G’day David,

Just writing this email as a concerned young 25 year old South Australian.
I now live in Sydney and left 6 years ago like alot of other young ones with my work in the Defence Force. I though like a lot of young expats that I know do want to come back sometime hopefully in the near future.

Having grown up on Kangaroo Island and then leaving the state at 19 I’ve been in the fortunate postion to be able to see Adelaide from an outsiders perspective and have been able to notice the major and minor changes around town.
In saying that I’ve also been in the position many a time defending Adelaides reputation interstate, (particually in Sydney). Unfortunatly what I hear is not good. Adelaide seems to have this stigma attached to it, that says its just a boring little country town. What annoys me the most is that most of the people who say this have never been there. Its that old word to mouth thing.....
I’m sure you’ve heard all this before, hence the reason why your doing this?

Like you I to am passionate about getting Adelaide up to the standard it should be. I believe Adelaide has a lot of potential and could be much better, and a world class city. Firstly though I strongly believe attitudes have to change, particually in the ACC.

A classic example I’ll use is the farce of the Victoria Parklands development. It’s an absolute joke. In any other city the stand would have been built by now but because of a minority, not here in Adelaide… I can’t serously understand why. Again the potential that this development could bring to Adelaide is enormous. Not just as the Clipsal 500 gets bigger and better, but could you imagine a day at the races followed by a night in the city. I mean Victoria Park is closer to Adelaide than what Randwick is to Sydney and look at the spin off there???? That’s what I can’t understand about the mentality of some people in Adelaide, they only care about themselves and how it effects them and fail to consider the benifits for all South Australians.

The same could be said for a new multi purpose staduim for Adelaide. Bulldoze Football Park and build a new one close to the city. Again take a look at Melbourne, they too had the 70’s relic of Waverley Park but opted to build new rather than fix the old. Look at the results there????
All the things that you are campaigning for are happening in Sydney and Melbourne now. Why? Because they had the foresight to see these things and do them???? I know what the atmosphere’s like in both those cities because I’ve been one of those people that have walked out of the SCG and Telstra Dome straight in the city and enjoyed the life of a real city atmosphere. It too can too work here in Adelaide but only if people like you, step up and if elected make it happen. I truely believe that Adelaide has this potential.

Adelaide will never be the same size as both those cities so its in some ways a little unfair to compare them but in saying that Adelaide should be promoted as a smaller modern/boutique city, such as what you may find in southern Europe. A smaller version of our two larger cities but on a scale with just as much life..

Unfortunatly from my perspective I can also see the reasons why so many young people leave Adelaide too. All these things, the atmosphere, vibrancy, the life, can all be found in the eastern cities now and thats what people want.
Adelaide became to conservative during the 90’s, it’s only now that things are slowly beginning to change. Its time now to move into the next more exciting stage of our future and continue Lights vision.

Anyway this is just food for thought, good luck and all the best,

Paul.
Wish I could vote!!