News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Norman]

Infrastructure South Australia is expected to release their list of priorities in early 2020, as well as the 20-year strategic plan. The strategic plan discussion paper is accessible here: https://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__ ... er-WEB.pdf

[1NEEDS2POST]

There is no reason to wait until Gawler is finished before commencing OH. There is seriously rivers of money on offer, and both projects could run together. Now that light rail to the northwest appears dead, how have they not even come up with a plan at least for electrification of the main line? In a decade, Adelaides infrastructure will be 50 years behind the other states once this new Covid stimulus money is spent in other states. Just proves once and for all, it is not money holding back SA, is a lack of vision, and seriously useless poticicians on both sides.

When OH was closed for grade separation, they should have prepared for electrification then. It's such a waste to have to close it again for electrification. The same goes for the Gawler line.

[claybro]

Infrastructure South Australia is expected to release their list of priorities in early 2020, as well as the 20-year strategic plan. The strategic plan discussion paper is accessible here: https://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__ ... er-WEB.pdf

Early 2020 has been and gone. The Feds via IA are looking for already planned, shovel ready projects. This was a once in a generation opportunity. LNP federal gov. Lib state government, and infrastructure spending probably not seen since the post war years to stave off a depression. SA has blown it again through inaction. SA will largely miss out yet again.

[Brucetiki]

Spotted this an hour ago. Park Terrace level crossing in Salisbury. I haven't heard anything about the requirements for electrification around here, so it comes as a surprise.

Looks like it's a tree-hugging anti-development campaign across the board, apparently several similar signs have sprouted up across Adelaide.

[Norman]

Infrastructure South Australia is expected to release their list of priorities in early 2020, as well as the 20-year strategic plan. The strategic plan discussion paper is accessible here: https://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__ ... er-WEB.pdf

Early 2020 has been and gone. The Feds via IA are looking for already planned, shovel ready projects. This was a once in a generation opportunity. LNP federal gov. Lib state government, and infrastructure spending probably not seen since the post war years to stave off a depression. SA has blown it again through inaction. SA will largely miss out yet again.

I don't think all of the available money has been dished out yet. This situation is going to go on for a few months yet, and I think there will be more stimulus money to get us through the recovery period. Wait and see I guess.

[SRW]

Does DPTI even have capacity to do detailed planning anymore or has it been so whittled down it needs funding to outsource to private sector? That's the only reason I can imagine to explain its failure to bring projects to shovel ready status. It really is exasperating to see developments in other states go from idea to construction in a few years whereas we're still tinkering with visions from more than a decade ago.

[Eurostar]

Does DPTI even have capacity to do detailed planning anymore or has it been so whittled down it needs funding to outsource to private sector? That's the only reason I can imagine to explain its failure to bring projects to shovel ready status. It really is exasperating to see developments in other states go from idea to construction in a few years whereas we're still tinkering with visions from more than a decade ago.

SA Labor wont mind inaction , theyll use it to their advantage and propose to finish South Road and electrification

[claybro]

Does DPTI even have capacity to do detailed planning anymore or has it been so whittled down it needs funding to outsource to private sector? That's the only reason I can imagine to explain its failure to bring projects to shovel ready status. It really is exasperating to see developments in other states go from idea to construction in a few years whereas we're still tinkering with visions from more than a decade ago.

SA Labor wont mind inaction , theyll use it to their advantage and propose to finish South Road and electrification

Then SA Labor are as much a part of the problem as the Libs. For god sake, why do South Australians accept such mediocrity from their politicians.

[rubberman]

Does DPTI even have capacity to do detailed planning anymore or has it been so whittled down it needs funding to outsource to private sector? That's the only reason I can imagine to explain its failure to bring projects to shovel ready status. It really is exasperating to see developments in other states go from idea to construction in a few years whereas we're still tinkering with visions from more than a decade ago.

SA Labor wont mind inaction , theyll use it to their advantage and propose to finish South Road and electrification

Then SA Labor are as much a part of the problem as the Libs. For god sake, why do South Australians accept such mediocrity from their politicians.

Labor are the Opposition. They can't do anything at the moment...other than propose what they might do if elected in 2022.

[claybro]

Labor are the Opposition. They can't do anything at the moment...other than propose what they might do if elected in 2022.

Aah, that old excuse. Sad that it comes from voters as well as the politicians themselves. The opposition can very much do more. Instead of playing games by upsetting people in Thebarton about the Town Hall being demolished (yes , their fingerprints were all over that grubby little campaign), they can demand the government advise the state of what options they have come up with for the motorway. They can be present on the media daily and tell the people of SA, that due to the Libs inaction since being in government, the state is about to miss out on hundreds of millions of Federal Funding. They can ask what is happening about the OH line and Grange spur. They can ask why the Port Dock spur was cancelled. They can put pressure on the government by releasing their own vision of how the remaining section of the motorway will proceed (if they have one), and having it costed and funded with commitments from the federal government, which will expose the Libs for being inept. They can ask the Libs to explain that even though there has been no additional large scale works commenced, the states finances are still stuck in the doldrums. There is so much more they can be doing.

[rubberman]

Labor are the Opposition. They can't do anything at the moment...other than propose what they might do if elected in 2022.

Aah, that old excuse. Sad that it comes from voters as well as the politicians themselves. The opposition can very much do more. Instead of playing games by upsetting people in Thebarton about the Town Hall being demolished (yes , their fingerprints were all over that grubby little campaign), they can demand the government advise the state of what options they have come up with for the motorway. They can be present on the media daily and tell the people of SA, that due to the Libs inaction since being in government, the state is about to miss out on hundreds of millions of Federal Funding. They can ask what is happening about the OH line and Grange spur. They can ask why the Port Dock spur was cancelled. They can put pressure on the government by releasing their own vision of how the remaining section of the motorway will proceed (if they have one), and having it costed and funded with commitments from the federal government, which will expose the Libs for being inept. They can ask the Libs to explain that even though there has been no additional large scale works commenced, the states finances are still stuck in the doldrums. There is so much more they can be doing.

Two years out from an election? That's a great way for people to tune out on the issue. At this stage of an election cycle Oppositions need to be developing policy.

[Goodsy]

Labor are the Opposition. They can't do anything at the moment...other than propose what they might do if elected in 2022.

Aah, that old excuse. Sad that it comes from voters as well as the politicians themselves. The opposition can very much do more. Instead of playing games by upsetting people in Thebarton about the Town Hall being demolished (yes , their fingerprints were all over that grubby little campaign), they can demand the government advise the state of what options they have come up with for the motorway. They can be present on the media daily and tell the people of SA, that due to the Libs inaction since being in government, the state is about to miss out on hundreds of millions of Federal Funding. They can ask what is happening about the OH line and Grange spur. They can ask why the Port Dock spur was cancelled. They can put pressure on the government by releasing their own vision of how the remaining section of the motorway will proceed (if they have one), and having it costed and funded with commitments from the federal government, which will expose the Libs for being inept. They can ask the Libs to explain that even though there has been no additional large scale works commenced, the states finances are still stuck in the doldrums. There is so much more they can be doing.

Two years out from an election? That's a great way for people to tune out on the issue. At this stage of an election cycle Oppositions need to be developing policy.

Why not? Libs did it when Labor is in power.. Granted they didn't actually develop policy while they were doing it.

Does Labor even need to develop policy though? why can't they just use Weatherills

[Spotto]

Two years out from an election? That's a great way for people to tune out on the issue. At this stage of an election cycle Oppositions need to be developing policy.

Why not? Libs did it when Labor is in power.. Granted they didn't actually develop policy while they were doing it.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I've often thought it must be so easy being in opposition in Australia no matter which party you are federal or state, you get to sit back and criticise the government in power (even for the same reasons they criticised you when you were in power) and if the public is unhappy tell them "if we were in power we would've done the exact opposite and it would've been so much better". I'm sure many people would love politicians to actively engage in developing policy and plans no matter whether they're in power or not instead of the constant backwards-and-forwards party bickering that goes on. If you're in opposition, continue to develop your policies and future plans so that people can see you've got an actual roadmap when you approach the next election instead of just "yeah we might do this, please vote for us".

Apologies, rant over.

[SRW]

Two years out from an election? That's a great way for people to tune out on the issue. At this stage of an election cycle Oppositions need to be developing policy.

Why not? Libs did it when Labor is in power.. Granted they didn't actually develop policy while they were doing it.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I've often thought it must be so easy being in opposition in Australia no matter which party you are federal or state, you get to sit back and criticise the government in power (even for the same reasons they criticised you when you were in power) and if the public is unhappy tell them "if we were in power we would've done the exact opposite and it would've been so much better". I'm sure many people would love politicians to actively engage in developing policy and plans no matter whether they're in power or not instead of the constant backwards-and-forwards party bickering that goes on. If you're in opposition, continue to develop your policies and future plans so that people can see you've got an actual roadmap when you approach the next election instead of just "yeah we might do this, please vote for us".

Apologies, rant over.

Unfortunately, both the 1993 and 2019 federal elections show that oppositions who compete on policy are easy targets for scaremongering incumbents. Not saying it's right, or that it will always be so, but the voting public hasn't rewarded such efforts in recent times. And the media much prefers a conflict frame anyway, so seldom steers scrutiny towards policy.

[claybro]

The WA state Labor party went to two elections with their Metronet rail proposal as their centrepiece. First time they lost norrowly. Second time they won in a landslide. Even from opposition, they had clear plans, and objectives, so everyone knew where the new rail lines would service, the new suburban higher density hubs, and how it would be funded. The outcome is, as soon as it was in power, Labor began detailed planning for routes, stations and constructed a rail car production centre, so all the new trains could be built here in Perth. Now compare that to the approach in SA. The Adelink proposal was so vague it could have been drawn on the back of a beer coaster. No timelines, no funding plan, no priorities of route construction, no urban renewal plans to justify it. There was the OH line fiasco. Light rail, hybrid light/heavy rail, heavy rail only, port dock spur on heavy rail.. it was all brain fart stuff. It confused Infrastructure Australia no end, and was so flimsy in its benefits that it was never going to attract real funding. The Libs then come in to power.. do nothing while all other capitals are furiously rolling out light and heavy rail. Happy days SA let's all go back to sleep so our suburbs are not changed by awful urban renewal and horrible trains, trams and freeways. Forever 1975.