How did Victoria grow?

[SRW]

Exactly. The ship has long sailed on Adelaide being a first tier city like Melbourne or Sydney. We should be following the model of mid sized cities like Austin and Portland in the US.

Both of which are double the size of Adelaide

Only 20 years ago all 3 cities were roughly the same size. Since then they've grown impressively while we have not. But Adelaide could make the next 20 years a different experience with the right policies and motivation. We can start by looking to Portland and Austin's example: what worked for them that we can make work for us?

[wll6568]

So, it's the fact that Melb has been endlessly gaining population growth throughout the past decades and decades, that makes companies around the world willing to invest in the city today, regardless the fact that it's so close to Sydney?

Looks like population base is the key factor of growth.... You need to have a strong economy base first before you could do anything.... If geographical location plays in, it would make more sense to have Perth as the second biggest city in Australia, one in the west and Sydney in the East. Just like Toronto and Vancouver, NY and CA... It just doesn't make sense to have two big cities so close to each other, always competing...

[crawf]

So, it's the fact that Melb has been endlessly gaining population growth throughout the past decades and decades, that makes companies around the world willing to invest in the city today, regardless the fact that it's so close to Sydney?

In recent times yes. Though in the past major international and national firms would head straight for the Harbour City.

The availability of land has strengthen Melbourne, compared to Sydney which is land locked and height restricted because of the airport.

[Splashmo]

Victoria has spectacular natural advantages for its small size - there is so much arable land and climate advantage with only a few arid or alpine pockets. Of course there's a lot more water and rivers around. They're very lucky to have great provincial towns and cities whereas South Australia's have always been a lot smaller.

[Goodsy]

Victoria has spectacular natural advantages for its small size - there is so much arable land and climate advantage with only a few arid or alpine pockets. Of course there's a lot more water and rivers around. They're very lucky to have great provincial towns and cities whereas South Australia's have always been a lot smaller.

it also helps that the next 4 largest cities in Victoria are all around 2 hours away from Melbourne

[Splashmo]

it also helps that the next 4 largest cities in Victoria are all around 2 hours away from Melbourne

Definitely - and some of our big centres are not too far either - Victor Harbor-Goolwa, Murray Bridge, the Copper Coast, and even Port Pirie. But they certainly have a geographical advantage whereas we have barriers like the gulfs and the dry Murray Mallee.

[Goodsy]

it also helps that the next 4 largest cities in Victoria are all around 2 hours away from Melbourne

Definitely - and some of our big centres are not too far either - Victor Harbor-Goolwa, Murray Bridge, the Copper Coast, and even Port Pirie. But they certainly have a geographical advantage whereas we have barriers like the gulfs and the dry Murray Mallee.

But unfortunately they're too small to really influence companies to set up shop near them. Victor Harbor is about the same distance away as Geelong to Melbourne, but I doubt Victor will ever be a city of 200k like Geelong.

It's a shame Lake Alexandrina is locked behind the sand dunes and shallow, it would make a much nicer bay than Port Phillip

[wll6568]

So if population growth is not what ADL aiming for, the only savior would be job/ industry boom. So far.... it's pretty much non-existent....

Tasmania hasn't got the population but they have strong potentials of footings....
Canberra is small but its got federal jobs.....
Brisbane's got population, tourisms.....
Darwin and Perth are mining megatowns....
Adelaide... ? Shrinking manufacturing......tourisms.....

[Norman]

Adelaide has great, nation leading and some cases world leading festivals, food and wine. We have an open city with beautiful parks, medical research, an the nation's first entrepreneurial hub at Tonsley. We have the Adelaide Hills, full of life and culture... Do I need to go on?

[rev]

Adelaide has great, nation leading and some cases world leading festivals, food and wine. We have an open city with beautiful parks, medical research, an the nation's first entrepreneurial hub at Tonsley. We have the Adelaide Hills, full of life and culture... Do I need to go on?

Ok right let's stop, let's not bother with anything else, because we already have enough. Right? Right..

Because what we have, is working oh so bloody well in bringing new people not only as tourists, but as residents.
We are off the charts in tourism and population growth.

But please, go on...

[Will]

Adelaide has great, nation leading and some cases world leading festivals, food and wine. We have an open city with beautiful parks, medical research, an the nation's first entrepreneurial hub at Tonsley. We have the Adelaide Hills, full of life and culture... Do I need to go on?

Ok right let's stop, let's not bother with anything else, because we already have enough. Right? Right..

Because what we have, is working oh so bloody well in bringing new people not only as tourists, but as residents.
We are off the charts in tourism and population growth.

But please, go on...

Negativity, self-loathing and a half glass empty approach are also not the answer.

[claybro]

Adelaide has great, nation leading and some cases world leading festivals, food and wine. We have an open city with beautiful parks, medical research, an the nation's first entrepreneurial hub at Tonsley. We have the Adelaide Hills, full of life and culture... Do I need to go on?

Ok right let's stop, let's not bother with anything else, because we already have enough. Right? Right..

Because what we have, is working oh so bloody well in bringing new people not only as tourists, but as residents.
We are off the charts in tourism and population growth.

But please, go on...

Negativity, self-loathing and a half glass empty approach are also not the answer.

The number 1 thing that has lead to the Eastern States boom in the last 10 years is immigration. It has put pressure on housing stocks, leading to huge and continuing increases in house prices. The rapid rise in house prices in Sydney/Melbourne has allowed people to borrow against their equity to fund lifestyle purchases, and home renovations, further pumping the economy along. The cracks are now showing as has been pointed out on this thread, as the large increase in ethnic groups from conflicting cultures, is now showing up in crime statistics (where they aren't manipulated), homelessness (some cant afford housing and there is little emergency housing) and now an enormous and costly backlog of infrastructure issues. With the imminent closure of Hazelwood power station, Victoria will be like SA also suffering power supply issues, cost of electricity pressures, and further manufacturing losses are inevitable. As jobs evaporate, immigration will have to be curtailed leading to less demand for housing. Once the housing boom cools, and there is a squeeze on people being able to re-finance their houses, or go into negative equity, the money will dry up and bang! In Adelaide, property prices only stagnate, but it is perceivable that property prices could contract up to 10% in Melbourne (it happenend in the 80's). I would hate to be sitting on an $800000 mortgage in suburban Melbourne, and go into negative equity. -No more new Lexus or OS trip every 2 years! People forget that the Melbourne of the 50's and 60's was a pretty grim place.

[OlympusAnt]

Melbourne is flat, with a lot of areas for development without expensive earthworks.

The airport is large enough and operates at 24/7, so can cater for many flights. A third runway and expanded international terminal could easily cater for 50 million passengers/year.

There were lots of space for railway corridors, either provisions or new constructions.

Government has tried its best to invest in better mass transit options, such as new trams, railways and road infrastructure. Yes it hasn't been the best, but its better than shelving pretty much all of MATS or not building a new railway line for 25 years.

Another very important fact is that not all the work is concentrated in the CBD area - you have smaller "hubs" like Frankston, Dandenong, Werribee (and surrounds), Ringwood that can act as HQ for companies, rather than the expensive rents in the city/inner city area. A person who lives 30km from the city can get work in their area, without the commute. Adelaide has most of the office-type jobs (banking etc.) in the city.

[Norman]

Adelaide has great, nation leading and some cases world leading festivals, food and wine. We have an open city with beautiful parks, medical research, an the nation's first entrepreneurial hub at Tonsley. We have the Adelaide Hills, full of life and culture... Do I need to go on?

Ok right let's stop, let's not bother with anything else, because we already have enough. Right? Right..

Because what we have, is working oh so bloody well in bringing new people not only as tourists, but as residents.
We are off the charts in tourism and population growth.

But please, go on...

I didn't say it was perfect. We need to diversify even more. But saying we have nothing and that everything is doom and gloom is not right either.

[AroundADL]

I really hate to bring the mood down but,.... Most of the negative nimbys in this city are the elderly. In reality they will probably die off soon. What we need to do is to retain the youth and instil confidence which will in turn change the attitudes of future generations in this city.