Responding to ‘Obscene’: Uni boss’s extraordinary multimillion-dollar payday revealed

Is there a way we can benchmark the SA salaries to compare with similar roles and universities in Australia and elsewhere? While I am totally jealous of the packages, I do not want to see South Australian universities being unable to attract the ‘best’ candidates for these roles that play such an important part in SA’s economic and cultural development. – Raphael Murphy

Totally agree – the level of responsibility does not come close to that of the Premier or head of a major hospital. Why a pay-out at all? He gets paid for whatever work he’s done, nothing else. – Nemira Stapleton

It would be interesting for the salaries of all Australian university vice chancellors to be displayed so the public can get a better overall relative comparison! – Bill Heckner

The SA university budget was about $270 million per annum, with thousands of staff, international finance obligations, international treaties and agreements. It has a massive research base and thousands of international students. The HR and industrial complexity alone would do most people’s heads in. It has properties all over Adelaide. The CEO is easily worth $1 million plus a year. – Ian Mannix

Again, Robert Simms confuses people who get elected to positions (like himself) who need no qualifications or experience with those who hold senior management positions that require extensive amounts of both. Perhaps Robert should go to uni and study economics – it’s basic supply and demand. – Lachlan Miller

While I was still working, I was paid a salary to run my department – that’s it. No financial inducements to perform better. My job was to run my department as efficiently as possible, within company guidelines, and help to grow the profit margin. If I did not, they would find someone who could. – Edward Jaeger

Responding to MotoGP legend issues plea over park lands

Whilst I agree with the feelings behind Jeremy’s comments, it should be remembered that the ‘permanent’ grandstands at the Adelaide circuit already exist and have done for many years. They are heritage listed and would be renovated to ensure that they both meet safety standards and maintain their heritage look. – David Rea

You might like

Opinion

Real question on SA abortion care is who decides?

Opinion

If Whyalla’s cuttlefish disappear, there’s no bringing them back

I completely endorse this view of Burgess – let’s see the whole plan and make sure it does not sacrifice trees and open space. We are talking 500 years to preserve open space; many people, far away from the eastern suburbs, use this space. – John Leake

This subject is not about the safety of the motorcycle riders, and the “thousands” of folks wanting to view the event. We, “the people”, simply do not want motorcycles in the city, the crowd of bikers that it will attract, the noise, the pollution, and the disruption to businesses through street closures.

We “the people of Adelaide” (and I think I do stand for the majority) just do not want another f***ing car/bike race through our streets. Enough is enough. Take it to Tailem Bend, where there is a dedicated track, and if the community cannot accommodate your race, then bad bloody luck. Build some hotels, pitch a tent, but we are not having our trees cut down for some stupid race, and we will not tolerate the disruption. Period! – Barbara Harkness

You might like

Opinion

Real question on SA abortion care is who decides?

Opinion

If Whyalla’s cuttlefish disappear, there’s no bringing them back

Responding to Grandstand-off in full throttle over MotoGP move

About time a grandstand got finalised. It would save months of inconvenience to the daily worker going to the city, therein saving council money and perhaps making land available for the true enthusiast to buy more property from interstate.

It could become another Adelaide Oval – a “worldwide experience”. – Ian Dixon

Responding to ‘More heritage disappearing’ as historic Copper Coast church razed

I am not aware of what the East Moonta Methodist Church looked like before the photograph published with your article, but I am firmly of the view that old buildings should not be written off too quickly. In many cases, buildings that appear beyond repair can be remedied with the right will, expertise and community support. In 1985, I organised a petition to prevent the demolition of St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Murray Bridge after the church committee deemed it irreparable. I then arranged for the National Trust to register the building. Remedial works were carried out. They may have been minimal, but the building is still standing today as the smallest Anglican pro-cathedral in Australia.

In my view, it also warranted entry on the State Heritage Register, although the then Murray Bridge council declined to support my application.

Sadly, other early Murray Bridge buildings – including the Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, Masonic Lodge Hall and others that were structurally sound at the time – have since been demolished to make way for car parks, car yards and other uses. Some good did come from their loss, with stonework, timber floors and ceilings, windows and other materials repurposed in local homes. One of those homes belonged to my late mother and received housing awards for its use of recycled materials, including dressed river-cliff stonework and stained-glass windows and doors.

Even so, the demolition of our grand old buildings remains a deep loss to local history and community identity. I despair at seeing more of them destroyed when, with imagination and commitment, many could be restored, adapted and valued for generations to come.

Such destruction would be far less likely in the United Kingdom or across much of Europe, where heritage buildings are more often recognised as assets rather than obstacles. We should adopt the same attitude here before more irreplaceable pieces of our past are lost. These buildings deserve to be preserved. – Di Dawson

Responding to Irwin tipped to replace Stefanovic on Today

Definitely will not be watching the Today Show. – Kathryn Grindrod

So sick of seeing him everywhere, pushed from birth by his mother. I am sure there are many talented Aussie men who need a job and the money. – Shari Zielinski

Responding to New Fleurieu Peninsula business launches to solve hated chore

Great. Adding a bin cleaning service would also be very good. – Carmel Dowd

Responding to Verdict for granny labelled a ‘ragtag extremist’ by Premier

What a waste of police, court and prosecution time and resources, and public angst. A self-described “granny” member of the public, walking frame in hand, goes onto park lands to peacefully protest the degradation and scarification of formerly publicly accessible park lands that are now held by a Minister of the Crown in “fee simple”, i.e. as private land.

Seriously, did the relevant minister actually make a complaint to the police to prosecute this “City of Adelaide Citizen of the Year in 2025”, who was gently and readily escorted from the minister’s premises?

In years past, in this state born of dissent and the freedom to dissent, a minister would probably have laughed this off, and some might even have gone and had a chat. Perhaps contemporary politics is giving rise to an era of ‘marshmallow ministers’ who cannot sustain some public heat.

The upside is a ‘ragtag’ political episode replete with perverse ironies and extremely worthy of a sitcom skit in due course.

The downside is self-evident, and with the spectre of yet more bricks and mortar on park lands owned in “fee simple” by a minister made legislatively omnipotent. – Elbert Brooks

Responding to Chinese nuclear missile tests ‘destabilising’ Pacific

All the more reason why Australia must have a credible nuclear submarine force to counter CCP aggression. Peace through strength is critical because throughout history, the weak have always fallen. – Peter Jackson

Responding to Drought-battered farmers still ‘irked’ by net-zero push

Farmers are in denial – our planet is crying out to stop killing all species, including humans. Scientists are warning us, so how come farmers cannot work that out? We are now past the tipping point. – John Hocking