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I thought that I would sort out some of the speculation surrounding the casinos supposed sale. Skycity group has spent extensive money on investments in its prized property in Auckland. In the last couple of years, they have built a new high rise hotel, a new convention centre and spent 40 million on refurbishing its gaming area. Now the Auckland component is operating WAY below its projections and the group are actually losing money on its investments in this property.
Imagine a casino twice the size of Adelaides with two hotels, a convention centre and a useless skytower in a city the size of Adelaide.
So the groups decision is to consolidate its operation. They are going to cut 230 jobs from across the group (mainly back of house jobs). They are also looking to offload some of their portfolio - Adelaide being one that they could actually make a large amount of money off.
Skycity Adelaide is NOT struggling - in fact we came in at 10% above our budget projections in the half year to December. Skycity bought the Adelaide operation for a pathetic $180 million and have been making a profit of approximately $100 million per year since.
I doubt that the government really cared too much about the casino when they were designing the route for the trams - it is just lucky for the casino that they are located above the train station.

correct me if im wrong.... but a couple of points i'd like to make

- at this stage, isnt there only speculation about the casino being up for sale? ... and only if profits do not increase...

- the casino going on the market has nothing to do with the government does it? why should they be informing us about it...


- theres talk about the casino pushing the govt for the extension and that it will encourage gambling. The casino is situated next to our train station!!!!! should we make a law which says if your going to use the tram you cant acess the casino from it????

You sure do like your conspiracy theories!

Martin Hamilton-Smith?

stump,
Are you fishing?!

The tram extension was planned because it was a big fat glaring hole right in the middle of Adelaide's public rail network, embarrassingly right in the heart of the CBD...isnt that enough!

The casino is a private concern and nothing for the state govt to comment upon or even less so to influence its transport policy.

The RAH strategists are able to ride on the back of the new tramline as helpful to their proposed site. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that, in fact I would argue good public transport should be instrinsic to any RAH relocation.

I hope our pollies would exhibit some vision and forward planning, but expecting them to also nail the finer details of what will happen in the next decade whilst theyre at it, requires either a crystal ball or a damn good medium. If you expect that then could I also suggest you ask them their tips for this week's winning lotto numbers

He loves being negative

Can we just clear this up..... The Casino is in our Railway Station not too or ontop of. If Mr. Webb could see what has happend to building im sure he would be spinning in his grave.

Redback20, I was fishing as a matter of fact. Idly connecting things together for something to do...

If you mean the infamous W A Webb, Tom, I agree, although Webb and Foley probably wouold have made a good pair.

Stumpjumper - concerning WA Webb, I disagree with the label of 'infamous'. Allow me to substantiate.

First a few parameters need to be set.In the railway fraternity he is often held in high esteem. To me he was a visionary and a man of action. Consider a contemporary vision - the time when the tramline was mooted. People arose stating all the shortcomings etc. Posterity will judge.

The validation of all projects is in their implementation and operation. (After initial 'teething' troubles are overcome).Some will be judged by posterity as 'white elephants'. All, except government projects, are based on a researched financial profitability of some kind. Government actions are often brought about on a 'needs' basis - eg railways, where losses are are taken for granted.

M. Webb saw the needs of the SAR in1926. He saw a system not unlike the current one - run down, out of date, ineffective etc etc. He 'bit the bullet' and did something about it. Inaction is often complained about on this forum. The current system needs about $2bn - see the infrastructure/transport rail sections on this thread - what has really happened with such a dire need as this?

Now to Mr Webb - some of his impementaions were -
A. Construction of the present city railway station (with 13 platforms). What a great Casino building we have now from it!).
B. Introduction of up to date heavy locomotive power . (The 500's, 600's and 700's)
C. The re-working of Adelaide station yards.
D The re working of Mile End goods yards.
E. Updatingthe Overland.
F. Extending the country broad gauge system.
G. Extensively Updating the goods rolling stock.

All this costs money. He did it in a short time so financial effects were compressed onto the government of the time - herein lies the possible 'infamy'.

[b]ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER SKYLINE[/b]

skyliner wrote: A. Construction of the present city railway station (with 13 platforms)

With space for up to 17 to 20 platforms if needed
Mr. Webb was blamed for almost bankcrupting the state at one stage though.

I thought Adelaide Station had 9 platforms. Are there ghost platforms around that I don't know of?

momentkiller wrote:I thought Adelaide Station had 9 platforms. Are there ghost platforms around that I don't know of?

Adelaide Station used to have 13 platforms, until the area was redeveloped in the late 1980s, when 4 platforms were demolished.

momentkiller wrote:I thought Adelaide Station had 9 platforms. Are there ghost platforms around that I don't know of?

As AG said, they were demolished when they built ASER (Adelaide Station & Environs Redevelopment) between 1985 and 1987. The platforms lost were the ones closest to North Terrace where now the Exhibition Centre, the Riverside office building and the ramp to the Hyatt Regency stand.

Cheers

Ugh, I hate those structures there, that riverside office building and that junky 80's exhibition centre (thats the thing attached to the convention centre out the front, right? ) and the hyatt entrance is tacky as shit.
Would be awesome if Adelaide station had a larger terminal capacity, like 12 platforms. Mabye in the future the additional 3 could be sub-level platforms if reconstructed on that north terrace side, for underground tunnels (city subway, and obahn line)

momentkiller wrote:Ugh, I hate those structures there, that riverside office building and that junky 80's exhibition centre (thats the thing attached to the convention centre out the front, right? ) and the hyatt entrance is tacky as shit.

Architecturally nothing to write home about.

Would be awesome if Adelaide station had a larger terminal capacity, like 12 platforms. Mabye in the future the additional 3 could be sub-level platforms if reconstructed on that north terrace side, for underground tunnels (city subway, and obahn line)

Something like that or have the platforms right under North Terrace.

Cheers