“Quicklook” Assessment of Greater Adelaide's Assets & Challenges ...

Barriers/Obstacles
• The university environment would benefit from greater academic diversity at the
campus. Administrators are taking steps to improve the situation by offering more
liberal arts and fine arts courses in order to provide a richer experience for all students.
• In order for Mawson Lakes to succeed as an ongoing business, development partners
will need to have a stake primarily in the sales success rather than simply being
compensated to achieve construction goals. Furthermore, development partners need
to bring design savvy to the table, both architectural and land planning, in order to
ensure that design executes a well thought out marketing strategy.
• Substantial investment in civic amenities is not planned, with community needs
foremost. For example, the magnificent water feature the lake represents should be at
the heart of the community, with major community features located on the lakefront.
Some observers in our group felt that the sales office had supplanted the community
center in Mawson Lakes. Although the building may convert to use by the community
after a target of homes sales is reached, the overall impression is too promotional with
the result that the sense of community at Mawson Lakes, centred around the lake, is
lacking.
• The often-described lack of venture capital and angel funding in the region is a factor
at Mawson Lakes also. In due course successful entrepreneurial individuals who had
derived wealth from their investment at Mawson Lakes and who understand
technology could be encouraged to provide angel funding for start-ups nearby.
• The marketing strategy at Mawson Lakes was not clear to us. It cannot be
emphasized enough that it is critical that a clear vision of the marketing strategy exists
before initiating the upcoming installation of the Town Center. The financial burden of
the carrying expense of its cost of several million dollars could be a blow to long-term
economic success if tenants fail to take space early on.
Quotes
• “Need to embody continuous learning in Technological discipline”
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
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