Responding to ‘A shameful dust bowl’: Prime Tarrkarri CBD site sits empty seven years on

Thank you for drawing attention to the shameful lack of progress of the Aboriginal cultural centre on North Terrace. Currently, there are no Aboriginal culture centres anywhere except for Port Adelaide, which is beautiful. The cultural buildings of northern Adelaide are shabby and still stuck in their colonial past, with little or no recognition of the vibrant living culture of Aboriginal people and no attempt to decolonise the story of this city. This is largely due to a lack of funding and support from the State Government. The billboards on North Terrace announcing a soon-to-come cultural centre are currently a lie. Alice Springs may well gazump us, leaving us off the tourist route to Uluru. It would be wonderful if the Premier showed courage and built something we can all be proud of. Sadly, he doesn’t seem to get the importance of culture and history in building a united community. – Janet Giles

As far as the “intention” of what the land is to be used for, Jack Batty, as Opposition Arts Minister, has said, “it’s a dust bowl”. He’s not wrong.

But, if the government goes ahead and spends $600 million on a new beautiful building I can see what the Opposition would say and on the other hand, Brenz Saunders who’s the current Tandanya CEO is saying that the current $200m allocated in the budget would ‘do the job’ in upgrading Tandanya … Why don’t we just do that and lets sell the land off with the proviso that it has space for First Nations People’s exhibits and the whole building is designed with the Indigenous culture as uppermost, with of course input from artists and architects.

Who can do that? Or there was still talk of the Feds contributing … It could be an Australian national art and culture gallery … which is what both major political South Australian parties suggested.

After all, I don’t see any other capital cities with such a massive, vacant “shovel-ready” block of land available. And it would be a national cultural centre, but in Adelaide. – Helen Chadwick

It’d be a lot cheaper to return the site to its original usage – park lands. For a start, less concrete. – Ben Rains

I fully support the new CEO of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Brenz Saunders’ suggestion that (at least some of) the $200 million still budgeted for Tarrkarri could instead be invested in existing institutions such as the one he leads. Tandanya is a wonderful centre and deserves to be celebrated and supported.

And the vacant site would be perfect for a concert hall – Adelaide is a UNESCO World Music City, famous for its arts and music, with a world-class orchestra in the ASO, but no concert hall. Shame on us.

A concert hall in this location would be great for tourism, the East End, and our reputation. – Barbara Fergusson

The site, as it is at present, is perfect – a perfect creation and homage to the Aboriginal legacy after 40,000 plus years of occupation. No buildings, no development, nothing left.

Declare it a sacred site, and its monetary value will be zero, so no rates foregone, no development opportunity lost because development would be prohibited.

Perfect solution. The local Aboriginal voice could use it as their meeting place too, an ideal central location. – Colin Gaetjens

The site identified for a First Nations art and cultural centre within the so-called Lot Fourteen is not part of the Adelaide CBD.

Though its former open, green, public character was lost long ago, it nevertheless remains part of Park 11 in the world’s unique Adelaide Park Lands.

If there is to be a re-examination of the promise to build a First Nations art and cultural centre at that location, then the government could heed the advice of Tandanya CEO Brenz Saunders and invest instead in that existing institution on Grenfell Street.

Such a refocused investment decision would then free up the fenced-off “dust bowl” on North Terrace for restoration as open, green public park lands – perhaps an addition to the Adelaide Botanic Garden – to partly redress the many park lands losses inflicted by this government over the past four years. – Shane Sody

Responding to Holocaust survivor calls for a more compassionate world after winning top international award

Congratulations to Andrew Steiner!

An educated, compassionate advocate who is keeping the memory of this horror alive, to hopefully ensure it can never happen again!

You are a wonderful role model who has communicated your passion, experience and educated many, as you keep the memory alive. A memory that many fear could be repeated in today’s global chaos. – Cate Fowler AM

Responding to ‘Extreme anti-car ideology’: Labor vows to take bigger garage laws to election as bill parked

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There was a touch of hubris in our premier huffing and puffing in the media about his bill being defeated, and blaming the opposition in an attempt to score points ahead of the election. I wonder if the premier ever thinks he gets it wrong, or if it’s always someone else’s fault. He did seem to be playing the victim. – Dan Schmidt

Premier Peter Malinauskas’s pre-election back-room tactical team’s objective is to create a series of emotive media and online distractions leading up to the poll. These aim to get voters not to focus on Labor’s disasters, such as the abject failure to address hospital ramping, or opaque records of high taxpayer costs of Labor’s ‘bread and circuses’ sport events (including cavalier commercial exploitation of Adelaide’s greatest asset, the park lands), or SA’s $48 billion appalling long-term state debt. Instead, against a hapless, floundering state opposition, Labor is enticing voters to get excited about distractions.

The residential garage-size distraction offers no solution, because the inner suburban electorates are already riddled with heavily congested streets caused by cars parked outside the little homes because they don’t fit into the tiny, developer-defined garages. This problem is permanent, thanks to the planning rules set since 2013 by Labor’s planning minister, John Rau. But the Premier’s 2025 distraction campaign implies that there’s an immediate solution to this. It’s a fiction – any future solution could only apply after Labor’s flawed planning rules are amended – and would only apply to future housing in future streets – and only if the rules are changed after March 2026, which is unlikely.

There will be many more distractions like this ahead of the March polling day. Meanwhile, there’s another agenda lurking behind the scenes. The effectiveness of South Australia’s future democracy is at stake. Labor now has as its principal objective a bid to grab control of the Legislative Council, capitalising on the party’s post-2022-poll control of the numbers in the House of Assembly. Desired Labor result: total control of the legislature. End of all government transparency and accountability.

It is doubtful that South Australians fully comprehend the risk to the state of Labor’s taking absolute control, overwhelming the traditional checks and balances that a Westminster system is usually expected to deliver. It’s doubtful that voters comprehend the consequences. Over the next four months, the airwaves and social media chatter will be flooded with Labor distractions. Anything to obscure the party’s ultimate March 2026 game plan, now the highest priority in the Premier’s office. – John Bridgland 

Responding to ‘It’s unbearable’: Residents flee CBD as MP hopeful promises to shift car race from park lands

The Bend would love it! – Tim Jackson

Enjoy Melbourne! – John Bannister

Thanks for the reporting.

I’d like to balance the rhetoric a little, though.

I live in the east end (Flinders Street), so I am very much impacted by the noise, and I am not a car race fan.

The reality is that the noise impact lasts for less than one per cent of the year; it would be helpful for my fellow residents to find a little perspective!

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Our beautiful state is based on respect for diversity, so let’s show some tolerance for an event that adds richness and colour for those who love it. – Diane Priestly

Please, please consider moving the race to Talem Bend.

Disruption of the beautiful parklands for a long period of time. Issues with driving to and from the city – both for work and recreation. And, of course, noise pollution.

Adelaide would still see the financial benefit.

I implore the powers that be to consider the impact the race has on Adelaide. – Laraine Floyd 

I agree with Snape. Racing around Adelaide’s streets was an awesome novelty during the late 80s, supported by F1 cars. Supercars, forty years later, are something else again and totally uneventful and boring.

Adelaide’s had enough of street racing – it’s useless, disruptive and for a long time old hat. Give it to a SA regional city to cash in on if they’re prepared to do the work. What regional cities we have in SA need all the help they can get to survive and stay relevant. – James Natt 

Snape has no idea of reality in this regard and gives the impression that those against are in the majority. I live 50 metres away, far closer than those in Gilles Street, and have no issue with noise. Nowhere near unbearable. If a minority want to get away from it, so be it.

Inconvenience for a couple of weeks is nothing if we can keep the city and business alive and vibrant.

Look at the difference bringing AFL into the city has made. I see a similar situation. Despite the inconvenience of roads blocked off every week for AFL, businesses benefit.

We need to look at the bigger picture and the benefits for Adelaide. Tailem Bend would not get the same numbers, and city hotels and businesses would suffer.

And if you think money for the T2D upgrade is better spent elsewhere, then you are in an alternate reality and have never travelled South Road at any time, let alone peak times. – Michael Overton 

Grow up and get a life… It is only four days… Try living in a sleepy township with ambulance sirens blaring day and night every hour and more for 24 hours because they have to activate the sirens going through traffic lights, even if no one is there at early hours of the morning… Top that off with the now annual corella invasion screeching from 5am till 11pm every day of the week from November to May… Pathetic that you want to stop such a good thing for Adelaide because you do not like it for four days a year…. Jeez!!!!! – Stephen Tymmons

The reason people voted for Peter is that he is a realist and is obviously in tune with the hundred thousand people who go to these events. Are the elitist rich boring people who are whining going to donate 60 plus million to the city? The council also doesn’t complain about the revenue it collects from the event. – Mark Luxton

This article is like people who buy next to the airport, then complain about the aeroplane noise. The race here has been going on for 40 years, and these people have only lived here for 20 years.

The Labor government promised to reinstate the supercars race after the Liberals canned it and won the election by a landslide.

If the issue is about being fenced out of the park lands, what about WOMADelaide and the equestrian events? Why just pick on one event that over 250,000 people attend? – Andrew Schlein

The Adelaide 500 started in 1999, which is 26 years ago. One of the main couples interviewed for this article stated that they have lived in the area for 20 years.

Who do you think you are! Don’t move to an area that already has an established event and then complain about it. You bought your house knowing full well that you would experience the noise and inconvenience of this event.

This is just a prime example of NIMBYs wanting to ruin things for others.

Go spread your sour grapes elsewhere. – Danni Bailey

Leave the car race right where it is. Why should people have every sporting activity moved away from Adelaide CBD? For those who don’t like it, take a holiday while the event is happening. They had a horse racing event that was followed by another horse event removed. Now they want motor sport removed. There are many people who don’t enjoy football, cricket and tennis, but we have to tolerate them. Don’t like it? Move out. Let us who enjoy things have a little pleasure. – Evelyn Barwis

So, the race has been on the Adelaide street circuit for well over 20 years. So, they knew this when they bought the house. Now they think they have the right to complain and force their race onto others. Who didn’t buy where the race already occurred? If they now don’t like it, they should move. The race was there first. It reminds me of those who bought units next to the “Gov” and then complained about the noise of the live venue that was there first. Entitled, nasty, greedy narcissists.

Typical politician trying to jump on the bandwagon and play to the entitled mind virus. So, he definitely can’t be trusted. He will say whatever he thinks will win him votes. Then, once in office, he will do whatever he wants. – Shane Onley

Absolutely no one is going to drive an hour to Tailem Bend, to not drink so they can drive home for an hour. What about that traffic chaos, Snape? Or Accommodation? Out there? Bands travelling out there? What makes the race special is the location. I’ve never been, but racing in that location has been iconic in Adelaide since I was a kid.

The only point that I agree with is that the setup time should be limited to a week. If that’s not enough, it’s because they haven’t hired enough hands. Those extra two weeks without disruption would go a long way to smooth the city residents’ ruffled feathers. My mother (10 years) and niece (30 years), who currently live in the city, and over the years, me, my brother, my father, my daughter, and many of our friends have lived in the city centre, so I’m not saying this as a nimby either – this is my family’s backyard.

It’s a fact that the race would not survive a shift to Tailem Bend. It tracks that Labor’s opposition is after this outcome; it’s only four years since they last tried to kill it (and the rest of our cultural events too). Labor makes, Liberals break. Every time. – Fiona Killick-McKinnon

As a CBD business owner for over a decade, I believe the “economic benefit” of the car race is an absolute myth. When it was hidden amongst the Mad March festivities, its impact was unable to be assessed. But since it has moved to November, we can state that we experience a 25 per cent loss on expected turnover during the two weeks of road closures every year. Speaking with other business owners, this is almost universal.

Residents go on holiday, office workers work from home, regular interstate visitors avoid this period to visit Adelaide – none of these factors are considered in any Government calculations (not that we ever see any report to substantiate the fanciful numbers they dream up).

If measured objectively, the economic costs of the race would outweigh the benefits by some tens of millions of dollars.

And it is a self-contained event. People come to the race – they have all the food, drink, merch and entertainment they need without leaving the track. You could literally pick it up and plonk it anywhere for the same “economic benefit” without putting the CBD in virtual lockdown. – Nick Patrick

Even if elected to Parliament, he has no hope of changing the legislation unless the Labor government decides to change it. His promise is simply electioneering, trying to pick up votes from people who are against the race being held there. – Peter Baker

Move the race to the Riverland – so many car enthusiasts there, who would all proudly assist with the event…. Each year, a different town – Barmera, Berri, Cobdogla, Loxton, Renmark, Waikerie. I reckon all of these locations could be viable contenders. There are likely others I have missed… Conduct a survey either online or via their local newspapers…

Interesting that anytime someone comments about the Premier’s brain farts, he labels them radical or extreme. What’s extreme is his opinion that this dinosaur of fossil fuel fury is actually still happening in the city centre because he brought it back. Never made money for us, the people of Adelaide. All revenue accounted for is a secret, as are most of his other mind-numbing, stupid ideas. – John Bryant

Responding to No beach closures as algal bloom clears up

They make these designs from their office desks. I was on Moana Beach this morning – thousands of dead fish. – Tony Elkins

Responding to Historic North Adelaide church set to have six-storey neighbour

 The proposal completely overwhelms and disrespects St Cyprian’s, a heritage item.

It’s colourful former Minister Peter Osborn, chaplain for the arts, who must surely be turning in his grave.

Moreover, the nearby Orange Sky Laundromat, Australia’s first social impact laundromat serving the homeless, will bite the dust. – David Ness

Responding to No front door? The ‘truly bizarre’ fine print of Labor’s grand garage plan

If the government thinks this is such a great idea, they should show us the evidence that it will work. Recent research from RMIT (attached) found that the majority of people who use on-street parking have enough space on their property already. We could mandate five-car garages, and it would have basically no impact.

Without a front door and windows, our streets will just be rows of storage units with bedrooms attached. Why does the government want to sacrifice character, liveability, and crime prevention for this bill, which will do nothing to get cars off the streets?

Just another example of Labor governing with press releases instead of policies. – Jamie Taylor

Our home was built in the 70s and doesn’t have a front-facing door. Two new houses in our street don’t either. What’s the big deal?

This is a sensible change. Surely developers can get a bit creative to prevent dunny lanes. – Bunty Parsons

So, the Labor government in power now is unable to do anything about ‘clogged streets’, but if re-elected, they would do something? – Peter Manwaring

If we are going to have federal tax incentives to encourage obese car purchasing, we need somewhere to put them.  The outrage thrown at the notion of increasing car park size by 30cm wide and 50cm deep has its own level of outrageousness, lacks common sense, as well about where to design the location of your “front” door.  Your illustrations still include a not-visible-from-the-street “front” door. So, is there a “front” door or not?  Also, the notion that even the best levels of public transport would suggest that people won’t own cars is naïve – we are conflating matters.  But if we go back to the source of this issue, federal tax incentives to encourage obese car purchasing, perhaps we could wind these back, that might be a start – outrageous suggestion I know! – Sandra Vallance

I’m wondering just what it is with the high population-obsessed Labor Party and Nick Champion? A little while ago, he was busy insulting Glenside residents who dared to oppose his utterly bizarre and crazy idea of allowing multiple 20-story apartment blocks in the new Glenside development area. That is, after the new and existing residents had bought premium-priced apartments just before these monstrosities were approved. Incredibly unfair.

Now we are to squeeze in as many residents into new areas, by them not having a front-facing door? Really? Mr Champion should seek help. Madness.

Fortunately, there may just be room for Mr Champion in the special rooms already in Glenside to help treat his obvious condition.

Given our highly restrained resources, we must learn to live sustainably. – Peter Hayward

I actually don’t see the problem.

Increased density is creating parking problems in established areas, and this needs to be addressed.

The “no front door” is not a problem, and it’s not as if it hasn’t been done before. Look back at older heritage suburbs, and you will see that one common design was having the entry at the side. Not a problem then, and not a problem now. – Paul Surrich

Well, this dunny lane crap shows that non-designers and dumb people don’t understand Construction.

I’ve been building large garages for 40 years, and people can afford them.

It’s all about design, not wasting space in a home with lots of Hallways or rooms that are unnecessary. It means building all garages on one boundary to avoid wasting space and to achieve sustainable design.

In Canada and Europe, they built up instead of outwards and have done so for hundreds of years. Their streets aren’t clogged up with cars.

Australia thinks the land will never run out; well, think again.

The land size needs to be set at a minimum frontage to allow for the larger garage width and a 900mm front door, plus a study at the front.

Land developers are the issue with small frontage blocks of land.

I’ve never heard such bullshit from the Greens or Liberals about such a policy. – Bernadette Carbone 

Responding to Kids expected to be on social media after ban kicks in

Here we have yet another example of simple populist political idealism dressed up as caring policy. The social media ban, whilst being unconstitutional and unworkable, is clearly designed to primarily appeal to older adult voters who simply don’t like seeing kids on their phones. It is cynical politics at its worst and most obvious.

Helping kids navigate social media would be useful, but that’s far too hard and requires imagination and guts, both of which are in short supply across all shades of our current political spectrum. – Peter Spalding 

Responding to New Dog Fence on track as livestock attacks down but not out

As the former ag minister, I was very proud to secure the funding and have the foresight for the Dog Fence rebuild. A lasting legacy for generations to come. – Tim Whetstone