Ground Control to... well, anyone still receiving
Apologies for the transmission lag — this edition got caught in the vortex of government spin we’re faced with on a daily basis. We’re back on frequency now, with full diagnostic sweep underway. Keeping it brief.
First up:
Mount Barker Hospital: Dead on Arrival
P1: Too Little, too late
Only a government could sink millions into a 'new' hospital that’s already outdated and inadequate before it’s even delivered.
It’s not just a case of being too little, too late — it’s symptomatic of a planning culture that responds to crisis only after it’s already overwhelmed, then calls it a win. A 102-bed hospital for one of the fastest-growing regions in the state? Did the State Government even bother consulting the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) — their own blueprint for population growth in the Hills?
Local doctors warn the place will be obsolete within two years. The union says it needs double the current ED staff. Queue the recycled spin: “It’s a step in the right direction.” If this is forward momentum, we’re marching backwards into the future.
Your View
Page 6
Hill Tourism: → Harold Gallasch doesn't waste words — he mirrors the sentiments I expressed in the previous edition but with more specifics. 🙏
For 40 years, Hahndorf one of South Australia's most visited destinations has been pleading for two things: a bypass and off-street parking. Both have been promised. Neither delivered. Meanwhile, some twat in a CBD office wheels out a "grandiose promotional scheme" that will only make the existing problems worse. As Harold points out, Hahndorf is tourism resilience. All it asks for is maintenance, preservation, and a bypass that's two decades overdue.
Maybe the real tourism slogan should be: Drive past Hahndorf — there’s nowhere to park anyway.
Get on board nuclear: → “The truth: nuclear, is the only real green energy” — there’s nothing more that needs to be said. 🙏
Cancer Risks: Robert McCormick raises a question too few dare to ask: is our modern diet — packed with synthetic additives, engineered fats, and chemical preservatives — quietly fuelling the rise in early-age cancers?
He’s not being alarmist. He’s being observant. It’s a call to connect the dots. Because if food is medicine, then what exactly are we prescribing ourselves every time we open a packet?
It’s Enough To Make You Irate
P8: Rate rise above CPI
This edition it’s Mt Barker Council’s turn to vote in a 3.55% rate hike — and like AHC, this one’s also well above CPI, dressed up as ‘smoothing.’ Smooth for who, exactly?
According to the Courier, the strategy is part of a three-year plan to lift rates at or above CPI, even as locals question the value. No curbside hard waste. No major capital works. Just higher bills and vague reassurances about financial sustainability.
But here’s what didn’t make the page: at least one councillor voted against the rise. So no, it wasn’t a unanimous decision. It was a majority choice to squeeze residents harder during a cost-of-living crisis — and call it responsible governance.
Paying more but getting less? That’s not strategy. That’s shrinkflation in disguise.
Ditto for Strathalbyn
P9: Alexandrina approves 3.05% rate rise
I’m not saying the CPI is fake — I’m just saying it seems to be the only number councils consistently ignore. When all three major local councils in the region blow past Adelaide’s inflation benchmark in the same budget cycle, the game’s up. Either CPI is a meaningless fiction, or local government finance is.
Alexandrina’s “sustainability plan” comes with a 3.05% hike — admittedly lower than Mt Barker’s and Adelaide Hills, but still above inflation and still justified with a wad of consultant-speak. And like the others, it punts any hope of a real operating surplus several years downfield.
Control Tower
The transmission is clearing. One more backlog to go — then we’re back to real-time scanning, no static and no lag.
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.