I’M starting to see many similarities between the economic realities of the USA and those of Australia. Principally in the rising debt levels and the fact that the country’s leaders are just realising that something needs to be done about it before their populations realise the size of the predicament. President Trump, who is no […]
DEAR Jasminda, On my rostered day off last week I went for a day trip to the beach. After getting a bit too much sun, I rolled over and noticed Amy, who is a junior work colleague, swimming in the ocean with her kids. She was on a work from home day (approved by me). […]
SHOCKED and grieving, she laid her ruined wedding dress on the muddied, mangled pile of treasured belongings. Emergency volunteers bore witness, absorbing her heartbreak while valiantly hosing stinking mud and river slime from her waterlogged home. Unforgiving torrents of floodwaters, fuelled by ‘atmospheric rivers’, left mountains of precious possessions disintegrating in landfill. Tragically, lives and […]
DEAR News Of The Area, LAST Wednesday, I attended the ‘drop-in’ community consultation at Hawks Nest Community Hall for the proposed Sanderling Avenue beachfront development, located between Hawks Nest Golf Club and Bennetts Beach (Lot 1, DP 1234229). This is the same development that was the subject of the 2021 Four Corners episode ‘Obeid Inc.’ […]
DEAR Jasminda, Every time I look at the news there is a new tragedy unfolding or a new source of conflict. It’s actually getting to me. I feel that I’m in a constant state of worry wondering what will happen next. Do you have any ideas on how I can address this? Leonie B. Dear […]
NOW that the Federal Government’s three day “Productivity Summit” is over, many of us are still trying to work out what it was all about. The three areas that the conveners required to be discussed were productivity, economic growth and tax reform. The current housing supply dominated most of one day’s debates but from what […]
DEAR Jasminda, My new girlfriend chats incessantly as soon as she wakes. I prefer to ease into the day. How can I get our morning routines in sync? Karl B. Dear Karl, I’m with you on this one. My husband’s mouth seems to wake up before the rest of him. From the moment his eyelids […]
SOME experts, when commenting on our housing shortage, place the blame on high levels of immigration creating greater demand than supply. Australia’s long-term net migration average is about 250,000 a year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, net overseas migration was 446,000 in 2023-24, down from 536,000 a year earlier. The largest group of […]
