Melbourne risks becoming 'a backwater like Adelaide': Brumby

[Edgar]

Back to Brumby's comment on Adelaide, he recently praised Adelaide during his visit before the Clipsal500.

He loves the new terminal (airport), the great weather, the new look of the city, and some more. Heard it over the radio.

:wank: :wank:

guess some people needs to actually visit the place before they can even judge it, arseholes.

[Will]

Back to Brumby's comment on Adelaide, he recently praised Adelaide during his visit before the Clipsal500.

He loves the new terminal (airport), the great weather, the new look of the city, and some more. Heard it over the radio.

:wank: :wank:

guess some people needs to actually visit the place before they can even judge it, arseholes.

Spot on Edgar! I have found that much of the criticism of Adelaide is based on perceptions and stereotypes from the past.

[rhino]

Basically, he came to Adelaide and said what people in Adelaide wanted to hear. When he was in Melbourne he said what people in Melbourne like to hear. He's a politician. Don't get too excited. Now he's gone back to Melbourne, I don't think he's going to be praising up Adelaide while he's there.

[Globalsoul]

Of course...Rhino is right...He said what he was expected to say. I doubt that he would switch Melbourne for Adelaide. After one month of big events Adelaide will return to its lethargic state whilst Melbourne will continue to thrive. There is no point comparing the two cities: they exist on completely two different levels. Melbourne is a global city and the same time the cultural capital of Australia. Adelaide is a regional centre and a place that people go to only if they have no other choice. Look at all the international students whose only reason to come here to study is to get their PR - Adelaide is the only mainland capital classified as a regional Australia (no, not urban, but regional). Once they get it, they move somewhere else - conservative local culture and lack of job opportunities only adds to it. It's sad we are slowly declining into a complete irrelevance not only on a global, but also national level. But what can we expect if those in power are focused on maintaining “the village atmosphere” of the city and blocking any reasonable progress here.

Thank you Morans and Harbisons of Adelaide

[Edgar]

I was an international student, studied in Adelaide, got my South Australian residency just few weeks ago, and I am staying and remaining in Adelaide.

My close friends, who went through exactly the same situation like me, about more than 2 dozens of them, are still in Adelaide, working as engineers for Transport SA, some accountants, etc, and still staying in South Australia.

What are you talking about? Are you talking about the past?

Adelaide is a MUCH nicer place to live in now, people are starting to like and think Adelaide is a pretty good place to live in, not the best, but pretty good and getting there.

And the reason why Adelaide is classified as regional is for migration purposes, for people like me so when we apply, we get extra points in the qualification test, but that does not mean that when I get my South Australian Residency, I am moving away.

[crawf]

Of course...Rhino is right...He said what he was expected to say. I doubt that he would switch Melbourne for Adelaide. After one month of big events Adelaide will return to its lethargic state whilst Melbourne will continue to thrive. There is no point comparing the two cities: they exist on completely two different levels. Melbourne is a global city and the same time the cultural capital of Australia. Adelaide is a regional centre and a place that people go to only if they have no other choice. Look at all the international students whose only reason to come here to study is to get their PR - Adelaide is the only mainland capital classified as a regional Australia (no, not urban, but regional). Once they get it, they move somewhere else - conservative local culture and lack of job opportunities only adds to it. It's sad we are slowly declining into a complete irrelevance not only on a global, but also national level. But what can we expect if those in power are focused on maintaining “the village atmosphere” of the city and blocking any reasonable progress here.

Thank you Morans and Harbisons of Adelaide

Its actually partly thanks to people like you. Melbourne is 4 times the size of Adelaide.

[Globalsoul]

To Edgar,

Of course everyone's experience is different. For me, almost all of my friends from overseas left Adelaide over the last 4 years. Only two weeks ago I lost my best friend who moved interstate after not being able to find a job here for over a year. Within approximately half a year since getting their PR most of my friends left. Yes, they all acknowledged that Adelaide is "nice" and that they would eventually like to return here to retire. I personally think that Adelaide has a great potential, which unfortunately is being wasted, mainly by those who oppose any form upsetting the status quo. The city centre is a big backyard for those living in North Adelaide and parts of the Eastern suburbs - any changes there are treated with utmost outrage - who dares to try to alter my yard???!!!! Victoria Park saga, LeCornu and Victoria Square are anly a few examples. Where else does it take over 20 years to redevelop a small patch of public land in the heart of the city centre? China just built a new airport in Beijing in just 4 years - the area of which is not much greater the grid of the Adelaide city centre. (I'm not suggesting we should become like China - just illustrating where we stand in global terms). The obsession with technical details in Adelaide (height restrictions , plot ratio, etc, etc) and endless debates whether something should be built or not has already affected the city and resulted in either inaction or in the proliferation of below-average buildings with little originality and aesthetic value. The substance has been lost somewhere along the way, whilst those in power here remain preoccupied with the form. Unless something changes soon, Adelaide will remain “nice’ whilst being economically and culturally insignificant.

[urban]

When I finished Uni our group disappeared to the 4 corners of the globe. Many of the International students had their visa run-out so they had to go home, while the Adelaide born and bred went searching for experience. Now 7 years later those that can have, or will shortly, return bringing with them their unique experiences and skills. This is something that every city has to deal with.

It is time Adelaide stopped whining about the negatives and started embracing the positives of people returning with a variety of skills and connections. The world is now a global community and we need to work on ways to work from adelaide on projects in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Architects in Scandinavia are designing buildings for South America, Australian Architects are designing stadiums for the Beijing Olympics. I am sure similar things are happening in other industries. It's time to stop looking inward and start looking at how we can connect into the economic activity that happens in the rest of the world.

Keep up your connections with your friends as they disappear around the globe and use those connections to develop business opportunities.

[Tyler_Durden]

Back to Brumby's comment on Adelaide, he recently praised Adelaide during his visit before the Clipsal500.

He loves the new terminal (airport), the great weather, the new look of the city, and some more. Heard it over the radio.

:wank: :wank:

guess some people needs to actually visit the place before they can even judge it, arseholes.

While he did call Adelaide a backwater he never suggested Adelaide wasn't nice or didn't have its good points. Yes, I realise it was meant as a put down but in essence he was right. Adelaide is a backwater. A nice backwater with plenty to offer residents and pleasing to some tourists. But a backwater nevertheless.

It was funny reading the Adelaide Now talkback when Brumby made those comments. There was a whole lot of people criticising Brumby and pointing out Adelaide's positives. I kept reading the same points being made. Small travel distances, light traffic, nice parklands, nice pleasant beaches, nice hills nearby, Barossa Valley nearby. But none of these disprove his claim.

Adelaide is a backwater in many ways and I think deep down we all know it. We just don't like being told by outsiders.

[frank1]

Of course...Rhino is right...He said what he was expected to say. I doubt that he would switch Melbourne for Adelaide. After one month of big events Adelaide will return to its lethargic state whilst Melbourne will continue to thrive. There is no point comparing the two cities: they exist on completely two different levels. Melbourne is a global city and the same time the cultural capital of Australia. Adelaide is a regional centre and a place that people go to only if they have no other choice. Look at all the international students whose only reason to come here to study is to get their PR - Adelaide is the only mainland capital classified as a regional Australia (no, not urban, but regional). Once they get it, they move somewhere else - conservative local culture and lack of job opportunities only adds to it. It's sad we are slowly declining into a complete irrelevance not only on a global, but also national level. But what can we expect if those in power are focused on maintaining “the village atmosphere” of the city and blocking any reasonable progress here.

Thank you Morans and Harbisons of Adelaide

Its actually partly thanks to people like you. Melbourne is 4 times the size of Adelaide.

AMEN crawf

[Queen Anne]

I find Melbourne fascinating. This is a city that knows how to talk the talk! I have been living in the USA for eighteen months and Melbourne has been mentioned in the media only briefly during the two Australian (tennis) Opens which have taken place since we have been here. Apart from that nothing..everyone asks me if I am from Sydney.

Yet we in Adelaide cower in their shadow! Melbourne! the global city. Melbourne! the cultural capital of Australia. Melbourne! the sporting capital of Australia. Melbourne! the dining capital of Australia. Melbourne! emerging business capital of Australia.

Melbourne! the city that no one I have met in America mentions. Melbourne! the second biggest fish in a little pond. Or should I say backwater? Australia hardly figures at all to America...

Sorry, but Melbourne's strident attention seeking makes me cringe. And Australia makes me mad - we are like toddlers bickering amongst ourselves. And the world is NOT watching, no matter how much noise we make!!

And Adelaide makes me mad because it continues to buy this rubbish that it is second class. It is different to Melbourne. it is smaller than Melbourne. Adelaide faces it's own unique challenges, as does Melbourne. All this said, I remain to be conviced that Adelaide is particulary inferior to Melbourne.

When I finished Uni our group disappeared to the 4 corners of the globe. Many of the International students had their visa run-out so they had to go home, while the Adelaide born and bred went searching for experience. Now 7 years later those that can have, or will shortly, return bringing with them their unique experiences and skills. This is something that every city has to deal with.

It is time Adelaide stopped whining about the negatives and started embracing the positives of people returning with a variety of skills and connections. The world is now a global community and we need to work on ways to work from adelaide on projects in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Architects in Scandinavia are designing buildings for South America, Australian Architects are designing stadiums for the Beijing Olympics. I am sure similar things are happening in other industries. It's time to stop looking inward and start looking at how we can connect into the economic activity that happens in the rest of the world.

Keep up your connections with your friends as they disappear around the globe and use those connections to develop business opportunities.

urban I totally agree with you. Adelaide stop whining about the negatives - there is not a city on earth without them and the time has come for us to look ahead, not east at Melbourne. My husband and I are among those people who will be returning to Adelaide - with new skills and a new outlook. Let Melbourne fret over whether the world gives a hoot about it, and let us leave them to it. We're too busy for this garbage - we have a great city to work on

[Globalsoul]

I'm not surprised that Americans don't quite know where Melbourne is. In fact they don't even know where most major European countries and cities are located. When I was last time in the US (about 5 years ago) a lot of them were convinced Australia was one of the states in their country.

[monotonehell]

I'm not surprised that Americans don't quite know where Melbourne is. In fact they don't even know where most major European countries and cities are located. When I was last time in the US (about 5 years ago) a lot of them were convinced Australia was one of the states in their country.

I like showing them our plastic money. That messes with their minds.

[JamesXander]

I have an American in my family. She thought all Australians were surfers with blue eyes and blonde hair. haha. She said she was so let down when she got here.

I like to think I held up her image of a typical Aussie though

[Queen Anne]

The American media is inward looking, for sure. But since living here, I have met many literate, well-travelled Americans who are engaged with the world around them and who know plenty about plenty.

Globalsoul, the notion that Melbourne is not known to America simply because Americans are ignorant does not ring true for me. IMO, it's like saying Adelaide has a reputation problem simply because it's a boring dump..

Neither of these statements tell the whole story or represent the absolute truth; yet they survive on and on - to the point where they pretty much live in Australia's collective psyche. Americans are thick. Adelaide is a boring little town.

After having lived in America, I will never look at the US or Adelaide in the same way again. Reputation. It means so much, yet it can be built on questionable foundations..

Geez, I could go on and on about this. I think I have a hobby-horse
Anne's rant is over now