News & Discussion: Adelaide City Council

[Matt]

This whole keeping-the-decorations-to-the-branding thing was an error.

The trees and stars are tacky, cheap looking and just come across 'cold', for want of a better word. All so desperately sterile.

[Vee]

Agree with sentiments posted here. Underwhelming and a huge disappointment.
The Rundle Mall Christmas tree looks ghastly - hardly one to generate much Xmas cheer.

In this Instagram era, it's great to see proud locals and visitors post/tag/share appealing photos of Adelaide icons and scenery. The illuminated Adelaide Oval, Riverbank and footbridge are particular favourites.

I hope the "more to come" improves the spectacle.

[monotonehell]

Agree with sentiments posted here. Underwhelming and a huge disappointment.
The Rundle Mall Christmas tree looks ghastly - hardly one to generate much Xmas cheer.

In this Instagram era, it's great to see proud locals and visitors post/tag/share appealing photos of Adelaide icons and scenery. The illuminated Adelaide Oval, Riverbank and footbridge are particular favourites.

I hope the "more to come" improves the spectacle.

I'm fairly sure what you see so far in the Mall is just the lighting and a precursor to more to come. (It looks perdy at night)

If not, the rhetoric that the Mall Authority pumped out recently was overblown.

[ChillyPhilly]

[Vee]

I walked past this sad excuse for a 'Christmas Tree'? in Rundle Mall today.
Better examples (unfolding) in peoples' homes, businesses and Pageant floats!

Thinking: saves $ on employing a security guard.

[EBG]

That is just the worst Christmas tree I have ever seen!!!!. How tacky.

[Wayno]

Pretty sure it's just meant to be a bit of fun. The big Xmas tree is in vic square...

[ChillyPhilly]

Pretty sure it's just meant to be a bit of fun. The big Xmas tree is in vic square...

I think so too. It's there only for the sake of having it there, honestly. A little time-relevant boost to the 'Unfold' brand.

[Vee]

Saw this on the evening news and it looks great!
Adelaide Town Hall - Christmas lights projection

Adelaide Town Hall is being lit up nightly with vibrant animations in the lead-up to Christmas.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said it was timely to remind people the city was a welcoming place for all South Australians.

"I think more than ever at this time, given what's transpired in the world, is we need to be sending a very positive, inclusive message to everyone in South Australia that the city is a wonderful place, it is a welcoming place and we're going to light it up like a Christmas tree."

"We have lit up Town Hall at night with the most stunning projections — this is reminiscent of Northern Lights, which we all remember very fondly from North Terrace.

"Every night right through until the 31st of December — starting at 8:00pm right through to midnight and on Saturdays and Sundays through until 2:00am — the Adelaide Town Hall is lit up with the most outstanding projections ... it is an animation absolutely worth seeing."

ABC News:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-17/c ... ll/6949302

[Vee]

Not a lot of love for the "Christmas tree" in Rundle Mall (as opposed to the more traditional, gigantic tree in Victoria Square) Check out Hobart's "modern and trendy" Christmas tree - and the reaction.

A $ 35,000 Christmas tree erected by Hobart City Council to shake off comments that it had "possibly the worst Christmas decorations in the country" has come under fire on social media.

The "modern and trendy" tree was installed in Salamanca Place.....
Vowing to give the city a festive face-lift, the council decided to invest tens of thousands of dollars in new decorations last year, which have been crowned this year with the new tree.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey said: "Our council officers designed, created and built this particular Christmas tree and we think it's a really modern and trendy addition in this fairly funky area."

ABC News:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-17/h ... ia/6945968

[Patrick_27]

Not a lot of love for the "Christmas tree" in Rundle Mall (as opposed to the more traditional, gigantic tree in Victoria Square) Check out Hobart's "modern and trendy" Christmas tree - and the reaction.

A $ 35,000 Christmas tree erected by Hobart City Council to shake off comments that it had "possibly the worst Christmas decorations in the country" has come under fire on social media.

The "modern and trendy" tree was installed in Salamanca Place.....
Vowing to give the city a festive face-lift, the council decided to invest tens of thousands of dollars in new decorations last year, which have been crowned this year with the new tree.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey said: "Our council officers designed, created and built this particular Christmas tree and we think it's a really modern and trendy addition in this fairly funky area."

ABC News:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-17/h ... ia/6945968

Oh dear... Am I the only one who laughed really loud when they saw the picture of the tree?

[monotonehell]

Oh dear... Am I the only one who laughed really loud when they saw the picture of the tree?

I was just a little bit sad at that picture. Maybe it looks better in person?

[ChillyPhilly]

Being inside it would be cool.

[Wayno]

From Indaily

REVEALED: Jay's plans to cut councils' food truck control

The Government’s food trucks regulation discussion paper suggests a series of interventions to help boost the mobile food vending industry and cut local councils out of its regulation.

These include a “consistent” permits scheme across the state that “would essentially remove the ability of councils to regulate most aspects of food truck operation”.

“The Government believes that it is essential that we do what we can to support food truck ventures; that we ensure an entrepreneurial activity is not handicapped by unnecessarily complex and changing regulation,” the paper says.

It proposes: “a provision in the Local Government Act … requiring councils to act reasonably to support food trucks [and] ensure that councils not set unreasonable permit conditions”.

“While it is not proposed that mobile food vendors should operate without regulation, it is clear that this inconsistent approach creates uncertainties for vendors and may hamper new investment in a service that can bring interest and vitality to our urban areas.

“… while individual councils would retain an ability to issue permits, these permits would need to comply with conditions set within the regulations.

“This ‘single permit’ option will require significant resourcing to enable this body to both issue permits and manage compliance.

“It is clear that there may be an opportunity to provide a more consistent approach to the issuing of permits to food trucks, simplifying this process for both vendors and councils, and providing greater certainty to people wishing to invest in this business opportunity.”

The Government is also suggesting “significant pieces” of state-owned land, including “over 80 train stations and over 70 Park ‘n’ Ride locations” could be used to “support greater business for food trucks” and “one-off” payments could be made by the Government to reduce the cost of registering food-vending vehicles.

A small number of coffee carts have licences through the State Government to operate at train stations and Park ‘n’ Rides.

In addition, the Government could “sponsor a ‘trial truck’ for prospective businesses to use over a short period to test a business idea, menus and marketing”.

The truck could be “regularly cycled through different new entrepreneurs, testing new ideas in the market”.

According to the paper, the new permits scheme would allow mobile food vendors to operate “at a reasonable annual cost”, “during reasonable hours (for example 10am to 2pm)”, have “location guidelines that are consistent across all council areas” and trade without “excessive restraints on the type of food they can sell”.

The State Government scheme would specify a maximum number of food truck permits, mobile vendor trading hours (outside of special events), a maximum cost for permits, relevant safety standards and location guidelines, including defined distances from schools and from established businesses selling similar products.

However, “specific locations that food trucks can utilise” within council areas would remain under local control.

The revelations follow repeated threats by Premier Jay Weatherill to intervene in the regulation of food trucks following moves by Adelaide City Council – which first established the city food trucks industry – to increase fees and restrictions on mobile vendors.

Established city businesses have argued that, despite the small impact on total lunchtime revenue reaped by food trucks in the CBD, some small businesses have suffered significant lost business as a result of their presence.

In a foreword to the discussion paper, Weatherill writes that “I want to see a future for food trucks where there is balance in the market place and consistency across councils throughout the state”.

“In a world where we must continue to compete internationally on the strength of our lifestyle, food trucks present another attraction to add to our charm,” he writes.

“Food trucks bring a vibrant energy and fresh life to our city.

“We’ve seen the fantastic results of State Government initiatives such as removing restrictions for small bar licences…

“Food trucks could offer a similar chance to make a small change that can have a big impact on the vibrancy of our city.”

The paper also suggests that legislation could be changed to remove “duplication” of food truck health inspections by various agencies, and that the Government could establish and maintain an “Adelaide Street Food” website to promote the industry.

Consultation on the options in the discussion paper closes in mid-January.

[Llessur2002]

Hahaha. Brilliant.

A superb own goal by the ACC...