#Article : Adelaide 'the next boom town'

[Howie]

This is the sort of advertising i'd like to see interstate about Adelaide.

Adelaide 'the next boom town'
Article from: AAP


February 17, 2008 12:00pm

AN interstate advertising blitz promoting Adelaide as 'the next boom town' will begin this week.
Premier Mike Rann said SA was the state of the future and it was important to get the message out.

"The first advert - `Where would you invest - the last boom town or the next?' - highlights that South Australia stands on the brink of a massive long-term boom, especially in the mining and defence sectors," he said in a statement.

Advertisements will this week adorn the front page of Melbourne's The Age, the front page of the business sections of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Weekend Australian and page two of The Australian Financial Review.

The $1.1 million advertising campaign will continue until June.

"We have to get the message out there that South Australia is the state of the future, with an all-time high in the number of people in jobs and full-time jobs, all-time high in private business investment, (and) an all-time high of $45 billion in major projects in prospect," Mr Rann said.

"While we know the message is beginning to infiltrate the eastern seaboard that South Australia is on the cusp of a very long term economic bonanza, it's important that business investors are aware of the huge opportunities now opening up."

Mr Rann pointed to the boom in mining in the state, including the plan to expand Olympic Dam to be the largest open cut mine in the world, the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyers project, and plans to build the next generation of submarines in Adelaide in a $25 billion project.

"We want people to know that South Australia is a state with a renewed sense of confidence that welcomes entrepreneurship and risk-taking ... ," Mr Rann said.

"We want to lock in the gains we've made, to create a business environment in which companies can continue to prosper and to help make South Australia the most competitive investment location in Australasia."

[AG]

From that article and the previous articles about plans for a new stadium, it almost seems as if Rann is more focussed on the big picture for SA rather than the little details while MHS is focussed on the little projects here and there with very few comments about where SA as a whole should be heading. As I've said before and I'll say it again, most people fail to realise the extent of the potential that a mining boom could have on SA, even those that are aware of the expansions out on the mines and in the defence sector. Most people will be too slow to personally capitalise on a mining boom because by the time they realise that SA is booming, many of the opportunities would've been taken already.

[muzzamo]

Great Attract more real estate speculators from interstate just when im trying to buy a house...

[Mawen]

Again, an example of money NOT WELL SPENT. I would like Mr. Rann to know something:

Firstly, our employment is not so 'gleeful' and 'promising'. He forgot to mention the thousands of SA Families and tens of thousands of SA citizens who are underemployed. Which means, they are working (yes) but their income and benefits fall short and well short of any standard of living. Secondly, we have the highest youth unemployment rate in Australia. Currently it is just above 21% for 15-19 year olds. Infact, the only national poll we have been winning in the past few years is our youth unemployment rate! So, not too sure what Mr. Rann is promoting.

Secondly, and my main point - We should not be spending millions on promoting how good the state is or how big the boom is. Have that not heard off the saying, A picture is worth more than a thousand words. We should quit the advertising and put the millions into development, practical lifestyle solutions for the Torrens River, CBD, Victoria Square and South Terrace!!

Have we not learnt anything from fricking Hollywood? If we build it, they will come!! Lets not promote NOTHING - lets just do the work, and they will pay attention!! That is how Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and most importantly Gold Coast came to fruition as power, forward, practical and innovative cities!

[Edgar]

A lot of people are mislead by the current tags of Adelaide as 'the next boom town'. This is just the beginning, what the government could do with such potential is something we need to emphasized on.

The last thing we want, is for investor to swam into the state, buy up all the properties with their cash and hold it for higher resale values. For one, it does not help South Australian themselves who are struggling to buy their first home. Secondly, this will not increase the population of South Australia, economically, not much either because cash flows from interstate, and flows back out again.

What we want, is for interstate or overseas businesses to set up and build their assets in SA. We want them to move here, create more business opportunities, and in return, create more job opportunities for the benefits of SA people. We certainly, don't want interstate people to come over here during the boom period, then pack up and leave just when we needed them.

I have see a lot of this trend happening in SA at the moment. Just simply take the example of real estate market, interstate buyers flock in and snap up properties for sale, they do not move here, they do not even live in there, they rent it out. And after a year or so, they tried to sell it at a much higher profits taking advantage of the 'boom'. So what happens from there? They pack their money, and still stay where they are.

Who loses out? Us South Australian, because we have to put up with the inflationary effects of the boom advantage by these irresponsible interstate investors.

[AG]

A lot of people are mislead by the current tags of Adelaide as 'the next boom town'. This is just the beginning, what the government could do with such potential is something we need to emphasized on.

The last thing we want, is for investor to swam into the state, buy up all the properties with their cash and hold it for higher resale values. For one, it does not help South Australian themselves who are struggling to buy their first home. Secondly, this will not increase the population of South Australia, economically, not much either because cash flows from interstate, and flows back out again.

What we want, is for interstate or overseas businesses to set up and build their assets in SA. We want them to move here, create more business opportunities, and in return, create more job opportunities for the benefits of SA people. We certainly, don't want interstate people to come over here during the boom period, then pack up and leave just when we needed them.

I have see a lot of this trend happening in SA at the moment. Just simply take the example of real estate market, interstate buyers flock in and snap up properties for sale, they do not move here, they do not even live in there, they rent it out. And after a year or so, they tried to sell it at a much higher profits taking advantage of the 'boom'. So what happens from there? They pack their money, and still stay where they are.

Who loses out? Us South Australian, because we have to put up with the inflationary effects of the boom advantage by these irresponsible interstate investors.

In the greater scheme of things, the $1.1 million that is being spent on advertising is hardly a drop in the ocean. Investment does not just refer to investment in property, it also means investment in local companies and the creation of jobs locally. If South Australians knew how to invest then they would also benefit from a property boom as well, who said it was just interstate and overseas investors? South Australians too can benefit from investing. Take a look at the Gold Coast, most of the housing stock that is coming online at the moment and recently is being snapped up mainly by investors, in some projects over 80% of dwellings are bought by investors. Yet the population is booming and there is more wealth in the hands of locals than ever before.

[crawf]

Again, an example of money NOT WELL SPENT. I would like Mr. Rann to know something:

Firstly, our employment is not so 'gleeful' and 'promising'. He forgot to mention the thousands of SA Families and tens of thousands of SA citizens who are underemployed. Which means, they are working (yes) but their income and benefits fall short and well short of any standard of living. Secondly, we have the highest youth unemployment rate in Australia. Currently it is just above 21% for 15-19 year olds. Infact, the only national poll we have been winning in the past few years is our youth unemployment rate! So, not too sure what Mr. Rann is promoting.

Secondly, and my main point - We should not be spending millions on promoting how good the state is or how big the boom is. Have that not heard off the saying, A picture is worth more than a thousand words. We should quit the advertising and put the millions into development, practical lifestyle solutions for the Torrens River, CBD, Victoria Square and South Terrace!!

Have we not learnt anything from fricking Hollywood? If we build it, they will come!! Lets not promote NOTHING - lets just do the work, and they will pay attention!! That is how Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and most importantly Gold Coast came to fruition as power, forward, practical and innovative cities!

Adelaide and SA has already got alot to offer, so to say the state should stop promoting SA is just ridiculous and would not help the state at all. And $1.1m is nothing these days

[AG]

Read some of the comments posted here on the AdelaideNow website: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html

I honestly hope that the comments posted by most people there isn't an accurate representation of how most Adelaide people think. Most people demonstrate small-mindedness and poverty mindsets on that page. Actually, this almost reminds me of how the people of Brisbane were prior to the 1980s. Now the same people are the ones kicking themselves because they were too busy looking for problems rather than opportunities.

It's not just the governments that determine how great their cities are or who make them, but also the public. If people want change they shouldn't expect the government to suddenly wave a magic wand without any effort from the public as well to improve the city.

[Will]

Read some of the comments posted here on the AdelaideNow website: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html

I honestly hope that the comments posted by most people there isn't an accurate representation of how most Adelaide people think. Most people demonstrate small-mindedness and poverty mindsets on that page. Actually, this almost reminds me of how the people of Brisbane were prior to the 1980s. Now the same people are the ones kicking themselves because they were too busy looking for problems rather than opportunities.

Yes I completely agree. I am finding it increasingly sad that despite the overwhelming evidence the people of this state continue to have a mindset more appropriate to 1995. I hope people realize that by being continuously negative, the thing which they supposedly hate (Adelaide) will never improve. The single largest barrier to progress in this state is the negative, defeatist attitude of the people.

The Advertiser has an important role to play in changing this attitude. If anyone from the Advertiser is reading this, can you please stop the constant negative slant on development, the silly comparisons of Adelaide with other cities and refrain from the ubiquitous use of negative phrases such as "little Adelaide", "sleepy old Adelaide", "in Adelaide there is only 2 degrees of separation" etc....

[crawf]

Some of the stuff that has been posted on S-A lately is reminding me of Adelaide Now and SSC.

[Wayno]

Some of the stuff that has been posted on S-A lately is reminding me of Adelaide Now and SSC.

yep - agree Crawf, i love this site for the timely and objective information, great thought provoking insight, quirky humour and general helpfulness of the vast majority. As always a few vocal whingers will endevour to bring everyone down to their level.

Let's continue to focus on outcomes, and avoid whinging about problems. Keep up the good work guys!

[frank1]

Read some of the comments posted here on the AdelaideNow website: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html

I honestly hope that the comments posted by most people there isn't an accurate representation of how most Adelaide people think. Most people demonstrate small-mindedness and poverty mindsets on that page. Actually, this almost reminds me of how the people of Brisbane were prior to the 1980s. Now the same people are the ones kicking themselves because they were too busy looking for problems rather than opportunities.

It's not just the governments that determine how great their cities are or who make them, but also the public. If people want change they shouldn't expect the government to suddenly wave a magic wand without any effort from the public as well to improve the city.

It's just sickening the way people put down our state on that website. . Even something positive such as the prospect of a 'boom state' seems to bring out the worst in Adelaideans. F**kn grow up and change your dam attitudes or hurry up and leave for the eastern states and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[AtD]

Secondly, we have the highest youth unemployment rate in Australia. Currently it is just above 21% for 15-19 year olds. Infact, the only national poll we have been winning in the past few years is our youth unemployment rate! So, not too sure what Mr. Rann is promoting.

Well actually... the Youth Unemployment rate is 16.2%, which is somewhat lower than 21%. We're ahead of the NT and Tas. NSW has a rate of 15.5%, and the 'boom' states of QLD and WA both have a rate of 11.1%.
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats ... 202008.pdf

[Queen Anne]

Hi, I'm new - Adelaide girl living in Seattle due to hubbie's work. Are there many women on the forum?

I've been reading the boards for a couple of weeks and I love to see that so many people care so much about Adelaide and SA. I don't have any particular development or engineering expertise, I just love Adelaide - I hope that qualifies me to join in Ever since I was little I have been interested in Adelaide's future. We would visit people in Sydney and I'd hear people put down Adelaide and I would wonder why they did that, and it would make me feel sad and confused.

The reason I'm replying to this thread is that I read the reactions of Adelaide people to the "boom town" adverts, on the AdelaideNow site. They are quite alarming to me, as I sit here in the US. The level of disgust that so many of these responders have expressed with Adelaide is confusing...Here in Seattle, a badly needed road infrastructure measure has just been voted down after much debate. A major elevated road, damaged in an earthquake 6 or 7 years ago, is still unfixed and poses a risk should there be another quake. The city cannot decide whether to extend its trolley system (sound familiar?) A discussion on the radio about bought breakfasts concluded that diversity has been returned to Seattle because Starbucks will no longer be selling breakfast sandwiches - we already get those at McDonalds, who also sell coffee "It's better when everything is not the same. Let Starbucks do the coffee and McDonalds do the sandwiches"

Why do Adelaide people assume that everywhere else is doing everything so much better?? I totally agree with the person who commented that Adelaide people often waste time looking for problems rather than opportunity. The people of Seattle know their city has its problems but I have never heard anyone say anything remotely as acid as those comments on AdelaideNow.

I find myself, lately, thinking about all those countless times we have all heard (since we were very young) how lame Adelaide is, what a hole Adelaide is. In a way, it's no wonder the people of Adelaide have such a poor self image. If you're told often enough how useless you are, you start to believe it. Being overseas has been a gift to me - it has shown me that this notion that Adelaide is a no good dump is a complete furphy. I wish Mike Rann had spent this money on telling the people of SA how we are doing, and what is being done to make us even better - surely a confident population is the most effective advertising campaign of all? As an aside, I do worry that these adverts will just encourage intersate property investors - what we need is people to buy in SA who want to live in SA.

OK, I've gone on enough. I'm pleased to meet you all and glad this site exists. I hope to play a small part in SA's renaissance And I do believe it can happen..if enough of us believe it can.

[Wayno]

hi queen anne, welcome and look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas!