Latest news with #Anglicare
ABC News
18-05-2025
- ABC News
Alleged sexual assaults in Broome spark calls for action
A support service for victims of sexual assault in Western Australia's north says the community should be deeply concerned by two alleged public attacks in one of the Kimberley's main towns. Men have been arrested and charged in connection with both alleged attacks, with both due to face court again in coming weeks. Both the unconnected attacks were reported in Broome, 2,000 kilometres north of Perth, in the past seven days. A 23-year-old woman was allegedly indecently assaulted while sunbaking at Town Beach about 2:40 pm last Wednesday. In a separate incident earlier in the week, a woman in her 40s, was allegedly physically attacked before a man attempted to indecently assault her, while walking on a public street at night. Anglicare's Kimberley Sexual Abuse Prevention and Support Service counsellor Kaz Fitpatrick said the advice from authorities for women in the community to be mindful of their safety reflected a broader problem. "Everybody has the right to feel safe at all times, no matter where they are. Asking an individual to ensure their own safety — that's impossible," Ms Fitzpatrick said. "I'm not in control of everyone's thoughts and feelings and behaviours. Sadly, we live in a world where people make choices that we have no control over." Ms Fitzpatrick said the required change included better support for victims to access both the justice system and support. "It can impact every part of their life, emotionally, physically, socially, economically, there's so much," she said. Police crime statistics show 102 reported sexual offences in the Broome suburb of Roebuck in 2024, up from 66 the year prior. Kimberley Police superintendent John Hutchison said any offence in the Broome community was of concern to him. "I want the community to be safe and I want the community to feel safe. When these reports come in, it's very troubling for me," he said. Superintendent Hutchison said the welfare of victims remained the number one priority for police responding to reported sex offences. In the investigation of one of the recent assaults in Broome, Superintendent Hutchison said a team of specialist detectives was deployed from Perth. "That's the kind of resources we will throw at any of these offences in order to make the community safer," he said. He said people should continue to be aware of their surroundings. "Obviously there are members of our community who unfortunately seek to commit offences out there," Superintendent Hutchison said. "Police can't be everywhere all the time; however I know for a fact in Broome itself, their police are never very far away." Shire of Broome President Chris Mitchell said most crime was "opportunistic" and urged all members of the public to take safety precautions. "You should be safe anywhere in Broome, just be mindful of what you're doing and any suspicious behaviour, make sure you report it," Cr Mitchell said. Cr Mitchell said the council had been lobbying the state and federal governments for better infrastructure to safeguard Broome citizens. "We're trying to come up with new solutions and ways to make things even better but the main issue is trying to get funding for those cameras (CCTV) and streetlights."
West Australian
02-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Court approves payout after COVID-19 aged care deaths
Families of those who passed away in a deadly COVID-19 outbreak are set to be compensated months after an aged care operator's failings were exposed. As the virus ripped through Sydney's Newmarch House over 65 days from April to June 2020, 19 people died and many more became sick. Now family members of some who died will receive financial compensation after reaching a settlement with aged care provider Anglicare Sydney in the NSW Supreme Court in November. On Friday, Justice Peter Garling signed off on the payout after receiving confidential material from lawyers at class action law firm Shine. "It's my view based on what I'm told that this proposed settlement is manifestly in the interests of the plaintiff and the group members," he said. "Accordingly, I am satisfied that it's fair and reasonable." The exact amount that will be paid remains under wraps. Ann Fahey was one of those who died after being exposed to the COVID virus. "I will always feel that nan was robbed of a few more years on this earth because of the pandemic," her granddaughter Nicole Jagodzinski said in November. "The settlement is necessary acknowledgement of what we have endured as a family, as a result of losing her through tragic circumstances." Class action barrister Michael Tanevski told the court on Friday that 22 people were eligible to receive payment. Another individual is awaiting psychiatric assessment with a report expected in July to determine whether they are also eligible. Before any funds are distributed, Shine requires proof that a person has a recognised psychiatric illness which was either caused by the death of a loved one at Newmarch or because of Anglicare's alleged negligence. Mr Tanevski told the court that three of those registered to the class action would not receive any payment as they did not have a psychiatric condition linked with the outbreak. Shine represents relatives of six of the 19 residents who died from COVID-19 as well as others who died at the nursing home. In January, a coroner's findings exposed serious missteps and leadership failures at Newmarch which exacerbated the impact of the outbreak. Some deaths could have been avoided had proper testing for the virus been implemented during the 2020 outbreak, NSW deputy state coroner Derek Lee found in his 344-page judgment. Residents were also left without medication, food and water during the breakdown in services, while senior executives were notable in their "almost complete absence" from the under-siege facility. At the time, Anglicare chief executive Simon Miller apologised on behalf of the faith-based provider. "We are sorry for the stress experienced, for the loss of life during the COVID-19 outbreak in Newmarch House for the residents, their families and their loved ones," he said. "There have been many improvements since that time - much has changed in the way COVID is managed, not just at Anglicare but right across the aged-care sector."
Perth Now
02-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Court approves payout after COVID-19 aged care deaths
Families of those who passed away in a deadly COVID-19 outbreak are set to be compensated months after an aged care operator's failings were exposed. As the virus ripped through Sydney's Newmarch House over 65 days from April to June 2020, 19 people died and many more became sick. Now family members of some who died will receive financial compensation after reaching a settlement with aged care provider Anglicare Sydney in the NSW Supreme Court in November. On Friday, Justice Peter Garling signed off on the payout after receiving confidential material from lawyers at class action law firm Shine. "It's my view based on what I'm told that this proposed settlement is manifestly in the interests of the plaintiff and the group members," he said. "Accordingly, I am satisfied that it's fair and reasonable." The exact amount that will be paid remains under wraps. Ann Fahey was one of those who died after being exposed to the COVID virus. "I will always feel that nan was robbed of a few more years on this earth because of the pandemic," her granddaughter Nicole Jagodzinski said in November. "The settlement is necessary acknowledgement of what we have endured as a family, as a result of losing her through tragic circumstances." Class action barrister Michael Tanevski told the court on Friday that 22 people were eligible to receive payment. Another individual is awaiting psychiatric assessment with a report expected in July to determine whether they are also eligible. Before any funds are distributed, Shine requires proof that a person has a recognised psychiatric illness which was either caused by the death of a loved one at Newmarch or because of Anglicare's alleged negligence. Mr Tanevski told the court that three of those registered to the class action would not receive any payment as they did not have a psychiatric condition linked with the outbreak. Shine represents relatives of six of the 19 residents who died from COVID-19 as well as others who died at the nursing home. In January, a coroner's findings exposed serious missteps and leadership failures at Newmarch which exacerbated the impact of the outbreak. Some deaths could have been avoided had proper testing for the virus been implemented during the 2020 outbreak, NSW deputy state coroner Derek Lee found in his 344-page judgment. Residents were also left without medication, food and water during the breakdown in services, while senior executives were notable in their "almost complete absence" from the under-siege facility. At the time, Anglicare chief executive Simon Miller apologised on behalf of the faith-based provider. "We are sorry for the stress experienced, for the loss of life during the COVID-19 outbreak in Newmarch House for the residents, their families and their loved ones," he said. "There have been many improvements since that time - much has changed in the way COVID is managed, not just at Anglicare but right across the aged-care sector."
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Labor MPs represent half of least affordable electorates in the country
A single person looking for work or a disabled Australian needs a miracle to find and get into an affordable rental in most capital city suburbs, a leading social support service has found. The latest analysis from Anglicare Australia shows Anthony Albanese's electorate is among the top-20 least affordable in the country for someone on minimum wage or support payments. Half of the 20 least affordable electorates are held by Labor MPs, while four of the six teal independents preside over electorates in the top-20 least affordable list. 'Across the country, there are 74 electorates without a single affordable rental for someone on the minimum wage,' Anglicare director Kasy Chambers said. 'The government spends eight times as much propping up private investors as it does on building homes for people who need them.' 'This approach is wrong and it's supercharging rents and house prices,' she added, referencing negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions. Anglicare Australia publishes an annual health check of rental affordability. Released on Wednesday, the latest edition shows in essentially half the electorates across the country (74 out of 151) there is not one affordable rental for a single person who's paid minimum wage. The research looked at 51,000 rental listings across the nation in March and April. Just three of these listings are affordable for someone on JobSeeker. 'These results show that housing cannot be left to the private sector,' Ms Chambers said. 'Voters are desperate for action. Instead, parties are promising more of the same. 'At best they are overlooking those who need the most help, and at worst, they are making promises that could overheat the market and push costs up.' The research measures JobSeeker, age pension, youth allowance, minimum wage and parenting payments against the cost of renting a place to live. Paying more than 30 per cent of your income on housing has become the benchmark for unaffordability. In the Prime Minister's inner-Sydney electorate of Grayndler, not a single rental is affordable for people on JobSeeker, a couple on minimum wage with two kids or a single person on minimum wage. One in every 500 rental listings is affordable for a couple on the age pension, the data shows. Labor's Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones retired in January, and his Whitlam electorate south of Wollongong falls in the 20 least affordable electorates as well. Nine of the 20 least affordable electorates are held by Labor. Four Liberal Party MPs and one Liberal National Party MP preside over seats also on the 20-least-affordable list. These electorates are Banks and Mitchell in western Sydney and Cook on the southern side of Botany Bay. The members for Bradfield in northern Sydney and McPherson on the Gold Coast also make that list, but they are both retiring from politics at this election. The bulk of the teal independent electorates also make the top-20 least affordable list. Six teals were in parliament this term, though North Sydney MP Kylea Tink has to look elsewhere as her seat has been abolished. Nonetheless, the Sydney teal seats of Warringah, Wentworth and Mackellar are among the least affordable in the country. Melbourne's inner-south seaside seat of Goldstein is right there with them. Mr Albanese's Labor colleagues preside over electorates that are wholly unaffordable for low income earners in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Greens spokesperson for housing and homelessness, Max Chandler-Mather, said the report was a 'red alert for renters,' and accused both major parties of not doing enough to help. 'It's now impossible for millions of renters to find an affordable home because both major parties have decided that the one third of people in this country that rent don't matter,' he said. 'Labor and the Liberals will give $180bn in tax handouts to property investors over the next decade - which all the experts say is turbocharging house prices and making this desperate situation even worse. 'For those renters, one rent increase away from homelessness, the Greens will keep fighting to cap rent increases and finally give the 7 million renters in this country protection from unlimited rent increases.' While both parties have pledged major policies to boost rates of first home ownership, they have faced criticisms for not doing enough to help struggling renters. On Tuesday, Mr Albanese was asked for his message to renters being hammered by consecutive rent increases, to which he said Labor had increased Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 10 per cent - $23 a fortnight - in the 2024-25 budget. 'We have increased rental assistance by 45 per cent (throughout our term). We are the first government since rental assistance came in to have consecutive real increases in rental assistance,' he said Labor also says its election promise to uncap the First Home Guarantee scheme to people of all incomes, which allows first home buyers to buy a home with just a 5 per cent deposit, will allow more renters to enter the housing market.
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Low-Income Australians Priced Out of Most Rental Properties: Report
Research into rental affordability paints a dire picture for those still looking for a place to live, with those on lower incomes entirely priced out of certain markets. The Anglicare Australia 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot The number of affordable properties dropped even further for those on government benefits. Of the homes surveyed, just 0.3 percent were considered affordable for an aged pensioner, 165 were affordable for a disability pensioner, and 28 were affordable for those on Jobseeker payments. No rentals were considered affordable for students on Youth Allowance payments. For a family of four, where both parents are earning a full-time minimum wage, only 12.8 percent of properties were considered affordable, meaning an average family would be priced out of almost 87 percent of rentals. Related Stories 4/20/2025 3/21/2025 For a single parent working full-time on minimum wage, the percentage of affordable properties drops to 2.6 percent. According to Anglicare, secure and affordable housing provides a basis for maintaining steady employment, raising children, and ageing comfortably, but many Australians are now unable to achieve that basic standard. Additionally, even though available rentals have increased from 45,000 in 2024 to 51,000 during the survey period in 2025, rents have not decreased, and in many cases have only risen higher. Medium-density houses are seen in the western suburbs in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 11, 2024.) 'While supply is important, it is not the silver bullet for the housing crisis,' Anglicare said in a statement. 'Australia's private rental system is not designed to provide affordable homes to renters, especially those on low incomes.' 'The housing system is not designed to provide housing, it is designed to provide profit,' the group claimed. The report comes following the release of the 2025 Salvation Army Social Justice Stocktake, which revealed h Anglicare Echoes Green's Call to Reform Tax Incentives for Investors Anglicare says tax incentives like negative gearing and capital gains tax were originally designed to incentivise investors to offer lower rents to tenants. Negative gearing is a strategy that allows investors to deduct income tax losses when the rental income is lower than the cost of paying for the property. While capital gains tax is paid on the profit after selling an investment property—a 50 percent discount is available if a property has been held for over 12 months. Anglicare say negative gearing, coupled with capital gains tax, is allowing investors to outbid everyday Australians. The group is arguing for changes to these taxes. Analysis from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax discount cost the federal budget nearly $11 billion in foregone revenue in 2023-24. They further estimate that over the next decade, these costs will double, costing $21.4 billion to the budget bottom line by 2033-34. Migration Rate Too High, Others Argue However, some argue that a major issue is just the volume of migrants entering the country. Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelancer, has said Australia is building houses and infrastructure faster than any other country, but the number of new residents was simply too high. 'Australia has the second highest rate of homebuilding from a major country in the developed world, not just in terms of newly constructed homes and housing stock, but also in terms of per capita rates,' 'Australia has 869 cranes on construction sites nationwide, the second-highest on record after the quarter,' he said. 'Sydney alone has 390, and the vast majority of them are for residential apartments. 'In fact, Sydney has more cranes than New York, Boston, Toronto, Washington, Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Portland, Honolulu, San Francisco, Seattle and Calgary combined.'
