COM: SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre | $100m

[Omicron]

From the Swimming SA website

With an international standard (FINA) facility available in South Australia, SwimmingSA has announced that it will be hosting the 2011 Australian Age Championships at the Marion venue. Further to this it will be bidding to host the 2012 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships that will double as the London Olympic Trials, bringing the nation’s and world’s best athletes to South Australia.

Conveniently, swimmers will be able to purchase some potted colour, collect their unemployment benefits, and pick up four litres of Solver Smoke Pearl, all within walking distance of the venue! I feel I must boast about this loudly.

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And as for the name, can you blame the state government for not giving it a more unique name after the hysteria unleashed by the naming of the Marj?

Yes.

I've been trying to think of a name that would be more dull and boring to sarcastically suggest as an alternative. I could not.

[pushbutton]

If the state government are going down that line, I think they might as well do it properly. Here's some ideas for them:

- Rename Rundle Mall "Adelaide shopping street"
- Rename the Barossa Valley "State wine region"
- Rename all streets in Adelaide with numbers (no number to be repeated). Eg. First avenue, second avenue, third avenue and so on, in order of when the street was built.
- Rename the river Torrens. Not sure what to call it now though. Adelaide mud flats?

However there would be no need to rename the airport, showgrounds, seaport, the roads around the CBD, the major arterial roads north and south of the CBD, and the cities only half decent theatre, and concert venue, as I doubt any of them could be named any more generically than they already are!

[Will]

If the state government are going down that line, I think they might as well do it properly. Here's some ideas for them:

- Rename Rundle Mall "Adelaide shopping street"
- Rename the Barossa Valley "State wine region"
- Rename all streets in Adelaide with numbers (no number to be repeated). Eg. First avenue, second avenue, third avenue and so on, in order of when the street was built.
- Rename the river Torrens. Not sure what to call it now though. Adelaide mud flats?

However there would be no need to rename the airport, showgrounds, seaport, the roads around the CBD, the major arterial roads north and south of the CBD, and the cities only half decent theatre, and concert venue, as I doubt any of them could be named any more generically than they already are!

If we are such a backwater for having such generic names can you explain to me such creative choices such as Sydney Opera House; Sydney Harbour Bridge; Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney and State Library; Melbourne Concert Hall; Melbourne Park and Melbourne Museum in Melbourne. Are Sydney and Melbourne backwaters too? Of course not! the only backwaters are people who use such trivial and pathetic reasons to bash this city.

[monotonehell]

... the only backwaters are people who use such trivial and pathetic reasons to bash this city.

^^^ This.

[Cruise]

... the only backwaters are people who use such trivial and pathetic reasons to bash this city.

^^^ This.

Adelaide is no longer known as a Backwater, It is now a piss-ant town (thanks Vidmar)

[monotonehell]

... the only backwaters are people who use such trivial and pathetic reasons to bash this city.

^^^ This.

Adelaide is no longer known as a Backwater, It is now a piss-ant town (thanks Vidmar)

LOL yes I loved that one. Prima facae he seemed to be frustrated at the politics?

I wonder if the Govt will work this one out and we'll have a new competition Swimming Centre in the middle of nowhere / population-geographic middle of Adelaide (strike out that which does not apply, depending on your view of Marion).

[rhino]

If the state government are going down that line, I think they might as well do it properly. Here's some ideas for them:

- Rename Rundle Mall "Adelaide shopping street"
- Rename the Barossa Valley "State wine region"

If they were in Melbourne they would be named "National Shopping Street" and "National Wine Centre"

I think the Vics have an inferiority complex. They need to talk themselves up.

[Shuz]

I'd hate to point this out to you, but Adelaide already has a National Wine Centre...

[rhino]

I'd hate to point this out to you, but Adelaide already has a National Wine Centre...

Sorry, that should have read "National Wine Region".

Yes, we do have the National Wine Centre (as we should have), as well as the National Motor Museum and National Railway Museum, both of which are the best museums of their kind in the country. But we'll never have the National Swimming Centre, I'm afraid

[Norman]

State swim centre contract awarded

Candetti Constructions has been awarded a $100 million contract to build Adelaide's new state aquatic centre at Marion.

The project was in some doubt recently when the private manager, Macquarie Leisure, pulled out of the venture.

South Australia's Sport Minister Michael Wright says the centre will be pursued as a public venture.

Mr Wright says the swimming centre project will create 300 jobs and the centre will become a major drawcard for elite swimmers.

"This is, from a sporting point of view, the jewel in the crown," he said.

"We're the only mainland state that doesn't have a FINA-accredited pool and we're going to, of course, break the back on that and build this pool - something that the Liberals talked about but never did."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 556068.htm

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and something Labour has been talking about but never doing, for at least the last 10 years.

I am honestly trying to convince myself that it will actually get built one day, but given that the construction site sign has been up for a decade with no action even started, and given that even if it does get built it will be nothing more than a bog basic swimming pool with virtually no facilities, I am really struggling to find much enthusiasm for it I'm afraid.

[peachy]

I must admit I'm hoping the project keeps getting delayed until the government comes to their senses and retains the state aquatic centre in North Adelaide.

Marion would be a fine place for a normal recreational aquatic centre, close to car parks and transport, but not as the STATE aquatic centre. The state swim centre by definition would be set up to host state/national/international(preferably) swim meets and have training facilities for local competitive swimmers.

These competitive meets will draw athletes and crowds from all over the city so central Adelaide would be best. Marion may be good for those in the south but it takes quite a long time to get to across town for the northern folk. The training facilities also would be reserved for local athletes not the public, so they would not benefit the people of Marion that much compared to if that space was instead used for more public leisure facilities.

A world class pool used for meets should also be seen as an opportunity to get tourist from interstate and maybe overseas to see the best we have to offer. When was the last time you told a interstate/overseas tourist to visit Marion shopping centre for a unique Adelaide experience. These people are hardly going to go home and brag about the mall like every other mall in the world. Also national/international meets (Commonwealth Games??) will be televised and when they do the shots of the venue and surrounds all you will see is suburbia, instead of parklands, cafes and city skyline in North Adelaide. Most visiting athletes/spectators will also be staying in the city soaking up the atmosphere so it makes further sense for them to be within a short walk, ride, bus trip, taxi ride to the event they came to see. For example would international cricket be as successful if held at AAMI stadium instead of Adelaide Oval? I think the tourist that go to the game like the fact they can walk down from their accommodation or go to a good restaurant after the game.

Thus IMO the North Adelaide facilities should be upgraded/extended. I know that it might impede on the parklands, which should be a matter not taken lightly, but if its for world class recreational purposes for the benefit of the state i see no problem with that.

[Omicron]

Those who receive the Guardian Messenger will have been greeted by a proposed floorplan for the site by Peddle Thorp Architects - responsible for the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and Rod Laver Arena, among other things. If I can work out how to use my new-fangled scanner, which is somehow incorporated in my printer/copier/baker/candlestick maker thing, I'll post a picture.

[Norman]

This should start later this year or, at the latest, early next year according to the State Budget. The entire $83m has been allocated for this project for the 09/10 financial year.