News & Discussion: Adelaide City Council

[metro]

Of concern is that a "pro-business agenda" in adelaide is typically synonymous with preferencing cars and car parking ahead of all other interests... and you'd have to be pretty nervous as a food truck operator, too.

from what I've read about him, I'm guessing Haese comes from a fairly wealthy family and I think they own a fair bit of CBD property - If true would explain why his posters were in almost every shop/cafe/restaurant/hotel. Definitely a little concerned about his "pro-business" and "back to basics" agenda, exactly the same as what other conservative (Liberal Party?) candidates around Suburban Adelaide were proposing, plus he's a motoring enthusiast and does not support any further protected cycleway development. Could see the end of most food trucks under his leadership, Victoria Square will remain half done as he stated he's not keen on anymore big public space projects. One positive is that he said he wont reverse some of Yarwood's changes which means hopefully the Frome St cycleway will remain, Rundle Mall will be finished, also speed limits will be reduced and light sequences will be improved. But I guess Adelaide will slowly return to how things were under Harbison.

[Nathan]

Of concern is that a "pro-business agenda" in adelaide is typically synonymous with preferencing cars and car parking ahead of all other interests... and you'd have to be pretty nervous as a food truck operator, too.

from what I've read about him, I'm guessing Haese comes from a fairly wealthy family and I think they own a fair bit of CBD property - If true would explain why his posters were in almost every shop/cafe/restaurant/hotel. Definitely a little concerned about his "pro-business" and "back to basics" agenda, exactly the same as what other conservative (Liberal Party?) candidates around Suburban Adelaide were proposing, plus he's a motoring enthusiast and does not support any further protected cycleway development. Could see the end of most food trucks under his leadership, Victoria Square will remain half done as he stated he's not keen on anymore big public space projects. One positive is that he said he wont reverse some of Yarwood's changes which means hopefully the Frome St cycleway will remain, Rundle Mall will be finished, also speed limits will be reduced and light sequences will be improved. But I guess Adelaide will slowly return to how things were under Harbison.

He actually backed the Rundle Mall project (he was head of Rundle Mall Authority for a while). Frome St remaining as it is isn't a good outcome, as it's not yet a full solution. There were more stages planned which would have completed a proper North/South route through the entire city.

[metro]

He actually backed the Rundle Mall project (he was head of Rundle Mall Authority for a while). Frome St remaining as it is isn't a good outcome, as it's not yet a full solution. There were more stages planned which would have completed a proper North/South route through the entire city.

I knew he was head of Rundle Mall management for a while, wasn't sure he backed redevelopment tho.. I agree on the Frome St situation, I'd sure love to see the protected cycleway extended right up to the zoo, as well as an east-west protected cycleway either down Pirie/Waymouth or Flinders/Franklin, but I doubt it will happen now unless state govt build it or something

[Will]

With Yarwood, the vibrancy cat was most definitely let out of the bag. There is no way it is going back. The change of pace from now-on may not be as fast, but I highly doubt we'll return to the old Adelaide.

[david]

Thanks to all those posters and others who have acknowledged my time as a Councillor which was brought to an unexpected end at the recent Council election.

It is hard to know what led to my demise - perhaps I was too closely aligned to Stephen, I was outrun by Sandy Wilkinson who transferred to Area Councillor or perhpas there was just too much party politics in the campaigning.

I enjoyed my time on Council and I can feel a sense of satisfaction with the part I played in what Council achieved over the last four years. I also make a thing about communicating my thoughts on Local Government and what the the Adelaide City Council was doing by producing my regular Notes

Martin Haese as the new Lord Mayor and comes with absolutely no experience of the way LG works. He will have to learn some very quick lessons, not the least of which will be that Mayors have no executive powers and can only promote their agendas with the support of the majority of Councillors (and the support of the Administration!) I wish him good luck and I take some comfort in the knowledge that most of what Stephen and the team achieved cannot be easily torn down without sound advice and serious consultation with the community.

And let's hope that the media actually gets around to some fact-based reporting on such issues as the Council's debt-levels (which are way below its prudential limits) and the so-called backlog of asset maintenace. Any shortfall in that area (and there is a need for more funds to be spent there) is more a result of poor planning and under-funding by Councils back in the 1990's and has very little to do with Council undertaking major city-building projects such as Victoria Square and Rundle Mall.

Again thanks for your good wishes,

David P

[ChillyPhilly]

I'll reserve my judgement on Haese, but as it stands Yarwood was the only real way forward.

[Nathan]

Sandy Wilkinson has lost his place on the DAP (huzzah!), and of course he thinks there was a conspiracy against him.

More claims, counterclaims in halls of city council
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www ... U2Cl6RTW2Q

A POLITICAL row has erupted within Adelaide City Council over claims of backroom deals and State Government influence over board position appointments.

Councillor Sandy Wilkinson has criticised colleagues after being dumped from the Development Assessment Panel and his nomination for a key committee blocked.

He launched an outspoken attack against Deputy Lord Mayor Natasha Malani and colleague Houssam Abiad, claiming they orchestrated his demise.

Mr Wilkinson, a passionate heritage advocate who is qualified in architecture, also claimed that he was also dumped because the State Government was “watching”.

In a statement to The Advertiser, Mr Wilkinson, who has sat on the DAP since being elected in 2007, criticised the decision after campaigning on planning issues.

“The outcome of the Council appointments is very telling, whereby DLM Natasha Milani (sic) and Clr Houssam Abiad ended up with most of the most coveted appointments … as well as most of the well remunerated positions, leaving the rest to have the not so coveted crumbs,” he said.

His comments, backed by colleague Anne Moran, represent the first public split within the new council.

During the new administration’s first meeting in December, Mr Wilkinson failed to be selected as one of nine members on the council’s planning arm after a secret vote.

He was also overlooked as chairman of the council’s strategy, planning and partnerships committee, which was instead handed to Ms Malani, who will also now sit on the DAP.

Mr Abiad nominated Ms Malani in both instances and Mr Wilkinson for the chairman role. Ms Malani had nominated Mr Wilkinson for the DAP board.

He said Ms Malanai met with the elected body to gauge what positions they were interested in. He said that when he stated his ambitions, he replied that others may wish to sit on the DAP.

He added: “(She) warned me that the (State) Government were watching who we appointed to the DAP, yet she indicated no interest herself in being on the DAP (-) other Councillors advised me that she had said she could think of nothing worse.”

He said he was “extremely disappointed”, arguing he was the most qualified person for the DAP role.

“It is my perception … that she (Ms Malani) had orchestrated to have me voted off DAP and nominated herself just to push me off it,” he added.

Electoral figures show Mr Wilkinson polled third in the area councillor vote with 982 votes compared to Ms Malani (1658) and Ms Moran (1598).

Ms Malani disputed the claims but said that while she “discussed” positions with councillors, she did not “tell people how to vote”.

“It was full council’s decision who was voted on various positions for a number of different boards,” she said.

“So it is not possible that I could orchestrate such a deal. It was all council voting on the floor. It is disappointing he doesn’t feel he can chat about it but to go through the media.”

Councillor Abiad said expressed surprise at the row and said the process was “transparent”.

“It is very disrespectful to Council I believe, that Clr Wilkinson would allege that Deputy Lord Mayor Malani and I have orchestrated the outcome,” he said in a statement.

“Elected members are respected community representatives not puppets. He doesn’t have to agree with Council’s decision, but at the very least I would expect him to respect it.

“If Clr Wilkinson had a valid grievance he should have raised it officially using mechanisms within Council’s Standing Orders. I am very disappointed that I had to hear about it first from the media.”

A government spokesman said: “The process for nominations to the DAP is entirely a matter for the council.”

[Will]

[Brucetiki]

That's fantastic news Wilkinson's been dumped from the DAP. Stuff might actually get through now

[crawf]

Adiós!

[mshagg]

If simply representing the constituents of a great city like adelaide is the "not so coveted crumbs" then perhaps Wilkinson should stand aside for someone who appreciates the importance of such a role.

[Llessur2002]

^ what he said

[ChillyPhilly]

Good riddance.

[Wayno]

This thread is eerily quiet now David Plumridge is no longer with the ACC Anyone know if other Councillors publish notes?

Anywho, Adelaide gets a mention in this article as leading the way for Australia.
http://www.theurbandeveloper.com/worlds ... mhide=true

Is The Internet Of Things The Future Of Every City?

As technology integrates more and more with the tasks we perform each day, we are forced to think about how we structure urban spaces to include a digital skin.
Some cities have already started the revolution, creating smart spaces by harnessing the ability of machines that ‘talk’ with one another. The technology even has a snappy name – the Internet of Things.

Cities such as Barcelona, Helsinki and Chicago are rolling out programs to improve infrastructure, livability and sustainability by including ‘smart objects’ and sensors to create a network of things that can monitor and even control events occurring in the urban environment. Such networks can help systems and people respond to data in real-time.

The potential in this area could have a great impact on critical issues in the public sphere such as reducing energy consumption and creating a more sustainable economy.

Can you imagine, for instance, the impact of a street lighting system that activates only when someone is driving or walking down the street? What amount of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved across tens of thousands of lights that are currently in use all night?

The prospect of creating technological solutions to the problems that cities encounter frequently is attracting big tech companies such as Cisco and IBM to invest in making smart cities.

Global technology group Cisco has predicted that the Internet of Things will generate $19 trillion globally over the next decade, including $4.6 trillion from the public sector, it makes sense that cities begin to seriously consider incorporating these technologies into their urban landscapes.

With so much economic potential created by investing in this technology, a kind of race has formed among cities and tech companies to realise the integration of this technology with the hope that it becomes a global trend. And the cities that are winning this race are not necessarily those you might suspect.

Songdo, South Korea, a relatively small city built fifteen minutes from an airport, is a contender for the top position.

The city was built from scratch on barren land to cater to internationals arriving at the airport and was designed to be a technologically advanced city.

As reported in Mashable, underneath Songdo’s streets, sensors detect traffic conditions and alter signals based on congestion. These sensors connect to cars via radio identification tags that report gridlock. Other sensors in the city monitor saltwater flow in Central Park.

“In Songdo International Business District, nearly all aspects of life are digitally networked, from sensors that help control traffic and public transportation schedules, to Cisco TelePresence-based personal video services linking residents to businesses and service providers, to the centralised control systems that manage city services like waste disposal and energy generation,” says Gale Executive Vice President- International Tom Murcott. Gale is the group developing Songdo.

In Australia, Adelaide is taking the lead in transitioning towards this new era of smart cities. The South Australian Government and Cisco have forged a partnership and this year declared Adelaide to be the ‘Lighthouse City in Australia’ for Cisco’s initiative of creating smart cities.

Adelaide joins Barcelona, Chicago, Hamburg and Dubai as leading places to showcase Internet of Things innovations under Cisco’s initiative.

As part of the agreement, the Adelaide City Council has implemented free Wi-Fi throughout the Central Business District and set up an Innovation Hub for tech entrepreneurs to congregate and meet.

According to the South Australian Government, “Adelaide will be one of the very few cities ready to develop and pilot new urban services and solutions to benefit the customer and citizen experience.”

However, the transition towards offering more technological infrastructure is not only the purview of Adelaide. Increasingly, the capital cities of Australia are undertaking new initiatives to integrate sensing technology and smart objects to solve some of the cities greatest problems.

In Brisbane, for instance, the city council is proposing trials for in-ground sensors that monitor whether or not a parking space is being used or not. The capacity of this data could allow drivers to know in real-time where free parks are, which could stop them from using up petrol and emitting green house gases while they drive around trying to find one.

While this indicates Australian governments are playing with the idea of creating smarter cities, some speculate on the willingness of our governments to move towards real change.

When the hallmarks of cities that are journeying towards becoming smart cities include excellent Internet capabilities, investment in development and progressive governments, the question is: will Australia evolve to match world cities that are transforming into technologically sophisticated systems with the potential to positively impact issues like population density and climate change in our future?

[Wayno]

We were discussing watering of the parklands over in the Fringe Festival thread after the Royal Croquet Club left VSQ as a dust bowl. Thought I'd bring the discussion into the ACC thread for obvious reasons.

See below - 2 gigalitres was set aside specifically for the parklands in the Glenelg waste water re-use project. That's 2 billion litres a year. The ACC informed me that 650-750megalitres (1/3rd) is currently used, seasonally dependent, covering about 200 hectares of open space. They were not at liberty to say how much the water costs.

The parklands are around 8 square kilometres (800 hectares). So conversatively 500+ hectares could be greened to a higher standard than at present. Clearly there's more cost involved than just the water (infrastructure, staffing, fertiliser, etc). I'd love someone to do a cost/benefit analysis. A PHD student at Adelaide Uni perhaps?

http://www.environment.gov.au/node/24287

Glenelg to Adelaide Park Lands water recycling project

About the project

Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Funding: The total project cost was $76.248 million of which the Australian Government has contributed $30.15 million. The remainder of funding was provided by the CityGreen Alliance, comprising of: SA Water (link is external), United Water, Leed Engineering and Construction (link is external), Guidera O'Connor and Leighton Services (link is external).

Completion of the project was announced by Senator the Hon Penny Wong, the former Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water on 11 January 2010.

The project has resulted in an upgrade of the Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant and construction of a pipeline to transport up to 2 gigalitres of Class A recycled water to irrigate the Adelaide City park lands. In addition, the upgrade has ensured there is capacity to provide up to 5.5 gigalitres of recycled water per year for new project or initiative in the central business district.

Project benefits

Using recycled water to irrigate the Adelaide Park Lands will significantly reduces nutrient discharge into the marine environment by reducing outfall from the Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant into the Gulf of St Vincent and metropolitan beaches.

The upgrade of the treatment plant and construction of the pipeline demonstrates the effectiveness of reusing treated water on a large scale, and also providing for future expansion of the use of recycled water.