SA Economy

[rev]

Whyalla steelworks owner Sanjeev Gupta eyes Holden site for electric car manufacturing hub

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-22/s ... te/9348030

What a disgrace that will be if it's given over to a foreigner, when we had LOCALS who wanted to do the same thing but got nowhere.

[Goodsy]

Whyalla steelworks owner Sanjeev Gupta eyes Holden site for electric car manufacturing hub

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-22/s ... te/9348030

What a disgrace that will be if it's given over to a foreigner, when we had LOCALS who wanted to do the same thing but got nowhere.

Just to be clear, he's planning on buying the tools not the site itself

[[Shuz]]

SA economy in better shape than expected
Valerina Changarathil, The Advertiser
January 29, 2018 12:00am

SOUTH Australia is doing better than many people realise – much better – with the economy growing at about its fastest rate for this decade so far – but challenges still remain, two key reports show.

While challenges in energy exist and the impact of the closure of the car manufacturing industry is still playing out, business investment is improving, according to the Deloitte Access Economics’ quarterly business outlook.

“After a dip in 2016, where business investment represented just a 10th of the state’s economy, SA is climbing out of the depths and into the light,” the report said.

“In fact, at around 12 per cent of the economy, business investment in South Australia is just shy of the Australian average – and that hasn’t been true for a long time.”

Small business confidence is at its best since 2013 and the new business survival rate is higher than in any other state.

Utility investment is on the rise since the state’s highly publicised blackouts earlier in the year. There are more than $1 billion worth of renewable energy projects under way in South Australia, with a healthy $4 billion pipeline sitting a little further out in time.

A new array of gas, renewable and battery storage projects, Elon Musk’s Tesla battery, have added to the investment pipeline, with recent projects including the $650 million Aurora Solar Energy Project and the $1.5 billion Ceres wind farm on the Yorke Peninsula.

Export growth is at its highest over the last four years, albeit below national average.

There were real challenges ahead – namely the exodus of younger South Australians to other states “which is further exacerbating the demographic challenges that this state”.

“Aspects of the housing market also make for less-than-happy reading, with rents are falling and house prices staying pretty flat.”

Overall the Deloitte report said Australia’s states are benefiting from some of the most favourable global economic conditions seen in years, including the growth of China and commodity price increases, which bode well for exports.

“More of Australia’s growth is showing up in jobs rather than in wages, with workers and businesses seemingly more interested in extra jobs (and extra hours) than in stronger wage increases.”

That gap is expected to fade a little in 2018 as the good news on jobs gradually morphs into good news on wages.

Yet that change is likely to be slow, meaning that outperformance on jobs will linger for longer, the report stated.

Separately CommSec’s State of the States report, released today, shows SA slipped from fourth to fifth position in terms of performance.

This was mainly due to a strengthening of the Tasmanian economy.

Of the eight economic indicators assessed – economic growth, retail spending, business investment, unemployment, construction work done, population growth, housing finance and dwelling commencements – SA ranked fourth on four.

That report also showed business spending and investment continued to grow while the jobless rate was below its decade average.

SA was ranked second in terms of slowest annual population growth behind NT.

[Llessur2002]

More high-tech manufacturing coming this way:

German company to assemble batteries in SA

The world's biggest producer of household batteries and solar energy systems will set up an assembly production centre in Adelaide.

Germany company sonnen will also move its Australian headquarters from Sydney to Adelaide.

The company will assemble 50,000 household batteries in Adelaide over the next five years, creating 130 jobs to begin with, increasing to 190 by the end of its fifth year.

The Labor Government said a further 300 jobs could be created by installing the battery systems within six months of the centre opening.

sonnen has the world's biggest virtual plant in Germany and plans to offer similar services to Australian customers.

The South Australian Government has not pledged any funds to the company, but will help sonnen find a suitable location.

The company has so far scoped out the former Holden site, the Mitsubishi site at Tonsley and a site at Port Adelaide.

Premier Jay Weatherill said the local manufacturer would also be well placed to benefit from Labor's election pledge to provide $100 million in no-interest loans for households to purchase batteries and solar.

From: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-22/l ... ds/9472988

[jimbly]

Elon Musk Likes It Here. Will Other Tech Innovators Follow?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/worl ... ation.html

[Llessur2002]

South Australian construction and civil engineering firm York Civil enters voluntary administration

A CONTRACTOR for some of SA’s biggest construction projects — including the North Tce tram extension and the Torrens to Torrens road upgrade — has entered voluntary administration.

Iconic South Australian business York Civil appointed Ferrier Hodgson as voluntary administrators on Monday morning.

Staff were addressed on the move.

York Civil are part of a consortium delivering the North Tce tram extension, which has been problem plagued, and also the Torrens to Torrens upgrade of South Rd.

Ferrier Hodgson partner Martin Lewis said at this stage York Civil would continue to work on the contracts “subject to the Administrators’ review”.

“Ýork Civil is an iconic business that undertakes engineering and construction projects for both government and private clients across defence, power, transport, resources, water and marine sectors,” he said.

“Discussions are taking place with key stakeholders, including the company’s clients ahead of a creditors’ meeting on August 16, 2018.”

York Civil also has been awarded contracts for projects on the Main South Rd upgrade at Aldinga, and is almost in the second year of a four-year partnership with SA Water to manage numerous regional wastewater plants in a contract costing $50 million to $70 million.

From: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 845ef794de

[Norman]

Strange to see them in administration, did they work on the NRAH development? Surely the tram project could not have been such a big loss for them, and the T2T project seems to be coming along fine.

[claybro]

Strange to see them in administration, did they work on the NRAH development? Surely the tram project could not have been such a big loss for them, and the T2T project seems to be coming along fine.

Good to see Tom Koutsantonis on TV blame the new government for the demise of York due to a "valley of death" for ready to go new infrastructure projects. Apparently the former state government had some projects hidden up their sleeve that would have kept York going. Pity they didn't spell those out during the campaign (if they existed), it might have been a different outcome.

[Norman]

Strange to see them in administration, did they work on the NRAH development? Surely the tram project could not have been such a big loss for them, and the T2T project seems to be coming along fine.

Good to see Tom Koutsantonis on TV blame the new government for the demise of York due to a "valley of death" for ready to go new infrastructure projects. Apparently the former state government had some projects hidden up their sleeve that would have kept York going. Pity they didn't spell those out during the campaign (if they existed), it might have been a different outcome.

There were quite a few, including tram extensions, level crossing removals and so on.

[Nort]

Strange to see them in administration, did they work on the NRAH development? Surely the tram project could not have been such a big loss for them, and the T2T project seems to be coming along fine.

Good to see Tom Koutsantonis on TV blame the new government for the demise of York due to a "valley of death" for ready to go new infrastructure projects. Apparently the former state government had some projects hidden up their sleeve that would have kept York going. Pity they didn't spell those out during the campaign (if they existed), it might have been a different outcome.

There were quite a few, including tram extensions, level crossing removals and so on.

Yeah, both the Norwood and North Adelaide tram extensions were proposed to start in the 18/19 financial year.

[claybro]

Yeah, both the Norwood and North Adelaide tram extensions were proposed to start in the 18/19 financial year.

A proposal is vastly different to a planned, shovel ready project. The "valley of death" Tom refers to, does not currently exist (yet) and is not the reason for Yorks demise. Civil construction companies don't plan their forward revenue streams on proposals. Gawler electrification has been a proposal for how long? coast to coast light rail, also proposed now gathering dust. Norwood and Prospect, as with the city loop, who knows? North Adelaide and Norwood 18/19? about 1km of it maybe. city loop? who knows?

[Llessur2002]

Yeah, both the Norwood and North Adelaide tram extensions were proposed to start in the 18/19 financial year.

A proposal is vastly different to a planned, shovel ready project. The "valley of death" Tom refers to, does not currently exist (yet) and is not the reason for Yorks demise. Civil construction companies don't plan their forward revenue streams on proposals. Gawler electrification has been a proposal for how long? coast to coast light rail, also proposed now gathering dust. Norwood and Prospect, as with the city loop, who knows? North Adelaide and Norwood 18/19? about 1km of it maybe. city loop? who knows?

How do you know they weren't shovel ready? We knew nothing of the North Terrace extension until a few months before it started.

[claybro]

Yeah, both the Norwood and North Adelaide tram extensions were proposed to start in the 18/19 financial year.

A proposal is vastly different to a planned, shovel ready project. The "valley of death" Tom refers to, does not currently exist (yet) and is not the reason for Yorks demise. Civil construction companies don't plan their forward revenue streams on proposals. Gawler electrification has been a proposal for how long? coast to coast light rail, also proposed now gathering dust. Norwood and Prospect, as with the city loop, who knows? North Adelaide and Norwood 18/19? about 1km of it maybe. city loop? who knows?

How do you know they weren't shovel ready? We knew nothing of the North Terrace extension until a few months before it started.

If you are holding the North Terrace extension up as a shining example of how to plan and execute an infrastructure programme, then maybe we can expect a few more civil firms to go to the wall. But I don't believe the tram extension in isolation is the reason for Yorks issues, nor do I believe in the "valley of death" theory proposed by Tom K. There is after all still a lot of infrastructure projects on the go, all of them initiated by the former government anyway, so I'm not sure of his point in specific relation to Yorks demise.

[Waewick]

York didn't go under because of some fictional valley of death in SA infrastructure.

Tom K is well, Tom K.

[Obsrever1]

Tom K is well, Tom K.

I am a long-time reader who has registered just to ask one thing: Can you cease injecting your propagandic Liberal bullshit into every thread?

We get it - you have a semi for Steven - but it is becoming tiring to read, and is plain fucking cringeworthy.

Cheers.