Mount Barker Courier - 23 July 2025
Where facts are confidential, swords are contraband, and the shelves are empty
Commencing countdown, engines on.
Wednesday sure rolls around quickly each week. Processing the latest telemetry from the Courier's 23 July release. Let's sort the signal from the noise.
For maximum cynical effect, the online version comes highly recommended.
First up:
Tour Down Under Returns
P1,13: Cyclists Set to Return
The Tour Down Under rides again. I’m genuinely curious, what do people think about our Councils spending ratepayer money on hosting events such as the TDU while Council rates are increasing at rates of 2-3 times CPI in some cases? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments on Ground Control.
Council Clarity
P3: City Centre Confusion
I didn’t see the Facebook posts questioning the design, but I can certainly detect where the money’s going — straight into consultants. At $100 million and counting, the real beneficiaries appear to be the planners, consultants, and developers — not the ratepayers.
Originally described as a civic building, the project now supposedly isn’t even primarily for council use. Instead, it’s shape-shifted into a co-working hub, university annex, youth space, events venue, and maybe even a tech incubator. It’s turning into an everything-to-everyone project — which usually means it will serve no one particularly well.
It looks like a strategy of promising unachievable utopia to try and secure broad-based support. Glossy vision, unclear purpose — and once again, the community’s voice being painted over by spin.
Elephant in the consultation room
P4: Public invited to comment on hospital design
So the community is invited to comment — but it seems the scope is limited to layout and internal planning, not the capacity or scale of service. It’s hard to see how that addresses the real issue. At this point, we’re being asked to help pick the curtains while the foundation’s already been poured.
Your View
Page 6
Facts matter: 👉 Some rather pointed critique from David Baker. He may well have read my letter Fade to Silence discussing various forms of censorship — but the essence seems to have been lost on him. His piece isn’t about facts — it’s about control and shutting down discussion. Rather than engage with the argument, he brands it “misinformation.”
In my letters I've questioned the wisdom of taxing unrealised gains, highlighted the social cost of censorship, pointed to the real environmental challenges beyond carbon emissions, and exposed the global agendas quietly shaping local policy. These are not conspiracies — they're real-world concerns, playing out in legislation, tax policy, and the institutions we rely on.
David’s letter is classic deflection. In contrast I’m attempting to promote deeper thought and real debate.
Thumbs up for nuclear: 👉 Finally, some energy sanity. Harold Gallaher is right — nuclear was once “common sense” before politics and green dogma buried it. If only more Australians understood how deeply ideology has distorted our energy choices. Scott Adams nails it here...
Planned Decline: 👉 One of my letters. A clear, historical takedown of the Lima Declaration and the steady dismantling of our industrial strength. Uncomfortable truths that need to be shared.
Read the full version here: Ground Control - Planned Decline.
PR Fluff’n’Stuff
P10: New targets for council boss
Gee, I sure hope The Courier is getting staff benefits. As the unofficial PR arm of the council machine, it’s the least they deserve.
We’re told the Adelaide Hills Council CEO met last year’s targets — but the review is confidential. Clearly the KPIs didn’t include fiscal responsibility and keeping rate rises down to CPI. There's certainly no meaningful transparency for the ratepayers footing the bill. “Quarterly updates” and “financial literacy programs” might tick boxes, but they don’t tell us whether leadership is delivering real outcomes.
Apparently stakeholder engagement is up — this seems to be some sort of code based on the lacking communication and strained relationships in the chamber.
Until we see KPIs tied to real-world accountability — like service delivery, ratepayer satisfaction, or staying within budget — this is nothing more than managing the optics of a rather dysfunction situation.
Consequences
P12: Leniency granted after good behavior breach
👉 yes, we’re all starting to come to terms with what happens in the absence of consequences.
Blunt Force Bureaucracy
P12: Law proves pen mightier than sword
The SA government has followed communist Victoria’s lead and decided that machetes and medieval swords now require permits. Anyone caught with one — even a decorative blade — faces two years jail or a $20,000 fine. Yes, really.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the streets were being overrun by knights in chainmail. SA’s new laws now treat medieval swords like contraband, while the real threats — the criminals and repeat offenders misusing weapons — get little more than press releases and wrist slaps.
Please someone — make it make sense.
As Bare as Mrs Hubbard’s Cupboard
P14: Tourist town left without a supermarket
A sad story indeed. After limping along for months with empty shelves, the closure has simply swapped one misery for another. There’s only so many times you can walk in hoping to support a local business, only to find nothing to buy. Let’s hope the next operator can do better — for themselves, and for Hahndorf.
Control Tower
That’s about all the static and spin I can handle for one week. I’ll shut it down now before my circuits fry.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s commentary.
Stay tuned for some exciting news in the coming weeks.
Disclaimer:
All views expressed are the personal views of Darren Kelly. They are independent of any official role or organisation and reflect an ongoing commitment to open discussion and democratic integrity.