Responding to ‘Urgency and political will’: SA’s climate risk threatens entire communities

Those are very good points made over the urgent need to accept and also tackle climate change. But there are laggards among us who work to enhance climate change. The most obvious of these is Santos, which promotes and continues to dig up fossil fuels.

They do this for their shareholders’ monetary benefit, of course, but they excuse it by pointing to the apparent need to fill the gaps in power on dull and/or calm days. But this excuse is getting a bit thin. Batteries are being developed and produced at a fast rate to store a great deal of energy and to fill this role.

Furthermore, along with Woodside, they are hell-bent on producing new gas for export, not for home supply. And gases burnt anywhere contribute to global heating, which affects us too. – Dr John Churchman

Last November, Sustainable Population Australia released a report on the vulnerabilities of our capital cities with regard to fresh water supply. Entitled Big Thirsty Australia, the study was led by me along with Dr Peter Cook, Dr Jane O’Sullivan and Sandra Kanck.

It provides facts and figures about water supply versus rapid population growth, and the entrapment of political and business spokesmen (yes, it’s mostly men) by the ‘Goal of Growth’, to which every other policy is subservient, at both state and federal levels.

We are past the tipping point of affordable water supply; we are increasingly vulnerable to technology failure even as we receive less rainfall, higher evaporation and reduced runoff. I suggest that this report would support the publication by the Committee for Adelaide relating to the need for urgency and a change in direction for political policy. – Jonathan Sobels

Let’s comment on the move to renewable energy being labelled “denialism”. It is possible to believe in climate change while criticising the pursuit of net zero at any cost, as we are now doing.  It should be noted that whatever South Australia does to reduce its emissions it will have no impact on the world’s temperature, as big emitters like China, India, and Indonesia continue to increase their emissions.

Adaptation has always been the most sensible strategy, and we need to get on with this.

Side effects of expensive wind, solar and battery electricity are that we are hitting poor people with surging electricity bills, and small businesses are going broke for the same reason. Never mind. Labor has deserted the poor, and we can feel superior about our climate change action. – Evonne Morre

And we taxpayers fund this guy and his exaggerated nonsense and unachievable goals, which poor people and industry can not afford! – John Lewis

This is all rubbish – the sky is about to fall in! Climate changes, weather changes – always have and always will. To go into mass hysterical panic mode will change nothing; adapt and enjoy.

We have the science but not the science anyone listens to, we have a portion of the technology but nothing affordable or sensible (how many millions wasted on green hydrogen?), and until we forget the tub thumping about “climate change”, we will get nowhere.

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‘Urgency and political will’: SA’s climate risk threatens entire communities

First state to go fully electric vehicles? Yeah right. Try driving from Adelaide to Coober Pedy or similar, just a pipe dream. I will never have a battery car and love my petrol V8 SUV.

Get real people, short-term panic and over-dramatisation will never overcome common sense. – Colin Gaetjens

Responding to InSider: Turbine Tom

I think it’s high time Turbo Tom goes for a drive to Tailem Bend and back – and then does something about the potholes between Tailem Bend and Murray Bridge. It is an absolute disgrace to have this on one of our main highways. – Huppy, Loxton

Responding to ‘Down to the wire’: SA mayors jet off to Brazil ahead of final COP31 bid

I trust the mayors will emphasise in the negotiations that Australia and the Pacific want COP31 in our region.

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Pacific Islanders are suffering the catastrophic consequences of Climate Change.

They strongly support the COP being held here to draw attention to their plight. – Adjunct Professor David Ness

Hope they have a lovely time and enjoy the fact that they have ripped off ratepayers’ money. Nice if you can get it. LOL. – Arthur Porter

Responding to Watch: Crash caught on camera amid city speed limit push

No matter what the speed limit is, hoons are going to break the law. Why should law-abiding citizens yet again suffer because of a few? – Gordon Coleman

Hugely disappointing that someone would think a lower speed limit would fix this sort of accident.

Why use one driver’s mistake as justification to slow down/punish all motorists?

How about proposing better driver training instead?

And acknowledging that sometimes in life, it happens! – Chris Brougham

If you think that dropping speed limits across the board is going to stop clowns/hoons like the one in Gilbert Street from doing crazy shit like happened yesterday, you are as crazy as the driver.

Stop trying to grab a headline by talking to the lame-stream media about making Adelaide SUCH a ‘nanny state’ and do something useful by trying to change the laws of the road so as to prosecute, fine and imprison clowns/hoons like that … without giving the revenue raising SAPOL goons just another excuse to fine a good and safe driver for inadvertently driving at 45 instead of 40 kilometres an hour. – Peter Kerr

While I support efforts to improve road safety, I disagree with the notion that lowering the speed limit is the appropriate response in this case. The vehicle involved was reportedly travelling well above the current 50 kilometres per hour limit—clearly a case of reckless driving, not a failure of the existing speed regulation.

To penalise responsible drivers for the actions of one individual is misguided. Reducing speed limits further may not prevent such incidents, especially when the issue is non-compliance, not the limit itself. Effective enforcement, driver education, and targeted infrastructure improvements are more meaningful strategies.

Let’s ensure our road safety policies are based on evidence and not reactive measures that may inconvenience many without addressing the root cause. – Vicki Mavrakis

And what would reducing the speed limit to 40 kilometres an hour do in this instance?

Clearly lost control due to inability to drive, inexperience, showing off, type of car/power, and speed – I anticipate 60-70 kilometres per hour.

He was being stupid and paid the price. – Chris Bunting

Responding to The road to 50k: Inside plans to double Adelaide’s population

The policies and inducements being developed by the SA Government, with support from the Adelaide City Council, if implemented, will have a high negative impact on what we treasure as the city’s enviable quality of life. It’s a poor political strategy to boost population and employment while seeking to gain a big lift in city ratepayers and revenue raising for the government and council. It’s most likely the city will be blotted by the pattern of building approvals, creating a canyon of soaring apartments of unsympathetic scale, with attendant diminution of diversity of residential occupation, weighted towards attracting international students and a reduced socio-economic mix. Higher-income earners and well-placed retirees will move to capitalise on the advantages of tailored, better-value residential/lifestyle living outside the city. – Deanne Edgecinve

Responding to O’Connell Street developer’s poetic dig at city planning

As a former Mayor of Walkerville, I watched the O’Connell development saga with interest over many years. I would point out in defence of the Adelaide City Council that they approved the overwhelming majority of development applications put to them by the site owners over the years. It was always the site owners who, for various reasons, did not proceed with any projects. It took the joint intervention of the State Government and the ACC to buy the site and move the process on. – David Whiting

What a great man. There should be more like him in Adelaide. A nice poem of the journey to the site and of Adelaide in general.

The more people like him, the better for us all, as we need visionaries, not NIMBYs, to house the next generation.

Also, the funny thing is, the NIMBYs are old enough to afford an apartment in this building and then give their house to their kids. They could live close to their family if they downsize to a nearby apartment.

Really strange people, he and many before him had to suffer the likes of their acquaintance.

But let’s focus on the man of the hour.

Congratulations, Jamie, on being a doer, not just a talker.

But I must say, he is not a bad talker either.

The city is growing up, finally. – Andrew Dixon

I certainly hope it brings more people to the area, as at the moment most of the businesses on O’Connell seem to be struggling for patrons. – Theresa Woolford

Responding to New CEO plots rebirth after two-year Tandanya closure

I am a foundation member of Tandanya … good to see the recent progress. As a teacher, now retired, I loved taking my class to see the exhibits and take part in Aboriginal studies by Aboriginal presenters … Let me know when your opening again. – Val Pastro 

Responding Law changes and hundreds of millions: Labor’s bid to ‘change Adelaide’s skyline forever’

The photo says it all. Premier Malinauskas is taking advice from Bruce Djite on the best way to densify the CBD.

The government must also take advice from residents’ groups, environmental organisations and all those affected by our growing concrete jungle.

Building developers have their place, of course, but individuals and concerned groups must be included and heard.

Our politicians must not become the voice of companies seeking profit. – Dr Stephen Morris

Responding to SA’s newest political party launches

Viva la socialists! – Hanna Brady