News & Discussion: Adelaide City Council

[cruel_world00]

I wholeheartedly agree that it could be moved to one of the other squares. For sure.

But knocking this as another crazed Moran proposal is probably a bit far. 99% of her contribution can be criticised but I don't think this one is terrible. Maybe both can work? City Beach in the Square and beach volleyball at the Aquatic Centre. Every one wins!

[david]

Notes from Cllr David Plumridge's Desk - issue 93

- Report of decisions made at Council meeting held on 16 April.
(includes final, FINAL decision on what trees we are going to get in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga - Stage 1)

Notes from Councillor Issue 93.pdf

(154.63 KiB) Downloaded 111 times

David Plumridge AM
Councillor, City of Adelaide.

[Maximus]

But knocking this as another crazed Moran proposal is probably a bit far. 99% of her contribution can be criticised but I don't think this one is terrible. Maybe both can work? City Beach in the Square and beach volleyball at the Aquatic Centre. Every one wins!

The problem is, when you (i.e. Anne Moran) make such ill-informed statements as most players "are already in their bathers anyway", and you don't show any semblance of understanding about why the present location is popular, any possible grain of sense in your ideas becomes totally lost amongst the insanity.

[ml69]

I quite like the idea of having the beach volleyball courts in the southern part of Vic Square near the tram stop. Would be a convenient spot for office workers to get to and makes use of the square.

However it could lead to criticism that part of the square nis blocked from pubkic access (although very few people would actually use the current barren expanse there).

[[Shuz]]

Pop-up fad has gone too far: city councillor
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Liam Mannix

AFTER voting to defer the Adelaide City Council’s proposed food truck regulations last night, councillor Sandy Wilkinson has taken a broad swipe at the “overzealousness” of the vibrancy lobby.

The “pop-up” boom was a fad and feeding it had the potential to damage the city, Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson, along with councillors Anne Moran, Mark Hamilton and Anthony Williamson, successfully moved to delay the passage of proposed food truck regulations until a report had been done on any competitive advantage they might have over bricks-and-mortar retailers.

Specifically singling out fellow councillor Natasha Malani, Wilkinson told Indaily councillors pushing the vibrancy agenda were ignoring established businesses in the city which paid the majority of rates.

"I think there’s an overzealousness of this sort of vitality and pop-up push within certain parts of council that’s losing sight of who the true real contributors to the city are, which are those business that have invested heavily in their tenancies,” he said.

“They are the real vitality of the city. And the pop-up things really are ephemeral things that will come and go.

“What’s important is that the real vitality of the city is maintained and not killed off by pop-up operations operating on a completely different cost basis.”

Wilkinson voted to defer the food truck regulations because he believed the trucks were able to out-compete bricks-and-mortar businesses and would eventually drive them out of business.

"I don’t want to see the city turning into a place with vital caravans outside vacant shops. What I want to see is a place where food vendors are paying commercial rates for their business opportunity, which is considerable, so that bricks and mortar businesses aren’t at a disadvantage.

"The thing about a competitive market is that the players in the market need to be operating in an even playing field in terms of cost base.

“Coffees are $3.50 whether you buy it from a cafe or a mobile food vending place, yet a cafe is paying $1000 to $1500 dollars a week rent. A mobile coffee van is paying less than a thousand dollars or nothing to operate for a whole year.”

Under present regulations the city’s food trucks pay nothing for their permits to operate.

Fixed businesses pay council rates based on the amount of rent they pay a year. A small café in the city paying $75,000 a year in rent would pay Council about $7167 a year in rates.

Responding to Wilkinson’s comments, Malani told Indaily Wilkinson was delaying the vote rather than trying to deal with the issue.

"Sandy looked at it from one eye,” she said. “He’s taking a really easy political way out to handle what is a very complex issue.

"Councillor Wilkinson actually only has one agenda and that’s heritage, because he links heritage in to everything.”

Malani said the council had signed up to the vibrancy strategy and constituents expected them to start rolling it out.

"In terms of the pace, I think there’s an expectation we need to start delivering. Splash Adelaide was a good example where we delivered something and they liked it.

“There are some of us on council that look at this a bit more economically. If we don’t sustain our city economically, the city is going to die.

“You can have the best heritage building, you can have the best parklands, you can have the fifth most liveable city in the world. But if businesses are not surviving then you have no city.”

However Malani did say there was some room for change on the proposed food truck guidelines.

She said the council might consider altering the restrictions on when and where the trucks could operate to better protect fixed retailers.

Last Friday’s Fork on the Road food truck festival hurt fixed retailers and should have been run at a better time, she said.

"I don’t think that that was the right time, on a Friday lunchtime, to have Fork on the Road in the city, because that does take away from bricks and mortar trade. To take it from that one analysis is not really a fair and balanced argument.

"I don’t have a problem with rethinking the policy guidelines."

Sandy Wilkinson strikes again!

[Nathan]

[monotonehell]

Once again the conservative element attempt to conserve themselves to death.

Vibrancy leads to more people coming to Adelaide, which can have spill on effects to those businesses who are willing to make the effort to cater to the crowds. Those who have a business model that they think is working don't want anything to change. But stagnation leads to death.

Evolve or lie down and die.

[cruel_world00]

This really angers me.

Bricks and mortar businesses only suffer because people are sick of the same boring food they serve up.

A fixed business can offer punters experiences and options that a van cannot.

I've got no time for this "even playing field" debate. Van vs Fixed are two different choices that consumers can make. If your business is being negatively affected by another business use that as an opportunity to diversify, step up and offer better service.

Consumers will vote with their mouths/wallets.

Also, Sandy Wilkinson:

[Norman]

Aren't food trucks forced to move into a bricks and mortar shop after 2 years? Doesn't that make things 'even'?

[Reb-L]

The problem of moving it out of the city is that people ONLY use it because it's in the city. OK not everyone. But I used to work nearby and we used to have a number of work teams. As soon as ourr offices moved to near South terrace no one was interested anymore as it was too hard to get to. (Bear in mind we would play during lunch hours in the corporate competition). it woul simply not work out of the CBD.

Yes, the courts are popular because of their location. Move them out of the CBD and they will die a slow death. Of course the current location is a valuable piece of dirt and it's understandable that the ACC wants to get a better return from it. But why not have it all instead? Leave the courts where they are. Build something above it (allow extra height as an incentive). Leave the two street sides open. Put in a coffee place, bar or something at the back and above the courts. People can have their cappuccino and perv the players below and they feel more important having an audience. There might even be space for some rock climbing (also a popular spectator sport).The space above all this could become apartments/offices. As the courts would be protected from most of the weather they could be open late and bring life to the street and also become a tourist magnet.

[Dvious]

The only reason business are complaining is because nobody wants their boring ham sandwiches.

[david]

In answer to Norm, Food Trucks are not required to move into permanent premises in any particular time, but Council encourages that and helps those who want to make the change to do so.

One suggestion has been that Council should keep the first year of operation fees quite low but then ramp them up progressively to be on a par with the bricks and mortar operators. This would give the innovators a chance to make a start and test their business model. (It would be possible to establish an average 'per square meter' value for occupying public realm space and then add a figure for rates).

Then whoever provides - on a level playing field - what the customer wants, will succeed - that's the market deciding.

In fact I am told that 2 have already moved successfully into permanent premises.

David

[Nathan]

As far as I know, La Cantina were involved with Little Miss Mexico, and of course Burger Theory will be opening on Union St. Are there any others known to have long term plans of setting up?

I think the ramping operation fees are better compromise than capping the number of vans. I also think a couple of designated van spots should be set (in addition to permits for roaming), where the vans have a bit more protection from complaints and bricks & mortar businesses can reliably know that there will be potential competition there. (Kind of like establishing a food court, but with rotating vendors). That seemed to work quite well from what I saw in San Francisco.

[Vee]

ABC891 posted this item from their program about concerns over the debt for the ACC redevelopment of the Rundle Mall and Victoria Square projects.

Comments from Councillor, Ann Moran and Chairman of the Rundle Mall Management Committee, Theo Maras decry the level and management of debt (blowouts?) of the two projects and the possibility of raising charges, rates etc to fund the debt. They are also critical of the lack of co-funding by the state govt. but this was known before both projects were approved?
Lord Mayor, Stephen Yarwood was O/S and unable to comment.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/201 ... 748070.htm

Valid criticism? Will be interesting to hear a response from Stephen Yarwood when he returns.
Thoughts?

[Vee]

Quick update on the previous story re Cost of ACC redevelopment projects.
@StephenYarwood made the following points today in tweets with some Adelaide journos.
He said that ..
The budget story was one sided.
"Borrowings well within prudent limit. Alternative is $0 debt and no projects - that's radically conservative!”

And this in response to criticisms from Ann Moran on budget details and Yarwood's trip, on Council business, to Dubai as a waste of time.
"ironic she was absent at both 5 hour committee when we went thru budget & when council unanimously supported my attendance”

Sure to hear more on Yarwood's return.