Commenting on the story: ‘The government has them in a headlock’: Uni merger decision imminent

I counted them up the other day, and in 25 years working at the University of Adelaide, I have experienced 10 administrative unit rearrangements: departmental mergers, de-mergers, discipline unit creations and abolitions, school mergers and, recently, faculty mergers.

It has been 25 years of continuous disruption while the academic staff mostly just keep their heads down and do their best to maintain their teaching (which earns the university’s income).

Most of the rearrangements have been attempts at achieving economies of scale in what is obviously a business model that is unsustainable in the longer term. I see the merger of Uni of Adelaide with Uni SA as really just a continuation of that process. It may bring some economic relief for a few years at the cost of huge disruption – but how can it solve the sustainability problem of a broken business model in the longer term?

A further merger subsequently with Flinders University and then it is game-over for SA’s universities? I am over 60 now, so I sometimes wonder which one will be around longer – me or the Australian university sector? – Michael Lardelli

Commenting on the opinion piece: Blue-sky thinking on housing crisis hits turbulence

I have lived in Australia for over 25 years and at no time have I seen so many homeless souls living on the street and in tents in suburban bushland.

Politicians fiddle while the poor, ill, and unfortunate live rough. We can afford sophisticated weapons for the armed forces. Surely, we can pay for a roof over the head of our most at risk. – Stephen Morris

Commenting on the opinion piece: Labor shifts the stable doors after the public has revolted

Matthew is spot on. The other alternative was to purchase land for the hospital rather than steal it from the park lands and leave things as they are. – Mark Thompson

Matthew Abraham is completely wrong about the intention and desirability of building a ‘kiddies’ hospital on the small triangular footprint next to the RAH.

The previous Liberal Government foolishly planned to try to fit a new WCH on this inadequate site – not just ‘kiddies’ but women and babies. The new labor Government had no option but to select another site in the RAH precinct for an enlarged, state of the art WCH.

The only feasible location was the Thebarton Barracks which offered practical and medically safe proximity to the RAH. The replacement of the Barracks complex of outdated and impractical accommodation for 15 government departments and agencies, including the police horses, will provide an environment friendly hospital and will return three hectares of open space to the park lands.

The government has overreacted to the spurious concerns about keeping the horses at a convenient and expendable location in the park lands, and alternate plans are getting messier by the day. The PFAS contamination at the airport needs to be clarified and resolved. The possible location at Gepps Cross is twice the distance from the CBD. A staging site next to the law courts is functional but shortsighted and is provoking reactions.

The new WCH has to be on the Barracks site; the horses should remain in the park lands and the planning and construction of the hospital should proceed without delay. – Warren Jones