~Pinky Flat

I have fond memories of Pinky Flat.

And I know it has a bit of a reputation at night, but it's still a nice place.

I'm not so sure I want it turned into a wetlands.

When I have thought about it a bit more, I'll get back to you.

~Feast Festival

There are moves afoot to have a gay community centre in Adelaide. Cut by the loss of its only gay pub (not all gays like sleazy dancing till 5am, apparently, so Mars alone doesn't cut it) Adelaide's gay community is calling for a physical place to call their own. 

In the Advertiser Review yesterday, 15/11/2008, Margie Fischer, founder of Adelaide's popular Feast Festival, is quoted as saying, "If we do it really well, it can be an international model- we also want it to be a tourist attraction and a destination." While I'm obviously more than happy to support a gay community centre, the Feast Festival, Quench and dedicated gay pubs (or not, as the case may be), I'm disturbed by this tendency in Adelaide to describe any potential new development as a "tourist attraction". An international model, sure. But to describe a gay community centre as a tourist attraction is a bit of a stretch, don't you think? I mean, how many tourists are going to add Adelaide to their list on the basis of a gay community centre? Not in numbers that qualify it as a tourist attraction. 

I mean, on that basis, the fact that I am going to Iserlohn in northern Germany to visit my host family from student exchange makes them a tourist attraction. Do they deserve a marketing budget to entice me there more often?

By all means, improve community infrastructure in Adelaide but see it for what it is: community services for those who live here. Adelaide needs to get over its obsession with being seen as a world-class city. But that is a post for another day.

~Bins

As a side issue, Adelaide is to be congratulated on finally getting to where the rest of the councils have been for years: three bins. 

Hooray!

~Parklands

The Advertiser is making a big deal out of the start of construction of next year's Clipsal grandstands. 

Good on it. The people decided it didn't want a permanent fixture: as 85% support for the council's new master plan for the park- sans grandstand- makes clear. The first time is always a bit awkward, and they are setting up the (minimal) permanent infrastructure required to support the temporary erection of grandstands in the future. And how much worse would it be if there were no grandstand, or it wasn't finished in time? What an embarrassment!

Further to the parklands being dry- I support no further watering from the Murray. That really is robbing Peter to fund a gambling addiction. However, all methods of water collection, recycling and saving must be employed, because the parklands need water. As Melvin so rightly points out (it's not often we agree), the social and psychological benefits of these oases encircling our City and around our suburbs is incalculable. 

Start Up

Sunday was a good day. Lunch time I went to the Austral with Geoff Kwitko and his small business support group, Start Up. (Which is just starting up; I am effectively  the first non-founding member.) 

While it is obviously focussed on small business issues like tax implications of incorporation and so forth, there is clearly scope for a Councillor to address some issues. I'm just keen to have my ear to the ground and get some of this much sought-after "business experience" so often spoken of when talking about Councillors. (For example Bill Zaharis, the Central Ward councillor from the Market.)

I am looking forward to the next meeting, and looking to develop a clear policy platform from which to campaign.