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Courier-Mail
10-06-2025
- General
- Courier-Mail
Backyard takeover: Homeowner wins epic five-month battle
A five-month backyard battle has ended for a pair of shocked Aussie first home buyers, but the uneasy peace in their new neighbourhood has a hidden twist that has some on edge. The couple cautiously bought their first home in about nine months ago, wary of it having an 'absolute monstrosity' in the backyard – towering more than 20m and some 'as thick as my leg', but felt they could handle it. Now five months later, an uneasy peace is in place as they watch for fresh shoots. MORE: Cash-strap student turns $40k to 38 homes Palaszczuk scores insane 684 per cent return on Brisbane property MORE: Tradie's colossal 5.5m find in Aus backyard Million-dollar shock: Most Aussies now priced out of house market The 'absolute monstrosity' in this case is bamboo out in their new backyard which had overrun not just their entire backyard, but had put neighbours off-side – blocking sunlight from nearby houses with its leaves also littering gutters and backyards all around it. Some observers said there was so much bamboo he could 'build a bridge or skyscraper with it. A couple of knots with string and you could make a 6 storey building'. The new homeowner said they assessed the situation before purchase and found it was a clumping, not running, type of bamboo – which means they had a shot at removal, taking a massive 22 weeks to rid the neighbourhood of it. 'Well after about a day a week since Christmas we finally cut the last piece down,' the homeowner said. 'Some were 20m + and as thick as my leg. Now to find an excavator to dig it all up.' '+1 to having awesome neighbours who let us take down the fence and have full side access via their property the whole time,' the homeowner said. 'Wouldn't have been able to do it without that so we are very grateful. Although they are just as stoked it's gone themselves.' But that's not going to last long, others warned, saying removing the top is the easy part over for the couple – with much more vigilance and brutality required to make sure it's not going to be causing more damage in future. MORE: Shock twist as former Virgin CEO to tear down $17m mansion Inside slumlord's crumbling empire: derelict, unliveable, worth millions One who had the same thing around horse stables, said the rhizomes were a nightmare to remove: 'ohhh my heavens!!!! Could you get a smallish bulldozer in, to lift what's left, out of the ground?? I really want you to win this war, cause that's what it is!'. Another warned: 'Don't look now, but there are probably 20 shoots coming up amongst all that. In two weeks, they'll be a metre tall or coming up in your neighbour's yard. Ask me how I know'. Among the advice dished out was that 'unless you get weed killer on the cut within about 10 seconds, the wound has self-sealed and the herbicide is useless'. The homeowner was very aware of the challenge to come though: 'yeah saw that online so we pretty much sprayed each shoot the second we cut it. Seemed to work quite well. Within a week they'd lost all colour and gone hard. If we missed one it was back in days.' The challenge is so overwhelming for some homeowners that they've even sold up and moved elsewhere bamboo-free: 'I had a big clump of bamboo something like that at a house I once owned. Took about six months of hard yakka cutting it, digging out roots with a pick axe etc. Got to the point where I had it not quite totally eliminated, but well controlled, then I sold and bought elsewhere.' MORE: Inside new Liberal leader's property portfolio How NRL stars are banking an off-field fortune An arborist chimed in saying 'we cut down / kill bamboo clumps and other hard to kill plants almost every day. It definitely works just takes a few months with some species of bamboo. There are other chemicals that are more effective but you don't want that — the good thing about roundup is it's only just strong enough to kill things. You don't want to salt the earth — presumably one day you'll plant something else there. Roundup will allow that.' Digging up the mass underground had three solutions the arborist said: cut the stump/roots away with a mattock once it's dried, wait longer then use a shovel or hire a stump grinder if you want it gone quick. 'Just beware if you hit a rock or metal, the stump grinder could have to be repaired. That's the main reason stump grinding companies are so expensive. If you hire a grinder and DIY the job, they'll check for damage and the bill will be really high if you've hit anything.' Others have suggested just brutalising it with an excavator instead: 'I had some in my backyard but most were only 15-30mm thick. After cutting them down to ground level I used a 1.7t excavator with teeth on the bucket and it did alright. Would probably recommend a 2.7t if you have the access and use a ripper. Do all the hard work sitting down.' Not everyone agreed with the homeowner's choice to tear it down, with one playing devil's advocate to say 'landscape designers pay big dollars for mature specimens like that. Clumping bamboo is the best type of bamboo you can have'. 'They need to be pruned and maintained so people don't become overwhelmed and insecure. Now you've lost all that wonderful shade and windbreak. Oh well. It's your property. It's your Castle. You can do what you want. I just thought I'd put it out there for the bamboo lovers who are probably in tears.' Those bamboo lovers agreed it looked better before it was cut down, saying it 'makes the most serene sounds in the wind', 'we have two sides very happily privatised with clumping Nepalese Blue' and 'it looked good… now it looks sh*t'. The homeowner stuck to his guns though, saying 'the whole neighbourhood was sick of the leaves going everywhere and filling everyone's gutters. It killed everything around it. And our house is now full of natural light. It won't be getting left as it currently is. nice fence, Tropical garden and a pool going in.' GUIDE FOR AUSSIE HOMEOWNERS What not to plant Bamboo Golden cane palm Gum tree (large species) Common fig Lilly pilly (large species) Umbrella tree (an environmental weed in this area) West African tulip (this a Class 3 weed) Pine tree Poinciana Jacaranda Broad – leafed paperbark Weeping paperbark Mango tree Coral tree Willow (all types) (this a Class 3 weed) Camphor Laurel (this a Class 3 weed) Wisteria Black bean What to plant Directly above or up to 1.5m away from water supply and wastewater pipes Blue flax lily Tall sedge Spiny-headed mat-rush Common tussock grass Kangaroo grass Common hovea Between 1.5m and 3m away from water supply and wastewater pipes Austral indigo Dogwood Dwarf banksia Hairy bush pea Sweet wattle Woombye bush Broad – leaved palm lily More than 3m away from water supply and wastewater pipes Blueberry ash Plum myrtle Peanut tree MORE REAL ESTATE NEWS
Mercury
09-06-2025
- General
- Mercury
Backyard takeover: Homeowner wins epic five-month battle
A five-month backyard battle has ended for a pair of shocked Aussie first home buyers, but the uneasy peace in their new neighbourhood has a hidden twist that has some on edge. The couple cautiously bought their first home in about nine months ago, wary of it having an 'absolute monstrosity' in the backyard – towering more than 20m and some 'as thick as my leg', but felt they could handle it. Now five months later, an uneasy peace is in place as they watch for fresh shoots. MORE: Cash-strap student turns $40k to 38 homes Palaszczuk scores insane 684 per cent return on Brisbane property MORE: Tradie's colossal 5.5m find in Aus backyard Million-dollar shock: Most Aussies now priced out of house market The 'absolute monstrosity' in this case is bamboo out in their new backyard which had overrun not just their entire backyard, but had put neighbours off-side – blocking sunlight from nearby houses with its leaves also littering gutters and backyards all around it. Some observers said there was so much bamboo he could 'build a bridge or skyscraper with it. A couple of knots with string and you could make a 6 storey building'. The new homeowner said they assessed the situation before purchase and found it was a clumping, not running, type of bamboo – which means they had a shot at removal, taking a massive 22 weeks to rid the neighbourhood of it. 'Well after about a day a week since Christmas we finally cut the last piece down,' the homeowner said. 'Some were 20m + and as thick as my leg. Now to find an excavator to dig it all up.' '+1 to having awesome neighbours who let us take down the fence and have full side access via their property the whole time,' the homeowner said. 'Wouldn't have been able to do it without that so we are very grateful. Although they are just as stoked it's gone themselves.' But that's not going to last long, others warned, saying removing the top is the easy part over for the couple – with much more vigilance and brutality required to make sure it's not going to be causing more damage in future. MORE: Shock twist as former Virgin CEO to tear down $17m mansion Inside slumlord's crumbling empire: derelict, unliveable, worth millions One who had the same thing around horse stables, said the rhizomes were a nightmare to remove: 'ohhh my heavens!!!! Could you get a smallish bulldozer in, to lift what's left, out of the ground?? I really want you to win this war, cause that's what it is!'. Another warned: 'Don't look now, but there are probably 20 shoots coming up amongst all that. In two weeks, they'll be a metre tall or coming up in your neighbour's yard. Ask me how I know'. Among the advice dished out was that 'unless you get weed killer on the cut within about 10 seconds, the wound has self-sealed and the herbicide is useless'. The homeowner was very aware of the challenge to come though: 'yeah saw that online so we pretty much sprayed each shoot the second we cut it. Seemed to work quite well. Within a week they'd lost all colour and gone hard. If we missed one it was back in days.' The challenge is so overwhelming for some homeowners that they've even sold up and moved elsewhere bamboo-free: 'I had a big clump of bamboo something like that at a house I once owned. Took about six months of hard yakka cutting it, digging out roots with a pick axe etc. Got to the point where I had it not quite totally eliminated, but well controlled, then I sold and bought elsewhere.' MORE: Inside new Liberal leader's property portfolio How NRL stars are banking an off-field fortune An arborist chimed in saying 'we cut down / kill bamboo clumps and other hard to kill plants almost every day. It definitely works just takes a few months with some species of bamboo. There are other chemicals that are more effective but you don't want that — the good thing about roundup is it's only just strong enough to kill things. You don't want to salt the earth — presumably one day you'll plant something else there. Roundup will allow that.' Digging up the mass underground had three solutions the arborist said: cut the stump/roots away with a mattock once it's dried, wait longer then use a shovel or hire a stump grinder if you want it gone quick. 'Just beware if you hit a rock or metal, the stump grinder could have to be repaired. That's the main reason stump grinding companies are so expensive. If you hire a grinder and DIY the job, they'll check for damage and the bill will be really high if you've hit anything.' Others have suggested just brutalising it with an excavator instead: 'I had some in my backyard but most were only 15-30mm thick. After cutting them down to ground level I used a 1.7t excavator with teeth on the bucket and it did alright. Would probably recommend a 2.7t if you have the access and use a ripper. Do all the hard work sitting down.' Not everyone agreed with the homeowner's choice to tear it down, with one playing devil's advocate to say 'landscape designers pay big dollars for mature specimens like that. Clumping bamboo is the best type of bamboo you can have'. 'They need to be pruned and maintained so people don't become overwhelmed and insecure. Now you've lost all that wonderful shade and windbreak. Oh well. It's your property. It's your Castle. You can do what you want. I just thought I'd put it out there for the bamboo lovers who are probably in tears.' Those bamboo lovers agreed it looked better before it was cut down, saying it 'makes the most serene sounds in the wind', 'we have two sides very happily privatised with clumping Nepalese Blue' and 'it looked good… now it looks sh*t'. The homeowner stuck to his guns though, saying 'the whole neighbourhood was sick of the leaves going everywhere and filling everyone's gutters. It killed everything around it. And our house is now full of natural light. It won't be getting left as it currently is. nice fence, Tropical garden and a pool going in.' GUIDE FOR AUSSIE HOMEOWNERS What not to plant Bamboo Golden cane palm Gum tree (large species) Common fig Lilly pilly (large species) Umbrella tree (an environmental weed in this area) West African tulip (this a Class 3 weed) Pine tree Poinciana Jacaranda Broad – leafed paperbark Weeping paperbark Mango tree Coral tree Willow (all types) (this a Class 3 weed) Camphor Laurel (this a Class 3 weed) Wisteria Black bean What to plant Directly above or up to 1.5m away from water supply and wastewater pipes Blue flax lily Tall sedge Spiny-headed mat-rush Common tussock grass Kangaroo grass Common hovea Between 1.5m and 3m away from water supply and wastewater pipes Austral indigo Dogwood Dwarf banksia Hairy bush pea Sweet wattle Woombye bush Broad – leaved palm lily More than 3m away from water supply and wastewater pipes Blueberry ash Plum myrtle Peanut tree MORE REAL ESTATE NEWS
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Centrelink $1,100 cash boost available to thousands of Aussies: 'Get back on track'
While torrential rain and flash flooding wreak havoc in some states, other parts of the country are drier than ever. From battling arid brown paddocks to struggling with stock, drought conditions are hitting farmers hard. You don't need to be a mathematician to work out that no rain, plus no feed, equals no money. RELATED Centrelink cash boost over 400,000 Aussies have weeks left to confirm: 'Get what's yours' Centrelink issues warning to retirees over payment freeze threat: 'Fake' Tradie reveals surprising industry where he makes '$300,000 to a million' a year It's not just the recent weather events, there can be lots of reasons why farmers may experience financial pressures. The good news is, there is support available, and I want to help you work out where to begin. Services Australia has a payment called Farm Household Allowance (FHA) for farming families who are doing it tough. Whether it's due to challenging seasons, market pressures, illness, or other difficulties, FHA is designed to help farmers get back on track. If you're eligible, you may receive: A payment between $715 and $1,011 per fortnight, for up to 4 years in a 10-year period (amount will depend on circumstances) A professional financial assessment of recent performance from a person you choose An activity supplement of up to $10,000 to pay for professional advice, training, study, or mental health support to help improve your financial position A Farm Household Case Officer to work with you to help you improve your financial circumstances. When you start getting FHA, a dedicated Farm Household Case Officer (FHCO) will get in touch with you. They'll guide and support you from the very beginning and will check in with you regularly while you continue to be on the payment. Your FHCO will help you set up a Financial Improvement Agreement (FIA). The FIA is exactly what it sounds like — a plan to help you improve your financial position. It sets out the activities you must do while you get the allowance. One of the key supports available is the $10,000 activity supplement. This funding can be put towards a diverse range of activities such as business courses, regenerative agriculture training, drone and pilot's licences, teaching credentials, diversifying, and establishing a farm stay business. The supplement allows you to think laterally about ways to improve your financial position in the short, medium, and long-term. You'll also need to give us an update on your farm's financial position each year you are getting payment. This information helps your case officer understand any changes to the business and tailor ongoing guidance and support. We often hear farmers say, 'Someone else needs it more than me.' But if you're eligible, you can and should apply — support is there for a reason. There's no shame in seeking support when times are tough. It's a sign of strength. When farmers tighten their belts, the ripple effects are felt across local businesses too. One phone call could help you understand your options. You can call our free farmer assistance hotline on 132 316, to chat with one of our specialists about your individual circumstances. They'll explain everything you need to know about FHA, from eligibility through to how to make a claim. The government also offers free and independent financial counselling for farmers and small related businesses through the Rural Financial Counselling Service. I would chat to these people first, as they can help you apply for other government support, in addition to FHA. Call their national hotline on 1300 771 741, and you'll be connected with your nearest counsellor. For more information on the FHA and eligibility, head to the Services Australia website.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Car insurance move that can save Aussies $184 per year: 'Wake-up call'
I often say to Australians shop around, but did you know that it also pays to plan ahead? The team at Compare the Market have found what they call the 'convenience catch', where Australians could be spending hundreds more on car insurance than they need to. It all comes down to the policy commencement date. RELATED Health insurance warning as dad forks out $1,200 bill: 'So many people forget' Tradie reveals surprising industry where he makes '$300,000 to a million' a year Right to disconnect warning as worker sues former employer for $800,000 Insurers often slug consumers the highest premiums if they start their car insurance policy immediately, on the same day of quoting. In fact, the consumer comparison experts found the 'sweet spot' for the best savings is commencing three to four weeks later. Quotes for a hypothetical Ford Ranger ute owner could reduce around $184 (10.21 per cent) on average by simply commencing their cover three weeks later, compared to the same day. Even purchasing a policy to start on the next day resulted in a $78 (4.33 per cent) reduction in quoted premiums on average, while commencing one week later saw an average quoted premium reduction of $130 (7.19 per cent) compared to starting the same day. Compare the Market research found a similar pattern for two other popular vehicle models. Average car insurance quoted premiums by commencement date Some insurers put 'loadings' in place to compensate for the risk of higher claims volumes. For example, new car owners could be initially unfamiliar with driving their new vehicle and insurers may take this into account when pricing for a policy to commence immediately. Additionally, insurers may consider there is a greater chance that a vehicle is already damaged, if the policy is commencing immediately. This is a wake-up call. Never wait until the last minute. There are substantial reductions in the tens – and in some cases, hundreds of dollars – by planning ahead. Never auto-renew. Mark on your calendar when your car insurance is due and shop around a few weeks before. Even commencing the next day could save money! Never be brand biased. Don't just pick the first insurer that appeals to you. Compare your options, consider whether a higher excess is appropriate for you, and if your circumstances permit, consider setting driver minimum age limits if the option is available. These are all levers to ensure the power is in consumers' hands, not the insurers. There's an old saying: 'to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is to be forgotten'. Without getting too profound, there is some truth in this when it comes to your insurance! Compare the Market research and disclaimers can be viewed in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Workplace surveillance of employers at Australian businesses exposed: 'Utterly insane'
Victoria is calling for a major overhaul in workplace surveillance legislation after a large-scale investigation revealed just how much workers are being watched. The Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee found this type of surveillance had "accelerated" in recent years, thanks to huge technological advancements. Workers have been monitored through their telephone calls, computer cameras, keystrokes, and biometrics. But the Committee determined current legislation hadn't kept pace with these "dramatic" advancements, and workers have very little to defend themselves against being spied on. Peter Leonard from UNSW Business School told Yahoo Finance the problem of surveillance at the workplace "will only get bigger" and more intrusive if the law doesn't catch up. 'Terrible' work act driving Aussies to quit: 'No one will trust each other' Tradie reveals surprising industry where he makes '$300,000 to a million' a year Right to disconnect warning as worker sues former employer for $800,000 "The technologies have become so cheap, so easy to install, so easy to use, that every employer seems to be doing it," he said. The adjunct professor from UNSW's School of Private and Commercial Law said workplace surveillance mainly started out from a safety point of view. Cameras might have been installed to track a truck driver's eyes to ensure they're alert when they're on the road, or to ensure warehouse workers are wearing the proper protective gear. However, this quickly changed when the Covid pandemic forced everyone to work from weren't able to keep a close eye on their staff like they would have in an office, so they turned to systems and technologies that allowed them to do that from afar. "Whenever you install technologies like this without controls or safeguards, there's a real danger and probably a likelihood of mission creep," he told Yahoo Finance. "There is a real risk that they will be used in ways that are unreasonable, or that the data collected from the technology for reasonable purposes suddenly starts getting used for quite unreasonable purposes. "That is, until regulators step in and put some requirements and controls on this." The Committee's report found work devices like computers, webcams, mobile phones and handheld scanners gathered a raft of data on a person's work activities. This data can then be processed and used to determine a worker's location and task speed, and assess their performance, sentiment and concentration level. But the University of Melbourne's Jake Goldenfein said this creates problems for workers when they know they're being watched. "I'm working in a coolroom. I have a little iPad with a countdown clock telling me how much time I have left to finish packing this box, and when it hits zero it goes red, right, and I know I'm in trouble," he said. "At the same time, I'm a smaller person and I need to grab things off the shelf, but the stairs, the ladders, are all the way down the other end of the room. So I just climb the shelf." The investigation put a call out to businesses like Amazon, Australia Post, Coles Group, DoorDash, Optus, Qantas, Telstra, Uber, Virgin Australia, Woolworths Group and the Big Four banks. None of them responded, except for Commonwealth Bank (CBA). The Committee heard how CBA staff had to download an app called Navigate onto their personal devices to access buildings, book a workstation, register visitors and report faults. But the app also collected data on a person's location and "some workers have been asked to apply for leave when they are away from their desk or appear unproductive". There is plenty of software on the market that can do far more than that. Some can monitor login times, your search history, and the amount of time a worker spends on a certain app. These platforms can take screenshots of your computer at regular intervals to determine if a staffer is distracted or on the ball. CallMiner can record and transcribe telephone calls and uses AI to scan for certain words and phrases or to analyse how well a worker handled a call. Finance Sector Union national assistant secretary Nicole McPherson told the inquiry that one of their members had been flagged for a disciplinary process after an AI monitoring system picked up the person saying "unfortunately it's been really rainy lately" while on the phone with a client. That member was hauled into a disciplinary hearing because of the negativity. Fujitsu has also developed an AI model that can monitor a worker's facial expressions and can latch onto the tiniest changes to determine whether they're concentrating or not. The report highlighted how neuro-surveillance could be adopted en masse in the next five years. This uses neurotechnology to measure electrical activity in a person's brain to work out their cognitive state, such as their level of attention and effort. It can even decode mental images and intended speech, which could be used to understand a worker's mind and their outlook on their job. They're already being used in the mines to monitor fatigue, but it could be installed in workplaces in the not-too-distant future. The Committee flagged this "has the potential to be problematic and in some cases discriminatory" because these systems overlook other relevant factors like "empathy and creativity". One of the recommendations from the inquiry was introducing new legislation in Victoria to crack down on workplace surveillance before it gets too much. Under this proposed change, employers would be forced to notify and consult with workers about workplace surveillance practices and disclose how workers' data would be collected, used and stored. "Victoria has the opportunity to lead the way with dedicated laws requiring workplace surveillance to be necessary and reasonable," Committee chair Alison Marchant said. Leonard told Yahoo Finance surveillance should only be used for "reasonable and necessary" circumstances that are "proportionate to achieving a lawful purpose". But there might have to be a national law handed out to ensure workers across the country are protected. If you live in one state and work remotely in a business based in a different jurisdiction with different workplace surveillance rules, what protections do you have? Australian workers backed the proposal to change the law after hearing about the raft of technologies being used to watch them. "This is utterly insane and draconian as f**k WTF," wrote one person. "This is absolute insanity," added another. "My workplace has well-documented 'surveillance' policies, but nothing to this extent (yet??). I often worry the place is bugged and the bosses will be listening to conversations." "I work at this big firm and I've slowly realised we're living in a full-blown corporate Black Mirror episode," said a third. New South Wales and the ACT have the clearest definitions on what is and isn't allowed when it comes to workplace surveillance. However, the rest of the country is a bit murkier. The Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 states: Employers have to give 14 days' written notice before surveillance (CCTV, computer, tracking) begins Covert surveillance requires a magistrate's approval and is limited to certain investigations like theft Employees must be notified where and when they are being monitored Employers cannot use surveillance in private areas like toilets or changing areas The Workplace Privacy Act 2011 is similar to NSW's rules, but also stipulates that employers have to have consultation with employees before installing surveillance on them. The state is governed by the Surveillance Devices Act 1999, which prohibits the use of listening, optical, tracking and data devices without consent. There isn't a specific rule around workplace surveillance, but any attempt to surveil a staffer has to comply with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. The Invasion of Privacy Act 1971 (QLD) and Listening Devices Act 1991 (TAS) cover audio surveillance, however, don't touch on visual or other types of tracking devices. Workers can rely on general principles from the federal Privacy Act 1988, but its lack of clear definitions for modern surveillance could leave them with limited protections. That Act also only applies to businesses making more than $3 million annually. WA's Surveillance Devices Act 1998 and the NT's Surveillance Devices Act 2007 regulate the use of listening, optical, tracking, and data surveillance. However, there is no obligation for employers to notify workers of surveillance and no workplace-specific regulations. The Listening and Surveillance Devices Act 1972 prohibits the installation and use of surveillance devices without consent. However, there is no law that specifically addresses workplace nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati
