News & Discussion: Adelaide City Council

[Ben]

2 King William Street? Isn't that the old Westpac building? If it is, it'd be interesting to see how they blend it into the heritage facade.

Sure is.

[Will]

Application has been lodged with Adelaide City Council for a 4 Level addition to the existing building located at 2 - 12 King William Street (New Seasons of Adelaide). To increase size of the hotel. Will be interesting to know more on this project as it would make a significant impact on the skyline. I hope they do a better job then 223 North Terrace.

You wont be able to see the addition, as it is going into the rear of the building.

If you have a look at Google Earth, you will see that the building although it has a rectangular footprint, the upper levels are in the shape of an 'L'. The addition will only be seen from the rear lane behind the property. In addition the Westpac building is a very important heirtage building, and as such adding floors on top of the building would be impossible to do.

This will be similar to the proposed extensions to the Rydges South park on South Terrace. The 7 level additions there are going behind the current building not on top. A similar situation will apply here.

[SRW]

Adelaide City Council passes budget
Posted Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:07pm AEST
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007 ... 961733.htm

The Adelaide City Council has passed a $154 million budget focusing on infrastructure, environmental initiatives and attracting students and visitors to the city.

Rates will remain pegged at 11.5 cents in the dollar for residential and 13.3 cents in the dollar for non-residential properties.

The budget includes more than $4 million towards the completion of the Central Bus Station and a solar-electric bus that will start operating from September.

$600,000 will be spent on introducing a three-bin recycling system.

$1.25 million will be spent to continue restoration of the Victoria Park Heritage Grandstand.

$425,000 has been allocated to student growth programs.

There was some opposition to the budget.

Councillor Judith Brine argued there was too much focus on attracting students and not enough on supporting them once they arrive.

She also said there was not enough focus on preserving the parklands.

[toby1]

a solar electric bus - is this for real? Sounds like one of those bandwagon thingos that elected representatives like so much, but i would be very happy to see it made a reality. does anyone know more about the design and if it is a working idea or just a pipe dream?

[Ben]

There is more info in this pdf but yes it will be delivered in September.

http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/Netc ... ment_1.pdf

[toby1]

There is more info in this pdf but yes it will be delivered in September.

http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/Netc ... ment_1.pdf

nice one thanks beamer. it actually does seem realistic and like a working proposal! i had visions of some hippy bus with panels on top but it seem to be a fully electric bus with batteries recharged at the new bus depot form solar roof panels on the building. sounds like a solid idea and a great improvement to the public transport network.

also good to note the improved parklands trail too

T

[urban]

There are currently a couple of these electric buses running around NZ but they are charged from the grid whereas the ACC bus will be charged from solar panels at the depot as toby1 said.

Technically it is the first public bus to be powered solely by solar power.

[Ben]

145 - 150 West Terrace

Application has been lodged with ACC to demolish existing buildings and construct a 3 level showroom. Cost of $16,000,000.

[crawf]

Is this the car showroom that was knocked back earlier this year?

[SRW]

I'd love to see the day when something interesting is built on West Terrace (not to be negative or anything...).

[rev]

For those who don't remember the goings-on from 2003, the council actually approved this plan, I've pulled this out of eLibrary and my hard drive.

The ACC's plan, from The Advertiser


A comparison, from Google Earth

Almost makes you want to cry looking at this.

[stumpjumper]

The appt by the Farrell/Foley/Rann govt of Lomax Smith to the newly created position of Minister for Adelaide was a move as hollow and deceptive as anything the govt has ever done.

The appt was an empty gesture to deceive primarily the park lands lobby, residents of the city and members of various heritage and conservation groups that they had an ally in govt.

Not so - the small print in LMS's remit specifically excludes her from having responsibility for either the Park Lands or development in the CBD.

Then they gagged her on the Park Lands anyway, so she cold maintain her integrity with her supporters.

'She'd love to speak, she just isn't allowed to. So of course I'll still support her,' one told me.

How typical of this manipulative, cynical government.

And the cynical spin never ends - yesterday we had Saint Mike 'Praise me, praise me - I was wrong and I'm admitting it!'

Now we have Mr Nice Guy Kevin Foley threatening the ACC that unless they pass his grandstand in the Park Lands, he'll just legislate it through anyway. He's assuming that his parliamentary colleagues will agree to back his threatening behaviour. They will, of course.

Hullo Kev, goodbye democracy.

And where does good planning practice come into this?

What is Planning SA's opinion?

'We have no involvement or opinion. It is a Ministerial matter'.

What about the Minister for Planning?

'This Minister has no involvement in this project.'

(Answers given by phone to present writer. Pressing the point resulted in a request for my name, address and employment, followed by disconnection).

Imagine printing the above in a text book on planning. Then ask the students where this scenario might be happening. I say if we're not going to use planners, and just operate by the decisions from time to time of people like that fine, upstanding citizen Mr Kevin Foley, with his wealth of experience and understanding of the built environment, let's sack the planning dept.

Naturally, J-Lo is still gagged.

[Shuz]

Anyone think this Rann goverment may be a Nazi regime in the works? I mean, they have it all. The bolsterous leader, Fuhrer Rann, the deputy Fuhrer Foley, and their cynical media associates who use extremist propaganda praising every achievement of the Labor Nazi Party. Next up, the Christmas pageant will be transformed into a Nuremburg Rally!

[stumpjumper]

That's overstating it, but not by much.

The methodology is the same. A gang of self-seekers and idealogues crowding behind the popular figurehead.

"Rann gets things done!" The ALP's slogan implies a certain ends jsutifies the means mentality.

There are many shared characteristics of Rann's govt and your average totalitarian regime (left or right variety).

One such is to make a decision, then to fudge some sort of public process to deliver the already desired result. We saw it with the imposition of the least popular choice for Park LAnds management after a six figure consultation process that damned the govt's final choice.

We're seeing it now with the completely uninformed Minister for Environment and Conservation, the same Minister who will not be interviewed on her portfolio because she knows jack sh-t about it Gail Gago deciding to bulldoze the buildings on Troubridge Island. (State Heritage, Register of National Estate, etc etc.)

Gail, former State Secretary of the powerful Australian Nurses Federation given a safe seat in Parliament, was awarded her Ministgerial salary and perks as a result of her being next in line for her faction to be given a Ministry. Interestingly, her ALP website entry doesn't mention 'state secretary' preferring to describe her as 'an active member' of the union, probably in an attempt to deflect comments that she is just another talentless union hack parachuted into a safe Legislative Council seat courtesy the ALP's faction system.

[SRW]

Anyone think this Rann goverment may be a Nazi regime in the works? I mean, they have it all. The bolsterous leader, Fuhrer Rann, the deputy Fuhrer Foley, and their cynical media associates who use extremist propaganda praising every achievement of the Labor Nazi Party. Next up, the Christmas pageant will be transformed into a Nuremburg Rally!

Godwin's Law

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_Law)