Beer Garden

[rev]

The SAJC doesn't sanction Oakbank, does it?

Thoroughbred Racing SA runs it.
Separate organization to the SAJC.

[Will409]

Just a little teaser of what is planned for the upcoming 'Trams de Nuit' event. I can confirm that the restaurant tram, H 378 'Grand Lady' will be making an appearance and running. An extra surprise with this tram is also planned but to find out what it is, you will have to come and see.

Bookings for this event are still open and you download the registration form from the Museum website at http://www.trammuseumadelaide.com.au

For those who are wanting to book as a group, any group with 5 or more people will receive a 10% discount.

[monotonehell]

Murdoch is already asset stripping NewsCorp Australia. Remember the tax evasion cheques that changed hands that meant the ATO had to send a huge wad of money to them? How much longer will the house of cards stand?

Presto Vivace writes with news of an embarrassing discovery for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp about the company's financial state, which might draw less attention if News Corp hadn't tried to prevent people from using the information:
"The existential crisis that has gripped Rupert Murdoch's Australian arm began with a rude discovery just after 2pm on Wednesday afternoon. The Crikey news website had stumbled across some of News Corp's most intimate lingerie, and had just put it all up on the the net. ... The 276-page document is called the Blue Book, a weekly and year-to-date rundown of results at June 30, 2013 for every News Corp business in the country. ... The great newspaper engine which was Rupert Murdoch's original springboard to take over the world was already under stress. In 2013, 70 per cent of its earnings disappeared, leaving operating income precariously balanced at $87.6 million. As Crikey pointed out, trying hard not to gloat, another year even half as bad as 2013 could put News Australia into the red." Crikey took the documents off line after legal threats, but it seems not before business reporters all over the world had a chance to download them."

http://news.slashdot.org/story/14/08/24 ... financials

EDIT: One of the Drum's opinion writers have picked up on the story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-25/v ... er/5693140

[SRW]

Murdoch is already asset stripping NewsCorp Australia. Remember the tax evasion cheques that changed hands that meant the ATO had to send a huge wad of money to them? How much longer will the house of cards stand?

Presto Vivace writes with news of an embarrassing discovery for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp about the company's financial state, which might draw less attention if News Corp hadn't tried to prevent people from using the information:
"The existential crisis that has gripped Rupert Murdoch's Australian arm began with a rude discovery just after 2pm on Wednesday afternoon. The Crikey news website had stumbled across some of News Corp's most intimate lingerie, and had just put it all up on the the net. ... The 276-page document is called the Blue Book, a weekly and year-to-date rundown of results at June 30, 2013 for every News Corp business in the country. ... The great newspaper engine which was Rupert Murdoch's original springboard to take over the world was already under stress. In 2013, 70 per cent of its earnings disappeared, leaving operating income precariously balanced at $87.6 million. As Crikey pointed out, trying hard not to gloat, another year even half as bad as 2013 could put News Australia into the red." Crikey took the documents off line after legal threats, but it seems not before business reporters all over the world had a chance to download them."

http://news.slashdot.org/story/14/08/24 ... financials

EDIT: One of the Drum's opinion writers have picked up on the story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-25/v ... er/5693140

I like to imagine that the Murdoch press's outrageous partisan campaigning in last year's federal election will only hasten their decline and open up space for more independent voices. That transformation can't come quickly enough, though it'll probably take longer than we expect.

[dsriggs]

ONE DAY before the Royal Show, The Advertiser wonders why the Adelaide Showgrounds railway station exists.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 7046916158

[Nathan]

ONE DAY before the Royal Show, The Advertiser wonders why the Adelaide Showgrounds railway station exists.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 7046916158

What's more absurd, as pointed out in the comments, is that the day the opposition cherry picked the patronage data from (37 commuters on June 9) was the Queen's Birthday public holiday. Why is it even been given the slightest bit of air?

[Norman]

Because the particular journalist who covered this story is one who writes articles like that. Anything to make people outraged really. It's only there as it acts as click-bait.

[Aidan]

What's more absurd, as pointed out in the comments, is that the day the opposition cherry picked the patronage data from (37 commuters on June 9) was the Queen's Birthday public holiday. Why is it even been given the slightest bit of air?

I doubt it was the opposition that cherry picked the data. They requested it but I think the cherry picking was all the 'Tiser's doing. Certainly the labelling of the users as commuters was.

Did the story make it to the dead tree edition?

[monotonehell]

As pointed out above:

Figures obtained by the Liberals under Freedom of Information laws show just 37 people used the station on Monday, June 9. The day before only 50 passengers were counted at the station, which services the Belair and Seaford train lines. The total for the week was 821.

June 9th was a public holiday, June 8th was a Sunday. That means; 821 - 37 - 50 = 734 divided by the remaining 5 working days and saturday = 146 average a day.

Worthless propaganda article.

[metro]

The SA Liberals have no right to comment on the present state of the rail network and current patronage figures, they who did not put one fking cent into its maintenance for 10 years, left it in such a rotten state where nobody was using it and it was being considered to be shut down entirely!! If they want someone to blame for nobody using this station, then they should look in the mirror, it was they who let things fall apart.. and also I had to laugh, the station sits right next door to the ETSA building, now privatized thanks to them. And they wonder why they lose election after election?

But we need to consider the station is still quite new, and the area has always been a bit of a car-dominated ghost town, it will take time to transform into a vibrant mass transit oriented area, give it 5-10 years and the station should be quite well used, it is undoubtedly much busier than the old Keswick station ever was, and there will be no more putting up and packing away of the temporary showgrounds station - which I think the SA Liberals had a whinge about a few times.

[crawf]

Yes that article was quite poor (data from Queens Bday)... but the Libs do raise a good point here. Wayville costed $16.5 million, and yet there are still many stations that have not seen any investment in years/decades, look unsafe and derelict. Also, lets not forget the crammed ancient 1-2 car trains or the one hour frequency at night.

Sure Keswick was well passed it's used by date and needed a new station. However, when you take into account stations like Salisbury which desperately needs a major overhaul. You do start to question was it feasible to invest so much money on Wayville.

I catch the train daily to the city, and I can honestly say our train system is still by far the worst in the country. I absolutely hate it. I hate being crammed into an already packed ancient two car train, derelict unsafe stations (there are exceptions) and I absolutely hate the frequency. There is nothing worse when you just miss your train at night and then have to wait a whole hour for the next one. Traveling to and from work is the most depressing part of my day. Adelaide trains suck

Thank god it's Friday tomorrow!

[crawf]

The SA Liberals have no right to comment on the present state of the rail network and current patronage figures, they who did not put one fking cent into its maintenance for 10 years, left it in such a rotten state where nobody was using it and it was being considered to be shut down entirely!! If they want someone to blame for nobody using this station, then they should look in the mirror, it was they who let things fall apart.. and also I had to laugh, the station sits right next door to the ETSA building, now privatized thanks to them. And they wonder why they lose election after election?

Considering Labor has now been in power for what 12 years, and have only finally started to improve the system. Not all the blame should be pointed at the Liberals.

Also majority of ministers weren't even around when the Libs were in power...... which seems like a century ago now.

[Norman]

Let's not forget that this money was from the Federal Government as part of the Goodwood Underpass funding. This was not funded by the state.

[metro]

Let's not forget that this money was from the Federal Government as part of the Goodwood Underpass funding. This was not funded by the state.

Ahh back in the 'dark ages' when the federal government funded rail, thank goodness we are back to the 'golden-age' of the federal government only building roads.

[Waewick]

The SA Liberals have no right to comment on the present state of the rail network and current patronage figures, they who did not put one fking cent into its maintenance for 10 years, left it in such a rotten state where nobody was using it and it was being considered to be shut down entirely!! If they want someone to blame for nobody using this station, then they should look in the mirror, it was they who let things fall apart.. and also I had to laugh, the station sits right next door to the ETSA building, now privatized thanks to them. And they wonder why they lose election after election?

Considering Labor has now been in power for what 12 years, and have only finally started to improve the system. Not all the blame should be pointed at the Liberals.

Also majority of ministers weren't even around when the Libs were in power...... which seems like a century ago now.

it nearly was last Century!

Labor SA will get plenty of mileage our blame labor for the next 3 years, I'm not sure many people will even question it.