Sensational-Adelaide.com

MOTORISTS have been promised a new petrol discounting war after the biggest deal in the Shahin family's history resulted in a takeover of all BP fuel outlets in South Australia.

In a deal worth tens of millions of dollars, the family has bought all BP's 16 metropolitan and 12 regional sites, subject to approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Michaela Webster, the general manager of the family's company, Peregrine Corporation, said today she was planning a fuel discount deal which would take 8c a litre off the price of unleaded petrol with a $15 purchase from the group's on-site franchise stores such as Brumby's, Oporto, Happy Wash, Subway, Smokemart, SA Lotteries and C Coffee.

The Peregrine deal involves only BP stores owned by the oil giant. Dozens of other BP stores around South Australia remain in independent ownership.

Ms Webster said a $10 purchase would provide a 4c/l discount.

"The benefit we have is that people need to buy meals each day and this will allow them to buy fuel on any day not just a shopping day," Ms Webster said.

The Shahin family, who trace their origin in SA to the migration from Palestine of the late Fred Shahin in 1984, pioneered the teaming of fuel sales with big-name franchise food outlets at its On The Run service stations.

Starting with the purchase of a BP service station in 1984, the Shahins have become one of SA's most successful family businesses.

On The Run took over the 26 Mobil service stations in 2010, taking the number of On The Run sites to 81.

A director of Peregrine, Yasser Shahin, said the company had since spent $17 million on developing the former Mobil sites and creating 250 new jobs directly.

"Similar plans would be in store for the BP network," he said.

"Our competitors are typically many times larger than our business but, thanks to the strong support of the Adelaide community, we have been successful by remaining local and unique.

"There are very few champions of SA industry and we hope that the community keeps behind us."

The deal, which takes Peregrine's assets to 109 fuel outlets, was backed yesterday by Premier Jay Weatherill, who said Peregrine had a record of investing in SA.

Nathan wrote:That was my thought too. 109 is a LOT of outlets. It also means then that the majority of stations would be split between On The Run, Shell (ties to Coles) & Caltex (ties to Woolworths).
Aside from the odd Liberty & Mogas, what else is there?

monotonehell wrote:At 161 votes where all the others are around 10 I'd say it's been stacked by mates.

Additional question; are people voting for "their favourite building" or for their favourite photo?

Adelaide chosen in National Geographic Channel's Smart Cities program

ADELAIDE is the only Australian city to be selected for a new National Geographic Channel series showcasing the world's most liveable cities.

The series, Smart Cities, will profile 18 destinations over three seasons after the network identified suitable locales based on viewer preferences and internal selection criteria.

The program's executive producer, Ian MacFarlane, said Adelaide was selected because of its education vision and universities, multiculturalism and the connectivity of our city in a global environment.

"Adelaide, the only Australian city included, has demonstrably evidenced its commitment to its citizens and visitors by embracing the 21st century key success factors," Mr MacFarlane told The Advertiser.

He said the factors were:

TALENT development via its tertiary education sector structures and vision.

COMMITMENT to, and societal embrace of, multiculturalism.

INNOVATIVE approach to technology through connectivity and integration of Adelaide into the global environment, most visually noticeable with the international airport and the city's expanding air access.

"The lifestyle of Adelaide also is a major feature in attracting attention and interest," Mr MacFarlane said.

Filming for the series began secretly in March to capture footage of Adelaide's festival period.

The second phase of filming is under way this month.

Adelaide, as well as two other southern hemisphere cities which are yet to be announced, is the first city to be filmed for Smart Cities before production moves to cities in the northern hemisphere.

"The focus of the documentary is on people and their individual stories within the context of Adelaide," Mr MacFarlane said.

"Final inclusions of people and places will be made by the executive producers based on creative and audience appeal."

The Smart Cities series is slated to air in the first quarter of next year, beaming South Australia into at least 12 countries worldwide and commanding a strong online presence.

The State Government, Adelaide City Council, the University of South Australia and Flinders University are participating in the project.

Premier Jay Weatherill said an official launch event for the series would take place next year. Filming will continue until September.

Why Adelaide should be dancing

The most exciting thing about Melbourne's cultural reincarnation is that Adelaide is poised to do it even better, writes LainieAnderson.

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IN May last year, Melbourne CBD worker Tom Ding had a brainwave - he'd run a "cryptic crosswords for beginners" class in his mate's laneway cafe, The Little Mule.

Twelve months and 170 classes later - on subjects as varied as ukulele playing, anthropology, tequila-tasting and jewellery-making - Laneway Learning is a shining symbol of Melbourne's give-it-a-crack attitude.

"We've been astounded by the number of ordinary people who've put up their hand to share their knowledge," Mr Ding says.

"We charge a base rate of $12 per class at various venues, and generally have to turn people away after we hit 20 because we don't want to sacrifice the casual feel of it all."

When inner-city Melburnians aren't learning in laneways, they're growing their own vegies at the Pop Up Patch - small vegetable patches for rent on the rooftop carpark in Federation Square.

They're attending pub meetings of the People Who Like To Drink and Draw (the society's motto is "People who like to drink but have a drawing problem").

They're producing honey in rooftop beehives and they're drinking in bars that return all profits back to the developing country that made the beer you're swilling.

But wait. This is not one of those "Melbourne is marvellous and Adelaide is crap" type columns.

Adelaide has never been funkier than this past summer, when food vans and pop-up venues added another layer of vibrancy to an already lovely little cityscape.

Besides, I happen to believe the most exciting thing about Melbourne's cultural reincarnation over the past decade is that Adelaide is poised to do it even better.

Barrie Barton, founder of online city guides http://www.thethousands. com.au (after Australia's CBD postcodes) says Adelaide's online guide was the last to be created in the series, yet it's already busier and more dynamic than the more cashed-up city of Perth.

He says Adelaide has three great things going for it - a busy, single central hub (as opposed to Sydney where it's much more disjointed); a mix of wide streets and intimate laneways; and a healthy appetite among young Adelaideans for small-scale DIY events and activities.

Essentially, that means we've got the people, the spaces and the funky ideas - it's just a matter of combining all three to create a critical mass of year-round activity.

Adelaide's Monique Bowley is owner of The Little Van That Could and co-creator of Dulcie's Shop of Real Opportunity (a vintage clothing bus raising money for charity). She says young entrepreneurs have a friend these days in the Splash Adelaide team - a funky ideas unit within Adelaide City Council that fosters fresh projects in the city.

"In South Australia, we tend to loudly keep track of our failures and I think that can deter young people from taking risks," she says.

"OK - so not everything you try is going to be perfect, but if anyone out there has an idea I would urge them to contact the council and ask for their help.

"I can't commend them enough."

We are undoubtedly headed in the right direction. New small-bars legislation, the Rundle Mall revamp and moves to revitalise city laneways - not to mention the Riverbank and Adelaide Oval overhaul - are all great steps forward.

But I'm not as convinced that Premier Jay Weatherill's citizen jury (a 40-person panel that will make policy suggestions on city vibrancy and safety) is the best way to go.

Politicians and bureaucrats will ultimately decide whether to accept or veto the citizen jury's recommendations - and politicians and bureaucrats are generally not very good at taking risks.

I'd much rather select 10 young pop-up pioneers and city entrepreneurs and send them out on study tours of great artsy hubs of the world to speak to like-minded souls and bring back fresh ideas, trends and energies.

And I'd much rather seek the views of 10 grassroots Melbourne entrepreneurs to pick their brains on what's worked and what's held them back to learn from their successes and avoid the pitfalls.

In recent months we've glimpsed that Adelaide is on the verge of a great new groove.

Let's not get bogged down in yet another insular naval gaze-a-thon. Let's reach out and grab it.