The SA Politics Thread

[rubberman]

Not that I doubt what you're saying but what was the plan for the proposed Parade extension which Labor had planned to start in 2018/19 and complete by 2020 had they won the 2018 State election? As far as I am aware that didn't include a new depot but I think an extra 4 trams were included in the costings.

Does a new depot really have to be all bells and whistles or could Morphettville support maintenance of a slightly bigger fleet if a stabling-only solution could be found somewhere along a new route? If the latter, wouldn't that be as simple as purchasing a suitable plot of land close enough to the route? Presumably it would not need to be huge if it only needs to accommodate 4 more trams as an interim measure awaiting a larger depot which would accompany future extensions and I would have thought there would likely be at least one ex-industrial (or could be made ex) site around Kent Town that might be suitable.

They proposed not only a Norwood extension, but also North Adelaide and Adelink. So, it must have been way more than four trams needed. I never saw a figure, but to service all those would require more than ten trams, likely closer to twenty. I agree if it were only four trams, something temporary could be done. Although buying four trams only would be a challenge if Madrid has run out of spare Citadis. I'm sure Melbourne would sell their Citadis...to any sucker wanting to buy. I hope we wouldn't get caught though.

If it was a bigger order, we might get something better. Anyhow, a pipe dream at the moment. But I do hope it can happen and will be happy to be proven wrong.

If South Australia identified a need for a few new trams, was prepared to accept a new class, and wasn't rushed for quick acquisition, surely we could tack on the end of a Victorian order. Once they are ordered, we could negotiate with Victoria if we wanted a few a bit quicker and push out the end of their deliveries.

At the moment, there seems to be plenty of vacant industrial land on Port Road where West End and Coca Cola Amatil used to be, right next to the tram line.

The latest Victorian tram order is horrendously expensive. Plus, the production rate is extremely slow. Make of that what you will.

Back to the topic of SA politics, and that land along Port Road. The Liberals missed a golden opportunity there. Rather than build a stadium in the Parklands, redevelopment of the land across from the Parklands along Port Road would have been transformational. Change from light industry to residential usage close to the CBD along a tram line opposite a park would have been a winner. Apart from the optics of any good inner city residential development, it could have put a thousand potential Liberal voters in the area if, under the Libs it was up market. Plus, of course, developers would have been lining up in support. With none of the downside of that stadium. Plus, of course, eventually, the whole Hindmarsh area round the existing Entertainment Centre there, and along the Torrens to South Road could have become a new gentrified suburb of potential Liberal voters.

But they blew it.

I wonder if Labor might do this, fill the area with Labor voting demographics, and cement the whole area as a Labor bastion forever?

[SBD]

So the State budget has been brought forward from September to next Thursday (2nd June) - does anyone want to make any guesses as to any surprises we might find outside of the previously announced election policies?

I'm expecting this one to be fairly low key but I'd like to think that we might hear something vaguely sexy announced - hopefully funding for the Port Dock rail spur (yes I'm very keen for a direct rail link from my house to Pirate Life) or possibly even a tram extension but I suspect I might be dreaming on that front in the short term.

Either a delay or a rethink of the North-South motorway. It might be delayed to allow for bringing forward the spend for the "basketball stadium" that seemed to be spent several times before the (old) government planned to spend it. It might be rethought or cancelled because Tom Koutsantonis doesn't want the elevated section proposed near the River Torrens in his electorate. Either way, the most congested section that would help everyone will not be finished within five years.

There will also be funding to review the Bowden gasworks contract that wasn't awarded to The Crows.

Hopefully there will be some funds to start thinking about how the South Eastern Freeway should connect to the North South Motorway.

How about a new (second) Swanport Bridge or plans to extend dual carriageway on the Sturt, Dukes or Augusta Highways?

Last time Labor was in government, it bought gas turbines to ensure electricity supply for Adelaide. WHat will it do this time for electricity?

[Nort]

Either a delay or a rethink of the North-South motorway. It might be delayed to allow for bringing forward the spend for the "basketball stadium" that seemed to be spent several times before the (old) government planned to spend it. It might be rethought or cancelled because Tom Koutsantonis doesn't want the elevated section proposed near the River Torrens in his electorate. Either way, the most congested section that would help everyone will not be finished within five years.

I can see Labor rethinking the Anzac Highway to Brickworks section, but that shouldn't stop works, since things are starting up with the southern section of tunnel anyway.

Pushing out the completion date would be gifting the Liberals a massive campaign talking point for the next state election.

Last time Labor was in government, it bought gas turbines to ensure electricity supply for Adelaide. WHat will it do this time for electricity?

One of Labors big campaign pieces was the construction of a hydrogen facility, allowing excess energy from a massive increase in renewables to be stored and eventually exported, along with providing a plant that can provide renewable baseload energy.

With the new Federal government and the clear public support for action on renewable energy I'd say it's virtually guaranteed we will see this plan or something similar announced as a Federal/State collaboration in the next 18 months.

[Llessur2002]

Yeah, I would have thought that any significant delay to the NS motorway caused by a deliberate major re-working of the design would be politically unsafe - I can see a few minor tweaks but I would be surprised if they deviate too far from the existing plan at this stage. Any community resentment caused by elements such as the Brickworks flyover can be blamed on the Libs because "they designed it".

[Spotto]

Thinking forward to 2025/6, I hope we can be a little more ambitious than tram extensions, and finally commit to the city underground rail link (with federal assistance). Given the planning and construction timeline, perhaps it could be conceived as the 'bicentennial line' in time for 2036.

This. An underground city rail link (a through-line, not a loop) will future-proof our rail network for future expansion and capacity upgrades. We might not immediately need it today, but give it maybe 5 years after it eventually gets completed and we'll be sure glad we did.

Look at Melbourne's Metro Tunnel: 8 year construction timeline, currently 3 years to go and they needed it yesterday.

[SRW]

Thinking forward to 2025/6, I hope we can be a little more ambitious than tram extensions, and finally commit to the city underground rail link (with federal assistance). Given the planning and construction timeline, perhaps it could be conceived as the 'bicentennial line' in time for 2036.

This. An underground city rail link (a through-line, not a loop) will future-proof our rail network for future expansion and capacity upgrades. We might not immediately need it today, but give it maybe 5 years after it eventually gets completed and we'll be sure glad we did.

Look at Melbourne's Metro Tunnel: 8 year construction timeline, currently 3 years to go and they needed it yesterday.

Yes, it will be a decade long project at least, and we need to start asap. The best example is Auckland, a city roughly the same size, where comparable rail investments have seen ridership boom.

[SBD]

The "need" for a city rail link seems to be predicated on the assumption that most (or at least many) of us will continue to live in the suburbs and commute to work in the CBD. Is this a valid assumption into the future?

• There are more people living in the city centre than there have been for decades, and more homes being built.
• The pandemic has demonstrated that remote working is viable for many people (either work from home or from local business centres)
• Universal NBN means that even places hundreds of kilometres from major cities have viable internet for remote working and living
• Any future manufacturing and industry is unlikely to be near the CBD. A justification for a through link would be workers who live one side commuting across to work on the other side, but it's 50 years since Adelaide public transport was universally useful for blue collar workers, and adding one new link is unlikely to fix that.

[[Shuz]]

Thinking forward to 2025/6, I hope we can be a little more ambitious than tram extensions, and finally commit to the city underground rail link (with federal assistance). Given the planning and construction timeline, perhaps it could be conceived as the 'bicentennial line' in time for 2036.

This. An underground city rail link (a through-line, not a loop) will future-proof our rail network for future expansion and capacity upgrades. We might not immediately need it today, but give it maybe 5 years after it eventually gets completed and we'll be sure glad we did.

Look at Melbourne's Metro Tunnel: 8 year construction timeline, currently 3 years to go and they needed it yesterday.

Hell, they needed Melbourne Metro 2 yesterday.

We have a lot of catching up to do.

[AG]

If anything, a new underground rail link through the city would improve both CBD connectivity AND suburb to suburb cross city connections, as well as free up capacity at Adelaide Railway Station for repurposing (regional rail?).

A through running connection allowing the northern lines to connect directly into the southern lines would enable single seat journey from say Mawson Lakes to Oaklands or Grange to Belair without requiring transfers at Adelaide. By having a second and third station (Hindmarsh Square, Victoria Square?) in the city it would still ease transfers from the rail system to other routes including the O-Bahn.

Other improvements such as duplications of existing tracks, new railcars and electrifying the remainder of the rail network would be required to enable the above, but constructing three new underground stations with two single track tunnels with dive structures is achievable. Certainly a smaller job than Torrens to Darlington.

[rev]

The current big topic between our state government and opposition, e scooters.

Definitely nothing of greater importance that they should be arguing about.


But at least the opposition have managed to make a valid point finally, that being the absurdity that you can hire a e scooter and use it legally and buy one from JBHIFI but can't use it in public legally.

Well done, maybe they can apply that level of enthusiasm to more important issues.

[abc]

because you'd be able to escape from the 15 minute city with your own scooter

[rev]

Our state governor is now going to be on $495,754 per year.

In 2021, the governor was on $351,015. A review at the time found it was lower then other state governors.

So in a bid to keep up with other state governors, the state Remuneration Tribunal has increase the governors salary by $140,000 in two years.
Fucking amazing during a cost of living crisis that is affecting the majority of people in this state and country.

Can we all go to the state Remuneration Tribunal and get a pay bump? Or is it reserved for the select few cunts we call politicians and their ilk?


https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 6e1148b246

[Spotto]

Our state governor is now going to be on $495,754 per year.

In 2021, the governor was on $351,015. A review at the time found it was lower then other state governors.

So in a bid to keep up with other state governors, the state Remuneration Tribunal has increase the governors salary by $140,000 in two years.

For a role that is mostly ceremonial to boot. Where do us regular Aussies sign up?

[[Shuz]]

There is no way this is even remotely justifiable.

[A-Town]

Our state governor is now going to be on $495,754 per year.

In 2021, the governor was on $351,015. A review at the time found it was lower then other state governors.

So in a bid to keep up with other state governors, the state Remuneration Tribunal has increase the governors salary by $140,000 in two years.
Fucking amazing during a cost of living crisis that is affecting the majority of people in this state and country.

Can we all go to the state Remuneration Tribunal and get a pay bump? Or is it reserved for the select few cunts we call politicians and their ilk?


https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 6e1148b246

Disgusting. A massive kick in the teeth to so many doing it tough. Politicians completely out of touch as always.