Latest news with #SharonSmith
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
‘No end in sight:' Housing crisis 91% worse
New research has revealed a grim reality for hundreds of thousands of households in the grip of a severe housing crisis that has only intensified in the past two years. The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre found 210,000 West Australian households now believed their housing to be unaffordable, an increase of 91 per cent since 2023. The severity of the crisis was laid bare in a new report titled Housing Affordability in Western Australia 2025, using fresh insights from the Australian Housing Conditions Data Infrastructure Survey. The report found only 39 per cent of renters and 48 per cent of mortgage holders in WA considered their housing affordable. A new report titled Housing Affordability in Western Australia 2025 suggests the state's housing market is under intense pressure from rapid population growth, slow housing supply, soaring rents and construction delays. NewsWire / Sharon Smith Credit: NCA NewsWire Researchers revealed the state's housing market was under intense pressure from rapid population growth, slow housing supply, soaring rents and construction delays, with no immediate end to the crisis in sight. With 119,000 new residents since 2023, demand for housing had surged way past supply. WA recorded a shortfall of 4000 new homes despite more than 20,000 homes being completed last year, the most since 2017. Building times in WA were the highest in the country taking more than 15 months to complete a house, adding $100,000 to the price of a new home. A growing discrepancy between key worker wages and housing costs meant most single-income workers such as nurses, police officers and firefighters were priced out of home ownership in many parts of Perth. Rentals were also in short supply with a lack of 7700 homes, pushing rents up 76 per cent in the past five years. NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia As the population grew by 4.2 per cent, only 694 new rental properties were added to the market between March 2023 and September 2024. Rentals were also in short supply with a lack of 7700 homes, pushing rents up 76 per cent in the past five years and tenants out to the fringes of the metro area adding stress, complexity and extra costs to their lives. The dire situation worsened housing stress particularly for renters on low or single incomes. Researchers found persistent shortfalls in housing and chronic underinvestment in social housing had strained support services and exposed failures in WA's housing system. 'This report shows that homelessness in WA is becoming more widespread and more entrenched,' the report stated. Homelessness increased by 8 per cent and rough sleeping more than doubled since 2016, while 25,000 people sought homelessness services last financial year. The report made 33 policy recommendations to improve the state's housing affordability saying while the state government had taken steps to prioritise housing, the unprecedented scale of the challenge called for a co-ordinated response from all sectors. Professor Alan Duncan said housing costs continued to rise faster than incomes and what was being built often wasn't where people wanted or needed to live. NewsWire / Sharon Smith Credit: NCA NewsWire BCEC director Alan Duncan said housing was no longer just an economic issue but a breakdown in the ability of WA's housing system to meet the needs of ordinary West Australians. 'We're building more homes, but it's not enough to meet demand,' he said. 'Housing costs continue to rise faster than incomes and what's being built often isn't where people want or need to live.' 'Despite some signs of a softening housing market, there has been an accumulation of pressure on households from years of high housing costs, low rental vacancies and an inadequate supply of new stock. 'These challenges risk slowing the state's economic development and continue to affect the most financially vulnerable people in our community. 'As affordable homes vanish from inner and middle suburbs, low and moderate-income renters are being pushed to the outer edges of the city where jobs and services are scarcer. 'This is reshaping the social map of our State and deepening inequality.' Professor Alan Duncan said WA's housing system was broken and unable to meet the needs of ordinary West Australians. NewsWire / Sharon Smith Credit: NCA NewsWire Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute director Steven Rowley said cost pressures had pushed more and more families into a housing crisis. Professor Rowley said there had been a 330 per cent growth in priority social housing cases since 2018, with 6300 of those in greatest need waiting to be homed. While he welcomed the government's commitment to increase social housing stock adding 1700 units in two years, he said much more needed to be done. 'We need around 16,000 more social housing units to raise WA's social housing provision to around 5 per cent of total stock, roughly equivalent to levels in NSW and SA,' he said. 'WA's social housing waitlist has grown to 20,700, an increase of more than a third in five years.'
Perth Now
09-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Aussie state could get extra public holiday
West Australians could be treated to an additional public holiday next year as the state looks at aligning its system with the east coast. WA currently has the lowest number of public holidays in the nation, and usually has a day off one week earlier than its eastern state counterparts. The state celebrates WA Day on the fist Monday in June, then celebrates the Kings Birthday on the fourth weekend in September. Most other states and territories celebrate the Kings Birthday on the second weekend in June. Premier Roger Cook said it was ridiculous to have a situation where Western Australia closes its doors when the east coast was open for business. NewsWire/ Sharon Smith Credit: News Corp Australia Premier Roger Cook said his department was looking at realigning West Australian public holidays with the east coast so they were better synched. 'It is ridiculous you have a situation where Western Australia closes its doors or shuts the shop when the east coast is open for business,' he said. 'Today of course, you'll have frustrated members of the Western Australian business community that can't access their colleagues on the east coast. 'I'm reviewing the whole range of public holidays we have in Western Australia and where they land to make sure that we've got better alignment and that they work better for the WA community 'We are part of a national economy, and we should be working together much better to ensure better alignment around these days. ' Premier Roger Cook said his department was looking at realigning WA's public holidays with the east coast. NewsWire/Philip Gostelow Credit: News Corp Australia CCIWA chief economist Aaron Morey said it was a good call from the premier but he did not support an additional public holiday. 'I think it's a good call from the Premier and lining up holidays definitely has public merit, how many birthdays does the king need?' he said. 'We're going to see some distraction today, the Melbourne Collingwood game on, I think people would rather be at home watching that.' But Mr Morey said he did not support having an additional public holiday in WA, which were huge headache for small businesses doing it tough. 'Someone might see a public holiday as a benefit, but for a small business, they just see another day when they have to pay $65 an hour for someone to wash dishes,' he said. 'It's really difficult for small business to navigate and to plan around public holidays, and so certainly not supportive of that concept.'
South Wales Argus
05-06-2025
- South Wales Argus
Wildlife photos by South Wales Argus Camera Club members
Our camera club members have been capturing the wildlife around them, including documenting the growth of the new arrivals. Here are just four of their latest stunning wildlife photos. Horses at Keepers (Image: Sharon Smith) This swan and its cygnets found the perfect spot to relax by in Torfaen (Image: Roslynne Eaton) Bumble bee on flower in Newbridge (Image: Annette O'Connell) Broad bodied chaser dragonflies in Abergavenny (Image: Alan Underwood) If you would like to have your pictures featured, search South Wales Argus Camera Club on Facebook.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- BBC News
Glasgow man, 22, found dead in Australia's Gold Coast
The body of a Glasgow man has been found by police after he went missing in Australia's Gold Jack, 22, was reported missing from Surfer's Paradise, a seaside resort in Queensland, on Police confirmed that a body was found in the water near the Isle of Capri at about 07:40 on Tuesday. The force added that investigations are ongoing into the death, which is thought to be "non-suspicious". A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said: "Police will prepare a report for the coroner in relation to the death of a 22-year-old man at Surfers Paradise on Tuesday."While conducting patrols for the missing man, officers from the Gold Coast Water Police located the man deceased in the water near the Isle of Capri around 07:40."The force had earlier issued a missing persons on social media suggest Mr Jack had been based in Australia since 2022 and had spent time travelling around south-east Facebook, his mother Sharon Smith said: "Lewis has been found. My heart is hurting, he is no longer with us, his brothers and I are broken."A Just Giving page has been set up to help with repatriating his Toni-Lee Donnelly said: "Lewis was one of the kindest souls – his smile could light up any room, and his warmth and humour touched everyone he met."He is deeply loved and will be missed beyond words by all who knew him."In a statement, the Foreign Office said it was supporting the family of a British man who has died in Australia.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UHC honors donors and their families for National Donate a Life Month
BRIDGEPORT, (WBOY) — On Friday morning, the United Hospital Center celebrated the start of the National Donate Life Month with a special flag raising event alongside the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE). The annual event honored all donors and their families, including four families whose loved one became donors. In 2024, more than 900 life-saving organ transplants were done in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 3-year-old reads 1,000 books through public library program One mother, Sharon Smith, shared her daughter Abigail's story of being a donor after a tragic accident. Abigail's donation ended up saving five lives and helping two blind people regain vision. 'Through those people she can live on, and as a mom it's very humbling to know that her heart is still beating, and her lungs are still breathing and that she's affected so many different lives by just being selfless,' Smith said. Hospital and CORE officials said it's important for families to have a conversation about their wishes to become a donor. Jeremy Zeiders, WV Designated Requester for CORE explained further. 'The misconception of doctors not saving your life if you're in the position to be a donor is a falsehood,' Zeiders said. 'CORE is not notified until the family makes that decision to withdraw care or until that patient meets a certain criteria which means that they can likely not recover and it is still—we don't talk to the family until the family makes the decision that withdrawal is what they would like to do.' For more information about CORE, you can go here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
