Latest news with #Blacktown
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Didn't do this': NBL player's DV charges withdrawn
Former Cairns Taipans guard Jackson Makoi is free to move on with his life and his basketball career after he was cleared of assaulting and choking a woman. The NBL player, who is also known as Anyiarbany Makoi, had pleaded not guilty to one count of common assault and two counts of intentionally choking a person with recklessness. He was due to fight the domestic violence charges in a contested hearing at Blacktown Local Court on Thursday, but the charges were dismissed after the complainant failed to show for a second time. Makoi offered to agree to an apprehended violence order without admission of guilt, which was accepted by the prosecutor. The order includes standard conditions that the basketball player not assault, threaten, or stalk the woman or anyone with whom she is in a relationship. The charges were subsequently dismissed. "Jackson's had his date in court," his lawyer Peter Agoth said. "He was in the position to have everything dismissed including the AVO but he made a peace offering." Mr Agoth said the charges had been a "huge impediment" to the basketballer's life and he was relieved with the outcome. "He did stick to what he said from the start, which is 'I didn't do this'," the lawyer said. "He was very happy it's finally behind him and he can finally move on with his life." The charges stemmed from an incident that was alleged to have occurred on November 11, 2023 in western Sydney while the basketballer was contracted to the Sydney Kings. The Oxley Park resident was stood down by the Cairns Taipans after the accusations came to light and his contract has since expired. He is not on the team roster for the upcoming season, but is understood to have a number of opportunities on the horizon. Makoi played for South Sudan at the Paris Olympics and has averaged 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 11 NBL games last season. He received his first big break when he signed with the Kings as a development player in 2022. Makoi played 15 games in the 2022-23 NBL season for the Kings during the club's championship-winning campaign, but he ruptured the ACL in his right knee before the finals. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
‘Apology' to 70yo who slept on western Sydney hospital floor amid calls for review
A 70-year-old man pictured sleeping on the floor of a western Sydney hospital has been issued an 'apology' amid calls for an urgent review into the beleaguered hospital. The photos, posted to Facebook by the man's daughter Hayley Leatham, show Raymond lying down behind a row of chairs at Blacktown Hospital with a bag under his head. Ms Leatham said the photos showed the 'sad reality of our public health system', and her father had waited more than 24 hours with life-threatening low haemoglobin. The Western Sydney Local Health District, which oversees Blacktown Hospital, said in a statement on Wednesday it had reached out to Raymond to 'sincerely apologise'. 'Raymond has expressed his thanks for the quality of care he received from the hardworking staff at Blacktown Hospital,' a spokesperson said. 'All patients are seen and triaged on arrival at the ED with the most seriously unwell patients treated first.' The spokesperson acknowledged that it 'can be challenging for people' when they were made to 'wait longer than they expect in an ED'. 'We thank the community for their patience during periods of high demand,' they said. The spokesperson urged anyone with non life-threatening injuries to call Healthdirect, as hospital visitations surged over the winter months. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Blacktown Hospital branch vice-president Jess Kybert said the situation at the hospital was the worst she had ever seen. Speaking as a member of the union, she said staff were burnt out amid an unprecedented surge in cases over winter, an always busy period for hospitals. She said that while not allowed to let patients sleep on the floor, 'the horrific thing is the floor becomes the next best option' due to a lack of beds. The incident also sparked political mudslinging between the Labor state government and the Liberal-Nationals opposition in NSW. Premier Chris Minns lay significant blame at the feet of the former Coalition government, though admitted more needed to be done. Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane on Wednesday called for an 'urgent review' into the situation at Blacktown and Westmead hospitals. 'Western Sydney is under enormous pressure,' the Vaucluse MP told 2GB's Ben Fordham. 'They have unique needs across our state, high areas of chronic illness, diabetes is the highest in the nation. 'In those areas, we've got big migrant populations, and Covid exacerbated this. 'So, I'm not saying there are easy answers, but we need to make a start. 'We need to have a review that begins at Blacktown Hospital.' Fordham released images of a woman identified as Anna Maria, who told the 2GB host that she had slept in her car while waiting for emergency department staff in Blacktown. 'Anna Maria says, a week ago, I was taken to Blacktown Hospital with a bowel obstruction,' Fordham said. 'I waited 24 hours in the waiting room because there were no beds. 'I was so tired that my husband parked the car out the front of the ED so I could lay down and have a rest while the staff are doing their best to manage a chaotic situation.'
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Ben Fordham exposes shocking photos from Blacktown Hospital emergency department
Distressing photos have emerged of elderly patients in excruciating pain, lying on the floor of a hospital waiting room for hours. Raymond, 70, presented to Blacktown Hospital's emergency department in Sydney 's west on Saturday, experiencing severe diarrhoea and life-threatening haemoglobin levels. Despite his condition, he spent 24 hours waiting for a bed—much of it trying to sleep on the cold, hard vinyl floor in excruciating pain. Raymond's daughter, Hayley, shared a photo of him in the heartbreaking predicament with 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham. She also shared a second photo of another elderly man, 80, sleeping on the floor, covered in a blanket. The man had already been waiting for a bed for at least 12 hours. To make matters worse, Raymond was then told by staff that he couldn't sleep on the floor near reception. 'What do you expect a 70-year-old to do?' Hayley told Fordham. Raymond rang his daughter numerous times during the harrowing ordeal, wanting to discharge himself. 'He said he'd rather go to a small country town, which is where he's from, because the wait times aren't as bad,' she added. Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane was saddened to see the latest images from one of the state's busiest and most overstretched hospitals. 'This shouldn't be happening in our hospitals,' she told Fordham on Tuesday. 'I'm terribly sad for this gentleman and his family, decent people who have paid taxes their entire lives. 'And when they're at their most vulnerable, the system has let them down.' Only 41 per cent of emergency department patients are being treated on time at Blacktown, according to the latest NSW Health data. It also ranks 20th out of 20 hospitals in the category for treatment of emergency department presentations. 'We need solutions at Blacktown, it's one of the poorest-performing hospitals in the west of Sydney,' Sloane said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Western Sydney Local Health District for comment. The new images emerged almost a year after NSW Premier Chris Minns singled out Blacktown as he vowed to address the state's overstretched public hospital system after more photos of patients sleeping on the waiting room floor emerged. 'We'll have to look at Blacktown in particular - there's major stress on our public hospitals,' Minns said last September. 'We want to do better when it comes to health outcomes.'
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
$108k drop: Where home values declined across Australia
Nearly 200 Aussie suburbs recorded a drop in home values over the past three months, including two where home values plunged by over $100,000. The latest PropTrack June Quarterly Home Values Index shows that 192 of Australia's 3762 house suburbs dropped in value, while 168 of the nation's 1888 unit markets also declined. Units in Lalor Park in the Sydney-Blacktown region was the worst performing market in the last quarter, declining by 17 per cent in the three months to June, or $104,066. The median unit price there is now $514,808. It was followed by Fairfield East (Sydney-Parramatta), where unit values plunged 9 per cent to $596,272 and Lisarow on the NSW central Coast, where unit values fell 8 per cent. Rounding out the top 10 worst performing units markets were Pelican Waters (Qld), Melrose Park (SA), Broadwater (WA), Wyoming (NSW), Huntingdale (Vic), Tregear (NSW) and Ocean Grove (Vic). Each suburb recorded declines of 5 per cent to 6 per cent in the past three months. Over the year, the worst performing market was Banksmeadow in NSW, where unit values plunged by 28 per cent. Lalor Park came in second, followed by Terrigal (NSW), Claremont (WA), Cottesloe (WA), Fairfield East (NSW), Telopea (NSW) South Granville (NSW), Yennora (NSW), Jordan Springs (NSW), Crace (ACT) Jindabyne (NSW) Red Hill (ACT) Huntingdale (Vic) and Rippinlea (Vic). Those suburbs recorded annual falls north of 10 per cent. But while NSW dominated the top worst performing suburbs for units over the quarter, other suburbs made up for the losses elsewhere. Units in Ashcroft, Wahroonga, Belrose, Cartwright and Sadlier all jumped by 10 per cent or more in just three months, as affordable pockets under Sydney's lofty median price of $1.182m captured buyers. REA Group Senior Economist Anne Flaherty said the double digit increases were an 'enormous' jump for such a short period of time. 'That is absolutely out of the ordinary,' she said. 'Particularly we are seeing that those suburbs that are relatively more affordable are attracting a high level of competition. 'The reality is because the median price of a home in greater Sydney is so high, for a lot of people that are looking for a middle ring suburban Sydney home, it's just not even a possibility.' Meanwhile, the worst performing house market was Point Lookout in Queensland, where home values fell 6 per cent, or $108,173, to $1,768,325. It was followed by Quindalup (WA) and Lorne (Vic) where house values declined by 5 per cent. That represents a drop in values of $93,124 and $97,061 respectively. Seven suburbs recorded a decline of 4 per cent - Hyde Park (SA), Jamberoo (NSW), Apollo Bay (Vic), Berrimah (NT), Nar Nar Goon North (Vic), Byron Bay (NSW) and Cardigan (Vic). But over the year, the biggest drop in house values was recorded in Nar Nar Goon North (Vic), Blairgowrie (Vic), Jilliby (NSW) and Rye (Victoria). House values in those suburbs declined by 10 per cent, the data shows. They were followed by celeb haven Byron Bay in NSW and Bangholme in Victoria, where values fell by 9 per cent in the 12 months to June. Falls of 8 per cent were recorded in Lorne (Vic) and Shoalhaven Heads (NSW). Eleven suburbs recorded annual declines of 7 per cent including seven in Victoria (Venus Bay, Sorrento, Fingal, Tootgarook, Ballarat Central, Soldies Hill, Lake Wendouree and Eden Park). Also making that list were Suffolk Park (NSW), Margate (Tas) and Craiglie (Qld). On the flip side, Australia is now home to 1418 house suburbs with a median value over $1 million. That means that 107 Aussie suburbs have joined the $1 million-plus club in the past three months alone. Top of the list is Bellevue Hill in Sydney, where the median house price is now $9,844,492, followed by Vaucluse with $8,983,846. With a median house price of $4,500,128, Toorak in Victoria's most expensive suburb, while Cotteslow is Western Australia's richest suburb with a median house value of $3,442,198. Queensland's most expensive suburb is Chandler ($3,149,155) and St Peters in Adelaide is South Australia's richest suburb with a median house value of $2,226,612. Brisbane median home price recently surpassed the $1 million mark for the first time, finishing the month of June at $1.015 million – an increase of $74,800. It is now Australia's second most expensive capital city after Sydney. Ms Flaherty said that it was inevitable that more Queensland suburbs would enter the $1 million-plus club. There are currently 54 Queensland suburbs with median house values north of $950,000. TOP 10 WORST PERFORMING SUBURBS (June Qtr) - UNITS (Suburb, Median Value Now, % Decline) Lalor Park NSW $514,808 -17% Fairfield East NSW $596,272 -9% Lisarow NSW $687,646 -8% Pelican Waters QLD $754,912 -6% Melrose Park SA $619,621 -6% Broadwater WA $468,229 -6% Wyoming NSW $577,845 -6% Huntingdale VIC $649,274 -5% Tregear NSW $536,014 -5% Ocean Grove VIC $743,563 -5% *** TOP 10 WORST PERFORMING SUBURBS (June Qtr) - HOUSES (Suburb, Median Value Now, % Decline) Point Lookout QLD $1,768,325 -6% Quindalup WA $1,633,997 -5% Lorne VIC $1,793,274 -5% Hyde Park SA $2,049,592 -4% Jamberoo NSW $1,429,284 -4% Apollo Bay VIC $913,941 -4% Berrimah NT $556,619 -4% Nar Nar Goon North VIC $781,667 -4% Byron Bay NSW $1,737,446 -4% Cardigan VIC $827,810 -4%
News.com.au
04-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Sydney home seekers given rare window to get property for cheaper
Home seekers have a window of opportunity to cash in on better buying conditions and another interest rate cut this month, with new data showing July is the best month to buy in many Sydney areas. The Ray White analysis measured the average prices achieved in each month of the year over the past decade, relative to sales across the rest of the year, to determine the best time to buy and sell in each suburb. Autumn was generally the best time to be a seller, while summer tended to favour buyers, but there were also multiple markets where winter conditions put buyers in the driver's seat. This included 127 Sydney suburbs – about one in seven of the total areas across the city – where July purchasers typically paid the lowest prices each year, largely because of a lack of buyer competition. Many of these suburbs were among the most popular areas in Sydney for people to buy a home, such as Castle Hill, Blacktown, Greystanes and Epping, according to the Ray White Economics data. Other notable suburbs were Randwick, Bondi Junction and Paddington, in the east, plus Avalon Beach and Newport, on the northern beaches, and southwest hub Liverpool. The seasonal lower prices in these areas could be compounded with a high chance of another interest rate cut over July, which is expected to ramp up competition for listings in the proceeding months. Those who get in before the resurgence of buyer activity may be rewarded with a lower price and a sharp gain in equity, housing experts said. Mortgage Choice Epping broker Richard Brown said recent interest rate cuts are yet to fully filter through to the market and high pre-approval numbers for loans suggested many more buyers would be storming the market soon. 'Right now, the main thing cuts in interest rates are doing is improving confidence,' he said. 'Those who were already planning to buy have a lot more certainty. 'They know whatever they pay, they can factor in a few more cuts, and that's pushing up prices. 'But a lot more buyers will bring forward their plans to purchase when there is another cut or two. That's when the real boost will come and buyers are best off trying to get ahead of that.' Economist and buyer's agent Rich Harvey of Propertybuyer said sellers were best off timing their sales for autumn, not spring – which has traditionally been the preferred time of year for most homeowners to sell. 'It's a basic supply and demand principle,' he said. 'There's more supply during spring but during autumn there is less competition between sellers. 'Spring actually favours buyers. And even as you get to the end of the year, you can often get very good deals because Christmas creates this artificial deadline for sales, but it could be different this year. 'We have already had two rate cuts, and one is locked in for July. Demand is picking up and it will mean more competition and constricted supply. Buyers who wait till December may pay a higher price.' Recent home buyers Richy Quinn and wife Eliana said they noticed an instant change when rate cuts were announced midway through their six month search for a property. 'There was more competition,' Mr Quinn said. 'It actually became a big motivation for us to buy quickly.' He added that a property similar to the Balmain home they bought in June recently sold for $90,000 more than the price they paid. 'We figured it was better to buy sooner rather than later, before it gets more competitive, and it looks it was the right decision.'
