This one is for the Aussies out there… Will the HIH insurance collapse have any effect on the development of the Docklands project in Melbourne? I hope not, it’s looking amazing.
Hey! You guys in Melbourne have snared your share of major events and construction in the last few years, but you are NOT going to take unfinished construction projects from collapsed companies away from us. Giant holes in the ground are a Sydney icon! Ever seen “World Square”? 
Haha well, apparently, Lend Lease Corporation has signed a $1.8 billion contract for the right to develop the Docklands and Victoria Harbour area. I just hope HIH hasn’t fucked it all up, or I’ll be pretty pissed off. By the way, what’s World Square? It sounds kind of familiar…
World Square is a… well, it’s a giant hole in the ground. Actually, I think construction has restarted on it now.
World Square is eventually going to be a shopping plaza complex with an office tower plonked on top, I think. It was started in the late 80s, and almost immediately, construction ground to a halt as the money ran out when the recession hit. For the last decade, it’s been a whole city block excavated to a depth of about thirty or so metres. It’s extremely ugly, and right in the centre of town.
I swear this whole HIH thing has f’d things up so much. I just don’t see how it got this bad without the government knowing.
But maybe if the Victorian govenment sees that it might lose a big tourist draw they might be willing to pitch in a few bucks.
And wasn’t there a budget surplus last year? Where is that right now?
What you guys down south need to bring in the tourist dollars is THE BIG JEFF.
Just imagine it. A huge concrete Jeff standing over Sydney Road as you drive into inner Melbourne. Maybe in Coburg or somwhere. Tourists could have coffee in the bum-level cafe, proceed up to the lookout through his beady eyes, then go back down, buy souvenirs, and catch the tram between his legs into town.
OK, ok, so I’m from New South Wales - I’m allowed to like the bugger. I miss seeing him on the news. He had cult status up here.
Apologies Americans if you have no idea what the hell is going on here.
And welcome to the board, Mats K. Good to have another Aussie on here.
Sp when are you guys going to get yourselves into chat - it’s lonely in there after 6pm when all the Americans are sleeping.
Thanks for the welcome LoadedDog, I didn’t notice there were so many Aussies on here. Good stuff.
Gadgetgirl, I heard that the Victorian Government is putting in about $35 million and the NSW Gov. about $50 million.
You know what? I’m usually happy to see politicians ousted, but Jeff was the bomb… I was so upset when he got voted out. He had heart, style, and ruled with an iron fist. I think I might have to start a “BRING BACK JEFF” campaign.
HIH owe me about A$20,000 in fees which will never be paid. Blah.
Jeff sucked severely. People who like politicians because they are charismatic arseholes who “rule with an iron fist” are, well, this isn’t a pit thread so I won’t say what I think of them other than to say have you ever been on the wrong end of that iron fist, and if not, do you have no conscience about those who are, often undeservingly? Are you seriously implying that hitting your constituents (metaphorically) with an iron fist is the sign of a good leader? Are you so shallow that what you like in a leader is entertainment value?
Sorry if I sound bitter, I lived through far too many decades of Joh Bjelke-Peterson to be able to see any humour at all in this subject.
Australia Square ain’t no hole in the ground Loaded ol’ buddy! When I was up in Tinseltown last week I caught the monorail…
[Simpsons cast] Monorail! Monorail! Monorail! [/Simpsons cast]
…and from that you can see they’ve built up to about five floors above ground level. So something is definitely happening there. The labels on the floors you can see are something like 22, 23, 24 etc, so there must be alot of basement room down there.
As for the Docklands, who knows? I suspect the HIH debacle will cast a long shadow.
My condolences Princhester. You seem very cool andlaidback about it. A friend of mine has just lost three days a week work for a midddle-size company because of it. They have to pull back, because they have lost a million dollars. If this happens all over the country, the snowball effect could be severe.
And Mats mate, please don’t wish Jeff back. It was not a very good ride.
Finally let’s not apologise to any mystified North Americans - those Survivor-spoiling, Knicks-supporting, gun-lobbying, Bible-bashing folk get it all their own way - let them be mystified for a change!
Hi AKAmame too!
Red
No, Australia Square is the round building down at Wynyard. :o But yeah, you’re right, work on World Square is finally going ahead.
And whatever you may think about Jeff, he sure did have a cool website. I miss it. Anyway, Redboss mate, you sure seem to be spending a lot of time up here in tinseltown. You’ll get tinselitis. The lure of the Midnight Shift can’t be that great, can it? That place still going?
For the Aussies who are new in here, I started this thread a few weeks back, raising the possibility of an Aussie/Kiwi SDMB website or a Dopefest somewhere. I haven’t forgotten about it, I just got kinda lazy. You blokes can expect an email from me some day soon. I’d like to set up a profiles page or something online (start taking flattering pics of yourselves! 
).
Good to see a few more Victorians turning up. Brisbane was in the lead doperwise for a while there.
Oops. Sorry about the hijack. And a rambling one at that.
Come on guys - the Americans will be going to bed soon, so we can stage an Aussie takeover in chat.
It’s isn’t that scary (except when Monstr and Cyni are jizzing everywhere).
Well, only a Victorian one.
Oops. Cross-posted. Naughty naughty. Anyway, please don’t post to that other thread. It’s had its day. I’ll be in touch via email.
cool.
And TheLoadedDog, If they make the Jeff-a-go-go with the cafe in his bum, he NEEDS to be wearing that black and white checked jacket he used to wear to the races…
And I’m seein’ a 5 star hotel in his Elvis style hairdo. Too fun.