News & Developments: Mawson Lakes

[Will]

Thanks for the photos Adam.

I am surpirsed as to how much Mawson lakes has changed since I last visited. I am impressed by the look of the place. It is definately a glimpse of the future here today.

In addition, I think it is a good example of the Adelaide we should promote. To encourage people to live in townhouses or apartments. Such intitiatives a good for the environment, good for fostering a sense of community and good for the vibe.

[omada]

yes it looks very European in parts, although some of the architecture does appear to be crappy, at least it's a good example of consolidated development - our love affair with the quarter acre block makes Adelaide's suburban sprawl (and probably every Australian Capital) impact of the quality of infrastructure such as public transport and uses good arable land etc

One word - Delfin

[rhino]

Ah lovely, townhouses they are the way of the future. People are silly if they think they need a big backyard. Seriously, how many kids actually run around these days. If they do, thats what public parks are for.

No wonder we're becoming a nation of obese couch potatos. It would be fine if you could feel safe about sending your kids off to play in the park, but these days you really need to go there with them, and there's less and less time available for that. Honestly, some of the comments about high density housing on this forum are so ill-informed it's getting annoying. Wake up people, townhouses are great for DINKS and singles, and couples whose kids have grown up and left home, but young kids need space and they need safe space. As the ad on TV says, in one generation we have gone from a country of bronzed Aussies to a country of couch potatos, and what you guys are proposing for family housing is only increasing the problem.

[Pistol]

^^ Strange that Australia is more of an obese country than many in Europe where high density living is a way of life for the vast majority. So how does your theory work there Rhino? Give up... high density living is the way of the Australian future.

[Cruise]

^^ Strange that Australia is more of an obese country than many in Europe where high density living is a way of life for the vast majority. So how does your theory work there Rhino? Give up... high density living is the way of the Australian future.

im with rhino on this one

the reason of obesity in children
one word: Playstation

[rhino]

In Europe people live in high density situations because of necessity.

What we should be doing in South Australia is moving industry out to the regional areas along major transport routes - road and rail - and helping those centres to grow in population, rather than have such a vast majority of the industry centered in Adelaide and then complaining about Urban Sprawl and telling people they should be bringing their kids up in hi-rises because back yards are a thing of the past. There's so much space in South Australia! Towns like Murray Bridge and Bordertown, Naracoorte, Penola, and Millicent (just looking at the south east - there are plenty more in the northern part of the state)should all have much larger populations than they have, but they need industry. Industry brings workers who have families, and they need more services, so more people come to provide those services, and they have families, so more services are needed. It all starts with industry. And why won't industry move out there? Industrial land isn't expensive. It's transport costs. So - subsidize transport costs for the good of the state, decentralise industry and allow people to enjoy the benefits of living in a country that has so much space.

How many of you guys who insist that high density living is the way to go, actually have the responsibility of raising healthy children?

[duke]

^^ Strange that Australia is more of an obese country than many in Europe where high density living is a way of life for the vast majority. So how does your theory work there Rhino? Give up... high density living is the way of the Australian future.

I agree. What about Asia also? How many obese people are there living in Tokyo?
High density living is the only way forward.

People not running around isn't whats making people fat. Its the cr** the kids are eating.

I never ran around at school, i never played sport. I occasionally kicked a ball around in the back yard. It was impossible to do anything other than kick it back and forwards with my step brothers if they were over.
Sometimes we went over to the park across the road and did a bit more. Most of the time I spent by myself watching TV, playing console/computer games, doing what ever on the net.
Am I over weight? no, actually I am under weight. I have been given medical advice to actually gain weight.

I was fed the right food and my parents didn't give in every time I had a tantrum about wanting some sort of food. I don't get how the parents complain "oh that box of cerial has shrek on it my kid had a tantrum so i had to buy it". Simple fact, don't take your kids shopping. How hard is it for one parent to stay home for 1 hour a week with the kids while the other goes shopping.

Anyway ill stop now as my rant is going off topic.

[Cruise]

How many of you guys who insist that high density living is the way to go, actually have the responsibility of raising healthy children?

I dont have kids (yet) but i still want a backyard for entertaining and etc but at the same time im willing to live on the fringe of the city without all services you have in the middle of town.

[duke]

And why won't industry move out there? Industrial land isn't expensive. It's transport costs. So - subsidize transport costs for the good of the state, decentralise industry and allow people to enjoy the benefits of living in a country that has so much space.

Subsidize transport? We should be doing the opposite. We need to stop people traveling so much. Thats why we have all the problems with Global Warming and the coming Peak Oil.
Pushing us all out and expanding will make things worse.
Also we are already expanding onto the best farming land. Sydney is about to expand their houses into its 'food bowl' You can't just expand housing endlessly. You need land for farming. Sure Australia is big, but our deserts are big also.
We should stop every city in Australia from expanding where it stands now. We need to keep our farming land or we will have bigger problems than what we have now.

As for kids, no I don't have kids. I don't see what the problem is though with taking your kids to the park.
I know your not supposed to let them go by themselves cos its not safe, so don't. You don't have the time to take them there? Maybe you shouldn't have had kids if you don't have the time to spend with them.
Thats why kids resort to TV and computers because their parents don't spend time with them raising them.
Thats also why we have dysfunctional families.

I dont have kids (yet) but i still want a backyard for entertaining

I like the idea of entertaining on a balcony or in a public park, like the ones near the botanic gardens with the barbeque's. Had a number of good family things there over the years and we don't even live in the CBD.

[Cruise]

Subsidize transport? We should be doing the opposite. We need to stop people traveling so much. Thats why we have all the problems with Global Warming and the coming Peak Oil.
Pushing us all out and expanding will make things worse.
Also we are already expanding onto the best farming land. Sydney is about to expand their houses into its 'food bowl' You can't just expand housing endlessly. You need land for farming. Sure Australia is big, but our deserts are big also.
We should stop every city in Australia from expanding where it stands now. We need to keep our farming land or we will have bigger problems than what we have now.

yes, i agree in that case we should abandon all the city and towns in the country and go live in sydney in one giant sky scraper. is that what you want?

[jk1237]

I dont mind the Mawson Lakes development. Especially around the UNI SA campus and the rail/bus interchange. Its interesting how well medium density housing has taken off. There is a large empty paddock right in the middle, with a big advertising fence around it. I guess this is going to be a shopping complex. I wonder if there will be Target/Big W/K Mart thing?

[duke]

yes, i agree in that case we should abandon all the city and towns in the country and go live in sydney in one giant sky scraper. is that what you want?

If the sky scraper is one like 'Sky City 1000' then yeah. Its better for the environment, but it wouldn't be very practical everyone up and move. One in each city would be a better move.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_City_1000

[rhino]

There are a few extremist notions going on here.

When I said subsidize transport, what I meant was subsidize freight transport from provincial cities. Sorry if that wasn't clear. This can be done by actually helping to fund the transport costs through tax breaks or by lowering the fuel tax, although I'm quite sure that saving would not get passed on to those who deserve it, but would stay with the transport companies.

As for urban expansion, I agree Adelaide is growing out on to the fertile market garden plains, and this is not ideal. However, I don't think that growing our provincial cities by a few square kilometres each is going to impact severely on our ability to produce grain or meat.

Also, I agree that the ammount of crap kids are eating in Australia is pushing their waists out, but one way around this is excercise. Personally, I have a 9yo and a 7yo. They both eat healthy and they both spend far more time outside in the backyard than they do inside. I wouldn't give up my backyard for anything, at least not while the kids are at home.

[Pistol]

What this argument has shown is that it is a personal preference. I prefer to live in the city in an apartment with surrounding amenities including: shopping, cinemas (dwindling numbers but we still have one), masses of parks and free city public transport all within walking distance. I own a car but I drive it maybe once a week. I can walk to work, uni and shops and entertain on my balcony while overlooking the skyline of Adelaide. I know that I don't have kids (yet) but I still think that I will live either in the city in a bigger apartment/townhouse or will buy in one of the fringe suburbs adjacent to the city when this catastrophe does happen.
I can only assume that it is difficult for you, especially, Rhino to envisage this sort of lifestyle when you live in Oakbank on your 1000+ m2 block and four bedroom house.
I am opposed to endless urban sprawl for the sake of keeping the 1/4 acre block dream a reality. I also know that Australia is a big place, but simple economics suggests that we cannot continue to spread out.
I believe that these sort of developments (Mawson Lakes) are the future of Australian suburbs like it or not.

[jimmy_2486]

How many of you guys who insist that high density living is the way to go, actually have the responsibility of raising healthy children?

I dont have kids (yet) but i still want a backyard for entertaining and etc but at the same time im willing to live on the fringe of the city without all services you have in the middle of town.

Yeah a backyard is an optional luxury and a personal choice really. But its not a necessity, even for a family.

When I grew up we had a big house with a big backyard and our family never really used it. We had a reserve nearby and i played with my friends. And we usually went out to entertain, or just sat in our living room.

So I guess as long as you have a roof over your head then that is all you really need. you don't NEED 2-3 garages and you don't NEED 4-5 bedrooms and you don't NEED a backyard. However they are handy I guess, even though they are a pain to clean. But plenty of people all around the world live life with families without these luxuries.