we change that i'm not sure, perhaps not caring as much would help.

[Nort]

And Capitalist, yes , monato was planned I believe in the late 70's as a place over 100 000 as Adelaide was predicted to reach 1.4 m well before now. All you can see is a forest of semi desert trees. I still have the plans - quite a vision. They were talking of electifying the rail to Murray Br. in the process.
Alas, Adelaide did not grow that fast and and also finances fell over.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

Any chance you could share some of them?

[AtD]

I think people are still embarrassed to be South Australian and South Australia is seen in a negative light by everyone...especially South Australians.

how we change that i'm not sure, perhaps not caring as much would help.

It's all in your head.

[Prince George]

it seems I wasn't the only one thinking about it

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5887787001

ADELAIDE has crippled expansion of the state's rural centres and should be stripped of its regional skilled migration status to unlock economic growth, country mayors say.

As the Federal Government yesterday flagged development of "second capitals" to manage the forecast population boom, regional leaders said Adelaide's unique status stopped many skilled workers from settling in country areas

Joy Baluch &c aren't interested in becoming a second "population hub", they just want better services. They want plumbers, not people. Their complaint was that Adelaide was essentially being treated as a "big country town" using the same immigration status as regional centres to get skilled migrants, which reduces the appeal of the SA regions to those people. If you get the same preferrential treatment for going to Adelaide as going to Renmark, they all choose Adelaide. The problem is - should Adelaide be treated like a regional centre, or like Syd/Melb/Bris/Perth?

[Waewick]

I understand what the they are sying, but the end result is still impeding population growth in regional areas on the state, hence limiting the potential of larger regional centres throughout the state.

I'm not sure if we should or shouldn't be regarded as regional we are, but I guess if we want to stand on our own two feet as a city perhaps its time to remove it.

[Wayno]

Maybe Port Lincoln is a candidate for our 2nd city. It's a self-sufficient town with it's own unique mix of businesses (agriculture and aquaculture) and there's no shortage of money with the town having most millionaires per capita of any australian city. Population is currently 15000 which should grow in the next 10 years given the volume of mining projects about to commence on the Eyre Peninsula. It's also a good holiday destination.

[Waewick]

You probably not far off really, the only issue with that is increased population is likely to impact the aquaculture in the area.

But thats the thinking I want the government to do, identify a site and gear the state up to deal with it, (ie improve infrastruture within and between adelaide and the designated place). I realise the state can't force population growth in certain areas but it can surely give it a bit of a push.

[The Observer]

As a South Australian who was born in Mount Gambier and spent my teenage years in Port Lincoln, i strongly disagree with Port Lincoln being a 2nd hub.
Firstly, the city is almost completely surrounded by national park which would be jeopardised with a major population increase along with it's fishing and aquaculture industries. The town geographically just wouldn't cope. It's also far too remote. I can recall far too many 7 plus hour drives to Adelaide as a teenager.

Mount Gambier would be a far better option, as there is plenty of land available for residential and industrial areas. It is also smack bang between Adelaide and Melbourne and both cities are only 4.5 hours drive from the town. Mt Gambier is a pleasant city to live in, is no colder than Melbourne where i currently reside and has many tourist regions within a 200km radius (Coonawarra, The Great Ocean Road etc) not to mention it's own Blue Lake.

However, if this SA mining boom really happens Port Augusta would be the smartest choice for a second major hub. Yes, it's not the nicest place but it's 2.5
hours drive from Adelaide and a rail link already exists. I would imagine that it would become a hub for the thousands of miners and their families. At least the Flinders Ranges and beautiful Port Lincoln aren't too far away for these new residents to explore once they arrive!