Seán

Glenthorne National Park in Adelaide’s southern suburbs will get $10m boost in State Budget Matt Smith, Sunday Mail (SA) August 18, 2018 3:44pm Deal signed to establish Glenthorne National Park Opinion: Our new southern National Park is closer to being realised University of Adelaide‘s secret $750 million development BOLD plans to create a 1500ha national park in Adelaide’s southern suburbs will be given a $10 million boost to turn the promise into reality. Next month’s State Budget will include $10 million over four years to establish the Glenthorne National Park. The park will combine O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park, Hallett Cove and Marino conservation parks, Happy Valley Reservoir and the Field River Valley, as well as the long-threatened Glenthorne Farm. In June the Sunday Mail revealed the State Government and the University of Adelaide had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as part of a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to create the national park. The area covered under Glenthorne National Park. Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs yesterday told the Sunday Mail Glenthorne National Park will be Adelaide’s second major metropolitan national park and will be see large tracts of open space preserved and revitalised for future generations. “The vision includes significant recreation opportunities such as walking and bike trails, picnic areas, camp grounds and 200 hectares of native revegetation which will all be considered as part of extensive community consultation, ”Mr Speirs said. “It is also likely to include a new nature playground similar to the one recently developed at Morialta Conservation Park. “While a new national park will take decades to bring to life in full, our initial investment in the park will be focused on providing basic infrastructure including amenities for visitors, walking and cycling trails and a destination which is expected to draw people from far and wide.” The National Park would host activities such as sailing, kayaking and fishing. Mr Speirs said a consultation process to design the park in partnership with the community is being developed and a public open day is expected before the end of the year. Initial work at the site will begin soon with parts of the park expected to be open to the public the end of 2019. The $10 million funding will also include investment in a large-scale revegetation partnership with the University of Adelaide that will result in the creation of an urban forest. The park will have significant environmental benefits but also provide recreational space for the public. “Our partnership with the University of Adelaide is crucial to delivering the vision that we desire for Glenthorne National Park,” said Minister Speirs. “The urban forest will have significant environmental benefits and provide a home for native birds and animals, many of which are endangered as a result of habitat loss.” Last year Freedom of Information documents revealed the university had put together a $750 million master plan for the 208ha O’Halloran Hill site, featuring housing, a shopping centre and business park, and floated its vision with the State Government.

Hi there. Great to hear your positive storey. Its quite reassuring and encouraging that we too have made the correct decision. While we have yet to move , we will do so towards the end of the year. Our circumstances are a bit different, we are moving inter-state , it still is quite a change moving to somewhere where you have no friends, family or business/work network, so I am encouraged by your experience. I did find like yourself that it can take awhile to find the first job here, for me it took around 6 months (in Sydney), but thereafter things fell into place quite well. Finding work in Adelaide is my number one challenge, but having 7 years of Aussie experience should make it somewhat easier. We'll see how it goes.... Thanks again for posting... I cant say I'm a big AFL fan...but it beats the hell out of NRL ...so I'll take it...and I hope the kids will see the beauty in it ! Cheers.

Hi there, Have been observing with interest the recent election in SA and in particular the promise Liberals made regarding a new "Glenthorne National Park". I am very sceptical of all politicians, irrespective of their persuasion, geography, race , creed... so am wondering if anyone has any thoughts or insights on the possibility that anything contained in their blurb below will actually see the light of day ? https://www.glenthorne.com.au/about Our vision for Glenthorne National Park Overview Glenthorne National Park will be Adelaide’s second metropolitan National Park, located in our southern suburbs. This proposal is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve and revitalise a significant portion of existing open space and turn it into a thriving environmental and recreational precinct. The National Park would include: Glenthorne Farm; O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park; Marino Conservation Park; Hallett Cove Conservation Park; Happy Valley Reservoir and the Field River valley. This is a total area of more than 1,500 hectares, which is bigger than Belair National Park. Preserving our environment The Liberal Party is committed to preserving and invigorating this unique green belt in the midst of Adelaide’s southern suburbs. Central to the proposed park is Glenthorne Farm, 208 hectares of rare open space which has been locked away from the public for far too long. It’s time to tear down the fences and welcome the community into Glenthorne Farm, creating a vibrant environmental precinct which will experience large-scale weed eradication and re-vegetation projects, creating an urban forest that will be enjoyed for generations to come. The areas of open space which surround Glenthorne Farm, including O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park, the Field River Valley and Hallett Cove and Marino conservation parks will be uniquely linked into an overarching management structure, ensuring that wildlife and vegetation corridors are preserved and given the support they need to survive and thrive. Recreation and lifestyle Recreational opportunities include picnic areas, camping and accommodation facilities, fishing, walking, cycling and horse riding trails. Majors Road, which runs east/west through the national park, has the potential to become a ‘recreational hub’ for the south. This site already has a pistol club, an archery club, a driving range, a major Riding for the Disabled facility and a model aircraft club located within it. It is also the site of the recently announced state BMX Centre. Other recreational facilities could include soccer fields and equestrian facilities. In addition, Happy Valley Reservoir has huge recreational potential. Walking trails can be created around the reservoir’s edge, while kayaking, sailing and fishing are all possibilities on the water. This is the norm in other places, with the Wivenhoe Dam in South East Queensland not only the main source of drinking water for Brisbane, but also a very popular recreation destination. We see no reason why South Australia’s reservoirs shouldn't also be available for public recreation. Highlighting our history Glenthorne National Park has significant heritage assets, with heritage listed buildings that link back to World War I when Glenthorne Farm was a training ground for military horses. The old Worthing Mine buildings in the Field River Valley provide a unique example of how copper mining took place in South Australia in the 19th Century. There are also significant Aboriginal heritage sites around the Field River Valley, with the area forming part of the Tjilbruke Dreaming Trail. Stretching back further in time, Hallett Cove Conservation Park has some of the nation’s most important geological formations, which can be viewed from the stunning boardwalk through the conservation park. https://www.glenthorne.com.au/

Thats great, Fringe looks like great fun..... thanks for posting and adding the links. So much going on....so hard to choose ....where to begin ....almost too much choice !

Just an update on my end. I was indeed able to submit my application for citizenship, so thank you ever so much NicF for the heads up. I originally tried to apply online in May of this year, but could not proceed very far, once the system checked my PR date. However no problem this time around. So all good. Apparently, processing time is 10-14 months....dont you love the efficiency? Cheers.

Wow...wasnt aware that they are now again processing under existing rules...I will have another go at that then ! Last time I tried , the online application just stopped me in my tracks once I had input my PR reference number.... Thanks for heads up NICf ...I will get on this asap... Cheers.

Goodluck Phil ! I cant help you with Melbourne....but if you consider Sydney just reach out and I will be happy to help out. Cheers Sean.

For what its worth... and from my experience, I believe the new rules they introduced/trying to introduce, require you to have PR for 4 years before you can apply for citizenship. I speak from experience ....been here for 7 years , 3.5 years PR and am still not eligible for citizenship now (I should have applied for it while I could, under the old rules...but I didnt) ...so Krazzy10 I would double check your eligibility before going to all the trouble of shorting out passports and other paperwork firstly. Cheers.

Ha...spare roles...I like that optimism Nige ! Looks like you will be on the ground before me...so you might be the one to tap for a start I am happy to meet up for coffee in Adelaide, whenever I get settled. Cheers Sean.

Hi Phil....I had notifications blocked in my pc settings ....should be good to go now with PM. BTW Im a newbie to this site/forum also...so only starting to explore .... Cheers.

Hi Phil, Im based in Sydney , but am moving to Adelaide in the next 4-5 months. I do PM work also, based in Sydney, and have been looking at the market in Adelaide for awhile, all online mind you, I have only touched base with one agency thus far. From what I can see there are not too many roles coming up, and most of the ones that do seem to be in Government agencies, which require applicants to be Citizens and have security clearance. I have seen roles that dont require citizenship however so all is not lost. Contracting seems to be the way to go....and certainly that is the market in Sydney. As I am not yet on the ground in Adelaide its difficult to say exactly what the market is like until then...I am happy to stay in contact and share experiences. Cheers Sean.

Yeah. O'HH seems good for us but its difficult to make a decision when you haven't lived in the area. We are big beach goers...I try my hand at surfing ....and relatively quick access to beaches was an important factor in our relocation decision (such a hard life we lead !) . As of course was access to Primary schooling. Sure it would be great to live right alongside the beach but add in the budget factor and and longing for a decent size block and before long your search starts to move away out from your ideal. Anyway as you said we have start and will work it out as we go..... As you mentioned heating...I am guessing Adelaide homes dont really do wall insulation ? It cracks me up here in Sydney...it does get pretty cold over night in Winter...but no need for proper heating systems here, or even well sealed windows....just let the drafts flow in and crank up the oil heaters ! O'HH house does have ducted air con/heating, thank goodness. It does need work however and was wondering if the insulation is something I will look at...but thinking I should spend a Winter in it firstly before making decision like that.... I see Hugo / Carioca who kicked off the thread has gone to ground .....wondering if he changed his mind about Adelaide ?

Thanks for the insight guys (Snifter & Jessica). Good to hear that Jessica has been able to move around a bit ...however 150 applicants for one jobs sounds a bit desperate ....mind you I have no idea what the statistic would be elsewhere...but 150 is a lot of people looking for a role.... Yes we visited a few weekends ago and it rained more or less for the 4 days we were there...Soggy is a good description, parklands and ovals seemed well suited for ducks . Funnily enough it really did remind me of home, wet , green , ....as in Ireland home...in a nice way. Having said all that we were also over there about 8 weeks ago and it was perfect blue skies.... Will be based in O'Halloran Hill, a bit out of the city, but fine by me....by Sydney standards that would be a very reasonable commute....but for locals Im guessing Im well out in the sticks! Anyway, really looking forward to the move and seeing what life in South Australia has in store.

Why the move? Home/house affordability and all the lifestyle impacts which result from that. Sydney is nuts when it comes to home ownership. In Sydney , if you dont own a property then its near impossible to get into the market. Silly money. If you are up for a minimum 1.5m+ mortgage then Sydney is great, lots of work - so that you can transfer your months wages straight back to the bank to pay off your mortgage & continue doing that for another 30 years .... So that is main driver....certainly not the climate...from my recent experiences of Adelaide the Winter is reminiscent of a wet, windy and chilly Ireland - but Im guessing I have just be spoiled by Sydney, where Winters arent really Winters at all . Ill be waiting for Adelaide to wow me with its Summer - Im optimistic. Adelaide seems affordable - but the big issue is finding suitable employment ....but again I am optimistic. You have to back yourself ! Good to make contact and I will be browsing the forums here for local insights on all things Adelaide. Cheers ! Seán.

Hi Hugo, Just signed up here. We (family) too are moving to Adelaide, in Jan/Feb time ....however we are moving from Sydney, where we have lived for 7 years. Am also CIMA - a bit more experienced, a more polite way of saying of saying someone is older About 20+ years PQE . So Im new to the Adelaide market too, but I know Sydney well. From initial reviews, the markets are like chalk and cheese. Sydney is buzzing and no shortage of finance roles, its a major FS hub and lots of national organisations base their HQs here. I've not spent much time in Adelaide and there is lots I have not seen, however my initial impression and research indicates its a far smaller market, a regional capital but nothing like the buzz of Sydney or London. In fact the move from a massive city like London to Adelaide could be a shock to the system. You'll probably see from online job sites that not too many high level finance jobs come up - seem to be few and far between. I have found the Australian market (Sydney anyway) is more biased on your network / who you know, than your raw ability. Which isnt great when you first move to a new city, but in the long run can actually work out well. BTW I found in Sydney , a large proportion of vacancies are never offered through the agencies, firms just fill themselves are through their own network (back to my point about having a network). Am happy to keep in contact and share experiences / findings. Regards Seán.