Michael, I totally agree with everything you say but those are much bigger development issues.
Sadly I think getting sensible, sustainable development policies into Sydney are about as likely as negative gearing being abolished. Aussie developers want 15 storey buildings with lots of investor friendly studio apartments, not 4-5 storey walkups suitable for startups or families. Interestingly, the Digital Sydney project we got up and running identified an arc from Pyrmont through Ultimo and Surry Hills to Paddington (with a few detours through the ATP and Fox Studios) as being the centre of Australia's digital media industry which isn't a million miles from the area you suggest. On topic, I see there was another whinge from the Aussie film industry in Friday's AFR about pumping more money into attracting big Hollywood studios back to Australia. The scary thing is should they get something up they are going to be competing with some US states that are now offering 100% rebates to producers, which opens up all manner of creative accounting rorts to stick on the taxpayer. Right now, given the amount of investor money sloshing around, I'd suggest the startup sector probably doesn't need immediate support. But we should be looking at two, five and ten years down the track for when all this US Quantitive Easing and Chinese stimulus package money has washed out of the system. On Dec 5, 12:38 pm, Michael Motherwell <mmotherw...@gmail.com> wrote: > IMHO the strength of Australia is lifestyle. That is the only thing we > have over other places - that Sydney is a world city on a Harbour and > with lots of Beaches (and the other major cities are great as well). > The other stuff (Language, proximity to Asia, Culture) is all a wash - > lifestyle is where it is at. > > Wouldn't it make more sense to maximise that advantage, maximising the > lifestyle benefits by investment in mixed work / lifestyle > infrastructure? Rather than throw money at things that might not work, > why not plan to make Bondi to Maroubra and west to the city a Tech > and Lifestyle Hub, with Fibre Optic to the home, a slightly more dense > population (e.g. relaxed zoning laws for 5 story buildings) and more > High Streets (think Hall Street Bondi, King Street Newtown) / mixed > residential / commercial buildings (lie Zetland). Wouldn't that have > the highest potential to maximise Australia's competitive advantages > whilst provide a truly unique value proposition to any Entrepreneur? > > A mixed residential commercial complex like Zetland, with restaurants, > Supermarkets and gyms and units above, right near the beach in > Maroubra, with a fibre optic backbone to every unit would do the > trick. > > Personally, I work at home, and I WANT to be on a beach (I'm in > Bondi), and want infrastructure I can rely on (as an example, I can't > get Foxtel, and the Internet is flaky as heck). Fix the regulation and > infrastructure issues, and let Australia's benefits speak for > themselves. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. Guidelines on discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/msg/351e183e1303508d?hl=en%3Fhl%3Den No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. To post to this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en
