MARK COLEMAN: I enjoyed Darren Starr’s piece on “Making Adelaide a City of Choice”, but it triggered myriad thoughts about what the future holds for my family’s long connection with Adelaide.

As my son embarks on his PhD in science (chemistry) and my daughter her degree in commerce, it occurs to me that their future studies and careers are likely to take them away from Adelaide, most probably permanently.

The demise of big commerce in Adelaide, and the increasing research and business dominance of Sydney and Melbourne, means it’s logical to expect my family will be moving east or overseas. No Adelaide babies for me, so it’s either long trips to visit children and grandchildren, or relocation to be nearer my loved ones.

For those less fortunate in education and employment opportunities, what will Adelaide offer as traditional roles in manufacturing fade from our state?

In recent times, there has been much talk of “vibrant Adelaide”. While this remains a great city to live in, the future attraction for our young people is less than clear. Adelaide depends on the vibrancy of its youth for its great vibe, not cosmetic makeovers in the city.

I sincerely hope our community develops realistic plans to rejuvenate the economic pulse of our wonderful state, which will require a great leap forward from the current standard of planning in SA.

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