SA Economy

[rhino]

... we have made untold wealth from our ability to export raw materials and services to the international markets - imagine if China and Japan put up trade barriers you want here? we'd be f'd.

Thankyou for your response, I can see the sense of what you're saying, unfortunately the Australian Populace can't see the nonsense of what they are doing (buying cheap low-quality goods).

However, I don't really agree with the line I've quoted above - if a country needs a commodity they can't supply themselves, they are not going to shut the door on a country that is willing to supply it - that would be like "we would rather asphyxiate than breathe the air you can sell us".

The current scenario sees us selling top quality ore to China and buying back lower quality steel than we would make here ourselves with that same ore, and thinking we are getting a good deal because the steel is cheap, and we need it to be cheap because we don't have enough (steelmaking, among others) jobs here to keep us wealthy enough to buy our own higher quality steel.

[claybro]

Yes agree to all of these projects being fast tracked, but only if the unions can agree to sensible wages and conditions, and the state governments carefully plan and not just blow billions in over the top costs as has happened previously. We are still catching up with the last lot of rorts under the last federal stimulus. At least this stimulus would be geared toward critical infrastructure.

[Jaymz]

Does anyone else find it absurd that the State Govt is spending $120 million or so on the O-Bahn extension that no one really wants,
instead of the $70 million needed for the electrification of the Gawler train line?

[jk1237]

Does anyone else find it absurd that the State Govt is spending $120 million or so on the O-Bahn extension that no one really wants,
instead of the $70 million needed for the electrification of the Gawler train line?

Not if the economics of replacing perfectly capable trains doesn't stack up. I also want the Gawler line to be electrified now, however if the current 3000 trains haven't yet reached the life cycle, then it's a bit silly economically to replace them. The current trains have seats, they have a/c, they move, they brake, they have doors to let people in and out. I'm detecting that the govt has done a cost/benefit study and is recommending that its more cost effective to let the 3000 trains run out for another 5+ years, rather than electrify right now. The 2000 trains needed phashing out, which is why electrifying the one line was enough to phase them out.

I'm a bit over the opposition to the o'bahn extension. Its transport planning 101 that you don't end a rapid transport corridor 2 km from the CBD and let 'rapid' buses fight with cars into the city for 20 minutes

[Jaymz]

Well in my opinion, the electrification of the Gawler rail line should be our top priority, along with more light rail i.e Trams

And i'm fairly certain that while the old diesel box rattlers continue to make our city look like a backwater,
we have a few spare new, modern, electric trains sitting around with nothing to do. Doesn't sound like very
good economics to me

[Goodsy]

Does anyone else find it absurd that the State Govt is spending $120 million or so on the O-Bahn extension that no one really wants,

speak for yourself

[Norman]

The electrification is more than $72m. That might just be to Dry Creek. From memory, the cost to electrify the line to Salisbury is $149m

[Jaymz]

The electrification is more than $72m. That might just be to Dry Creek. From memory, the cost to electrify the line to Salisbury is $149m

And yes, the $70 million I mentioned is the amount of money the current Federal Govt withdrew after coming into office. The rest was funded by our State Govt, so I guess they will keep it on the back burner until the Feds come to the party. Seems a pity for it not to happen over a paltry amount of money in the grand scheme of things.

[rev]

The electrification is more than $72m. That might just be to Dry Creek. From memory, the cost to electrify the line to Salisbury is $149m

And yes, the $70 million I mentioned is the amount of money the current Federal Govt withdrew after coming into office. The rest was funded by our State Govt, so I guess they will keep it on the back burner until the Feds come to the party. Seems a pity for it not to happen over a paltry amount of money in the grand scheme of things.

If the state government had $150 million+ sitting around beneath the cushions of the couches at parliament house, then they would have done it without federal funding.

[stronic]

I definitely agree with jk1237 regarding the O'Bahn needing the upgrade. It can no longer be considered rapid transit if its travelling the same route as cars and having to battle with them every time it arrives in the city. In time, the electrification of the Gawler line will spring up. But it's all about timing.

[rev]

The Prime Minister has just announced that 12 OPV patrol vessels will be built here at ASC in 2018, the 21 other pacific patrol boats will be built in WA. Although the graphic on ABC24 says both sets of patrol vessels will be built in SA. PM said the 21 will be in WA...
The 9 frigates will be built here as well from 2020.

Nothing on the submarines yet.
The submarines contract is the one we really need in Australia. It's a $50 billion dollar contract. Sending that sort of money overseas is insanity.

[claybro]

I believe the patrol boats are to be built in SA until the submarine build comes on line, from that point construction of the balance of the patrol boats will be transferred to WA.- that's how I read it anyway.

[rev]

I believe the patrol boats are to be built in SA until the submarine build comes on line, from that point construction of the balance of the patrol boats will be transferred to WA.- that's how I read it anyway.

They haven't made an announcement on the submarines yet. As I posted in the defence thread, with some updated info as I was hearing it on ABC24 live, the OPV(offshore patrol vessels) build will start in Adelaide, with at least the first vessel built here between 2018 and 2020. In 2020 the future frigate build will start in Adelaide, at which point the OPV build will have been shifted to Henderson in Western Australia, who will already be building the Pacific patrol boats.

9 frigates - Adelaide
9 OPV - Adelaide & WA
21 patrol boats - WA

The biggest out of those three contracts is the frigates at $35 billion.

An interesting question asked by one journalist, was in relation to the building of the frigates and submarines.
This wasn't the question, but this is basically the gist of it... how can Adelaide build the frigates and submarines simultaneously, if the facilities wont allow for the OPV and frigates to be built simultaneously.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but when they expanded ASC for the destroyer programme, they maintained the submarine facility. The destroyer facility was a whole new section of the facility that didn't touch the existing facilities for the submarines. Short of expanding the workforce I don't see why they couldn't do both simultaneously.

[Goodsy]

I believe the patrol boats are to be built in SA until the submarine build comes on line, from that point construction of the balance of the patrol boats will be transferred to WA.- that's how I read it anyway.

They haven't made an announcement on the submarines yet. As I posted in the defence thread, with some updated info as I was hearing it on ABC24 live, the OPV(offshore patrol vessels) build will start in Adelaide, with at least the first vessel built here between 2018 and 2020. In 2020 the future frigate build will start in Adelaide, at which point the OPV build will have been shifted to Henderson in Western Australia, who will already be building the Pacific patrol boats.

9 frigates - Adelaide
9 OPV - Adelaide & WA
21 patrol boats - WA

The biggest out of those three contracts is the frigates at $35 billion.

An interesting question asked by one journalist, was in relation to the building of the frigates and submarines.
This wasn't the question, but this is basically the gist of it... how can Adelaide build the frigates and submarines simultaneously, if the facilities wont allow for the OPV and frigates to be built simultaneously.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but when they expanded ASC for the destroyer programme, they maintained the submarine facility. The destroyer facility was a whole new section of the facility that didn't touch the existing facilities for the submarines. Short of expanding the workforce I don't see why they couldn't do both simultaneously.

I don't think the submarine facilities and lift are big enough for surface vessels

[rev]

I believe the patrol boats are to be built in SA until the submarine build comes on line, from that point construction of the balance of the patrol boats will be transferred to WA.- that's how I read it anyway.

They haven't made an announcement on the submarines yet. As I posted in the defence thread, with some updated info as I was hearing it on ABC24 live, the OPV(offshore patrol vessels) build will start in Adelaide, with at least the first vessel built here between 2018 and 2020. In 2020 the future frigate build will start in Adelaide, at which point the OPV build will have been shifted to Henderson in Western Australia, who will already be building the Pacific patrol boats.

9 frigates - Adelaide
9 OPV - Adelaide & WA
21 patrol boats - WA

The biggest out of those three contracts is the frigates at $35 billion.

An interesting question asked by one journalist, was in relation to the building of the frigates and submarines.
This wasn't the question, but this is basically the gist of it... how can Adelaide build the frigates and submarines simultaneously, if the facilities wont allow for the OPV and frigates to be built simultaneously.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but when they expanded ASC for the destroyer programme, they maintained the submarine facility. The destroyer facility was a whole new section of the facility that didn't touch the existing facilities for the submarines. Short of expanding the workforce I don't see why they couldn't do both simultaneously.

I don't think the submarine facilities and lift are big enough for surface vessels

You do realize they actually built a huge extension at ASC for surface ships, that they've been building destroyers at for a few years now right...?

FYI, a frigate is smaller then a destroyer.