Goolwa/Hindmarsh Island | Developments & News

[Cruise]

Ooooh take my credit card number!!!

[dbl96]

My only thoughts are this and it is typical of Adelaide, how can anything be successful if people can't EASILY get there? I think a train line to Victor and on to Hindmarsh Island is a requirement for a multitude of reasons which I will choose not to elaborate greatly on now.

I think you might need to elaborate on that. You're proposing a train line all the way onto Hindmarsh Island for a tiny community of holiday homes? Populated by people who not only have their own transport, but would be very unlikely to take public transport for the reason that it's in the country and you need your own car/boat out there to go places.

The rest of your post is off topic so I'll just say that you're probably right, but I'll reserve any other comment for the appropriate thread.

And WELCOME to SensationalAdelaide!

A train line to hindmarsh island is a good idea, its one of the many things that should be done to hindmarsh island to turn it into a real town. Build a town centre there with parks, trees. Build some shops and actually somewhere for people to work. Market the island at a wide base of age groups and socio economic backgrounds for permant residency. The population of victor harbour alone is around 10 000, but this swells to around 90 000 in summer. THis is the same kind of story with the rest of the south coast (port eliot, middleton, goolwa). All of these people have to stay somewhere when they come down from Adelaide. This means that most of the south coast is an eerie ghost town for much of the year. We talk about developing sattleite cities and regional centres and increasing SA population, but the fact is that right under our noses, is a completed satellite city. All it needs is a fast railway connection to Adelaide and people will move. A medium speed train like Vline in victoria, traveling at 150-200kmph, will put the south coast in commuting distance of the CBD in Adelaide. If you are able to commute to work in Adelaide by fast and comfortable train from your seaside holiday home in the same time (30-60min.) as it takes you go drive there through traffic from your suburban villa, it is highly likely you would consider making your holiday home your permanent one. An ideal rout would branch from the upgraded aldinga line at seaford, travveling inland through mclaren vale, willunga and mt compass before travelling to victor, pt elliot, goolwa and then hinmarsh island

If we realy did proper cost benift analisis, we would realise that high speed rail is not as expensive as you would imagine. Average costing per km is around 15 million. The northern expressway cost 22 million per km.

[flavze]

a fast train to Victor would add many day trippers over Summer imo, especially if it had a late train home. Having the ability to PT your way to victor for a day of eating, drinking and playing in the sun without having to drive home or pay for accomodation imo would be appealing to alot of people.

[Aidan]

A train line to hindmarsh island is a good idea, its one of the many things that should be done to hindmarsh island to turn it into a real town. Build a town centre there with parks, trees. Build some shops and actually somewhere for people to work. Market the island at a wide base of age groups and socio economic backgrounds for permant residency.

Why do you want to turn Hindmarsh Island into a real town? The western part of the island, where most of its people live, is already nearer the Goolwa town centre than much of Goolwa is. The rest of the island is agricultural, and I can't think of a reason why it shouldn't continue to be.

The population of victor harbour alone is around 10 000, but this swells to around 90 000 in summer. THis is the same kind of story with the rest of the south coast (port eliot, middleton, goolwa). All of these people have to stay somewhere when they come down from Adelaide. This means that most of the south coast is an eerie ghost town for much of the year.

Does the population really swell to around 90 000? I suppose it might in schoolies week, but not the rest of the time. According to Wikipedia it "almost trebles". And you're making it sound as if most of the buildings are holiday homes - but is that really the case? I was under the impression that most of the people who came to Victor Harbor in summer and didn't return to Adelaide the same day either stayed in hotels etc or with relatives/friends who live there permanently.

We talk about developing sattleite cities and regional centres and increasing SA population,

We talk very little about it, as the main issue is how to attract people rather than how to accommodate them.

but the fact is that right under our noses, is a completed satellite city. All it needs is a fast railway connection to Adelaide and people will move. A medium speed train like Vline in victoria, traveling at 150-200kmph, will put the south coast in commuting distance of the CBD in Adelaide.

Most people regard one of the main points of satellite cities to be that they're mostly self contained rather than places where many people commute from.

If you are able to commute to work in Adelaide by fast and comfortable train from your seaside holiday home in the same time (30-60min.) as it takes you go drive there through traffic from your suburban villa, it is highly likely you would consider making your holiday home your permanent one.

But why would you have to drive from your suburban villa? Shouldn't the priority be to build railways in the suburbs where most of the people are?

An ideal rout would branch from the upgraded aldinga line at seaford, travveling inland through mclaren vale, willunga and mt compass before travelling to victor, pt elliot, goolwa and then hinmarsh island

There's a few problems with that. The suburban train services using the line would prevent the trains from reaching the speeds you envisage. Do you suggest taking the line over Willunga Hill or through it? How would you route the line through the already built up area of Victor Harbor? How would you get it across the Goolwa Channel? And have you forgotten how much Ngarrindjeri opposition there was to the Hindmarsh Island bridge?

If we realy did proper cost benift analisis, we would realise that high speed rail is not as expensive as you would imagine. Average costing per km is around 15 million. The northern expressway cost 22 million per km.

A proper cost benefit analysis would almost certainly show upgrading the Victor Harbor Road to be better value for money. Currently it's one of the most dangerous roads in the state. And with a good road, a bus service connecting to the railway at Seaford would ensure people didn't have to drive.

A new railway to Victor Harbor (or Hindmarsh Island) would be of no strategic value (as there's virtually no potential to extend it) and nor is there an obvious demand for it. You seem to want it to encourage long distance commuting, but that's rather energy intensive and doesn't seem to me like a good use of taxpayers' money.

I'd rather see the existing Steamranger service extended to Adelaide - much better for attracting tourists at both ends of the route and along it. It might be too slow for commuters, but that's OK - they could take the bus instead.