Latest news with #DanielScott
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wanderers launch 'Flexi-Ticket Membership' - What it means for supporters
Wanderers have launched the 'Flexi-Ticket Membership' ahead of the upcoming League One campaign. The decision has been made following a 'positive response' to the Flexi Ticket scheme last term, in which packages of four, eight or 12 games were available after Christmas. Now, supporters aged 18 or over can pay an upfront £150 fee and will then be able to buy an individual ticket for each home league fixture for £10 per game. 'We are thrilled to be able to launch this new Flexi-Ticket Membership initiative for 2025/26," head of ticketing Daniel Scott told the club site. 'When receiving feedback from supporters, we realised that there was a potential new offering that we could utilise to try and engage with a section of our fanbase that are unfortunately not able to purchase a season ticket, for a number of reasons. 'This was tested with the Flexi Ticket initiative from last season and saw a positive response, with fans enjoying the flexibility of picking the games that they would like to attend that fit around a work schedule or personal commitments. 'Now, with this evolved initiative for the new season, we are hoping it will help to bring more fans into the Toughsheet Community Stadium on a weekly basis. 'With more than 16,000 Season Ticket holders already signed up for next season, the response has been incredible once again from our supporters ahead of what we hope is to be a successful campaign.' It is worth noting that tickets on the Flexi Membership are only available in the North Stand, South Stand (if open) and the wing areas of the East and West Stands. There is no minimum number of games required for the Flexi Ticket membership. Steven Schumacher is gearing up for his first full season in charge at the Toughsheet Community Stadium after taking over at the end of January.
West Australian
17-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
New Karratha council policy aims to ease housing strain for local workers
Low and middle-income earners in Karratha struggling to secure accommodation may soon find relief under a new council-backed initiative. The Supported Accommodation Scheme Policy, recently endorsed by the City of Karratha council, aims to ease the pressure on housing by helping small to medium businesses offer accommodation to their employees. The policy also considers any additional available accommodation to be allocated to allied health service employees and student and educational providers who offer tertiary qualifications. Applications for the scheme will open in late July, with six units on Warrier Street, Bulgarra, ready for new occupiers. 'By adopting this policy, we will be able to provide some affordable housing options to low to middle income workers in our community, as well as health care workers and supporting education providers,' City of Karratha mayor Daniel Scott said. 'This is another way in which we are trying to support and retain workers to ensure our city remains liveable for everyone. 'As part of the motion, we will be conducting stakeholder engagement on the implementation of the policy and report back to council in six months, detailing the outcomes of engagement and progress on the policy.'
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Pilbara rents more expensive than mortgages across every single suburb
Home owners were disappointed by the Reserve Bank's decision on Tuesday to hold the cash rate at 3.85 per cent. But despite the unexpected hold, Karratha resident Bianca Dawson said she was glad she purchased her house. "We have no regrets about buying," she said. Her relief at exiting the rental market is not a surprise. A recent Domain report found the Pilbara accounted for 11 of the top 12 suburbs across Australia with the biggest discrepancy between the cost of renting and buying a home. In Karratha, 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, the median house price ranges from $545,000–$755,000, depending on the suburb. But rents in the town have surged to well over $1,000 per week. "Our median [rent] now is at $1,350 a week, but what's happened compared to the rest of the country is the housing prices actually haven't gone up as much," Mayor Daniel Scott said. "They have risen, but they haven't risen as fast. "We are now in a unique position where if you move to Karratha, particularly if you're a young person, you can get a good-paying job … and you can buy a house." The City of Karratha's population is expected to increase in the coming years, with modelling showing the population reaching 30,000 by 2030. Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre director Alan Duncan said the report was not surprising. "The population has grown across all regional areas of WA by around 2.2 per cent, but at the same time our rental stock has flatlined," Professor Duncan said. "That pressure is the thing that's really sort of pushing rents higher." But buying is far from a guarantee for people in town looking for somewhere to live. Ray White Karratha managing director Richard Naulls said a shortage of housing generally continued to pose challenges for the community. "Obviously we've got a shortage of housing. It's always about supply and demand," he said. Mr Naulls also said the high rent yield attracted interstate investors. "They're trying to get a 10 per cent return sort of thing," he said. "You're not going to get that sort of return putting your money in a term deposit." Bianca Dawson said she and her partner were lucky they purchased privately. "There were lots of people at the home opens, lots of calls from real estate agents and things like that, saying it was time to put the offer in if we wanted to," she said. Although the mortgage itself worked out cheaper, Ms Dawson said there were other costs. "Land rates here are crazy high because they're to do with the rental value of the property," she said. "With the water, you don't just pay your water bill; you have to pay for the usage and the rights and everything like that. "Home and contents insurance was way more expensive than what we would have ever thought." The situation has forced the local council to intervene. The City of Karratha adopted a policy providing accommodation to low and middle-income earners at its June council meeting, as well as investing in a project that will see 37 new residences. Cr Scott said the project was funded out of necessity. "The council made a decision to invest $26 million plus GST, which we funded from our infrastructure reserves to make that project in Baynton West … a reality," he said. "The city doesn't really want to own all these properties, but we recognise there's a market failure and we're playing our role to get more accommodation in the city." Mr Naulls said these new construction projects would likely see property prices increase. "It's been very stable, very gradual, but as soon as this construction takes off, you'll see investors, companies coming to town," he said. "That's where prices then get pushed up, and it makes it more difficult for people to buy or afford to buy."
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Family-friendly: Bolton Wanderers cut tickets prices for junior supporters
Wanderers have cut prices for children's tickets this season to help more families attend games (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd) WANDERERS are paving the way for a new generation of supporters by reducing matchday prices at the Toughsheet this season. The club has announced a new pricing structure which will see ALL Under-12s tickets dropped from £12 to £5 for each of the 23 home matches. Advertisement The family-friendly move is designed to allow more parents to bring their children to games, and especially those who are unable to commit to a season ticket. Furthermore, Wanderers have confirmed there will be a Category D band of fixtures this season, in which adult tickets will be £20. Tickets for Over-65s and Under-23s in this category will be £15, with all Under-18s able to attend for a fiver. Wanderers have already shifted more than 16,000 season tickets, and the club maintain their value has been protected despite the game-by-game reductions. This rise is also set against Sky Sports' improved deal to screen EFL football, which will see Bolton live at least 20 times this season, with more than 1,000 of the 1,891 games in all competitions broadcast in some manner. Advertisement Wanderers have confirmed that the cost of matchday tickets for Category A matches will remain the same this season, but they have also lowered concession prices for Category B and C, which last year made up the majority of the schedule. Head of ticketing Daniel Scott explained: 'We have listened to what supporters have been saying, especially about the number of games being moved for television. 'Our main aim is to give great value and make coming to the match as affordable as we can. The new Category D price of £20 for adults and dropping the price for all Under-12s tickets to a fiver, shows we mean it. 'We want to give families, and anyone who can't get a season ticket, a great chance to come to a game and get behind the team with the 16,000 who have already signed up.' Advertisement Wanderers did increase season ticket prices slightly when they went on sale in February but maintained at the time that they boasted 'one of the most competitively priced season tickets across English football.' The uptake has been an impressive one, particularly given last season's disappointment, but supporters seem keen to see what Steven Schumacher can do with his squad after a full summer to prepare. The head coach also made a passionate call to the fans: 'Seeing the fixtures released makes our objective for the season feel real. 'We are strengthening the squad, working hard and now we need our fans to turn the Toughsheet Community Stadium into a fortress. Advertisement 'The support we have from over 16,000 season ticket holders is phenomenal and this pricing will help us pack the stadium for every game, creating the kind of buzzing atmosphere that gives the players a genuine advantage. 'I want this to be a place opponents fear to visit and we need every single one of you to play your part!' Upgrading a matchday ticket to hospitality in the Lion of Vienna Suite will also cost from £42 plus VAT, the club has also confirmed.
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
GP shortages continue to disadvantage people in remote WA despite government efforts
A new report has revealed WA's North West faces the greatest challenge with doctor shortages of anywhere in the state, while local governments in other remote areas are campaigning for the federal government to cover the costs to retain GP services. For the third consecutive year, the Pilbara had the highest proportional movement of GPs out of the region, losing 23.4 per cent of its workforce, according to Rural Health West's report. Further north in the Kimberley region, there has been an 8.1 per cent drop in GPs, and had the lowest number of doctors move into the area. Aboriginal Health Service GP Fiona Cleary in Roebourne, 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, said they had to close a pop-up medical clinic in nearby Karratha for several weeks due to a lack of staff. "Not having access to GPs then puts a second pressure onto the hospital, so then they get all the patients coming in with GP stuff, not emergency stuff," Dr Cleary said. She said access to childcare and the cost of living in the Pilbara contributed to the high turnover rate. The median cost of a rental in Karratha is $1,183 a week, according to a May CoreLogic report. While Dr Cleary's rent is partially subsidised through her organisation, she said it would "definitely deter" her from staying in the region if she had to pay the full price in Karratha. City of Karratha Mayor Daniel Scott said affordable housing continued to be the biggest barrier to attracting health professionals, with nearby towns like Wickham "desperate" for GPs. He said the shire was creating a new housing policy for GPs and allied health services, after a fund supporting GPs recently expired. Dr Cleary's colleague, Aaron Donald, said the high turnover disadvantaged the community's wellbeing. "It can break down care because you don't have the flow of knowing the history, knowing what's been tried before," Dr Donald said. "If you're only here for a year or two, that's a fairly limited amount of time to try to build a relationship where patients trust you". The Kimberley's regional hub of Broome has seen a clinic close, with no prospect of it reopening. The Broome Doctors Practice was vacated last week after closing its doors suddenly in February, leaving patients in the lurch. At the time, Spectrum Health chief executive Philip Coelho was optimistic the clinic would reopen later this year in a newly built surgery. But Mr Coelho confirmed the practice will not be relaunched, citing difficulties in getting doctors to regional areas. "We have removed everything and handed the practice back to the landlord," he said. "The simple reason is because we don't have doctors, or a supervisor, who will go up there." In Western Australia's south, the proportion of GPs leaving the region was lower than in the Pilbara at 13.5 per cent. Six local governments have an alliance to draw attention to the amount they are having to pay to attract GPs to the remote areas and want the federal government to cover the costs. The local governments of Gnowangerup, Jerramungup, Kojonup, Narembeen, Lake Grace, and Ravensthorpe collectively contribute about $1.5 million annually towards GP services. That is not including housing, vehicles, and buildings for the surgeries. The Shire of Narembeen has fewer than 1,000 people, and in the 2023–24 financial year spent $305,000 or 16 per cent of the income from its rates to recruit GPs. Over the same period, the Shire of Lake Grace, with a population of about 1,200 people, paid $250,000 amounting to 7.3 per cent of the rates income. Shire president Len Armstrong said the money should be coming from the federal government. "It takes money away from our core business of providing infrastructure and community structures for our communities," he said. Rural Doctors Association of Western Australia president Clark Wasiun said financial incentives were not the only factor in recruiting GPs. "It's not about throwing money at the doctors," Dr Wasiun said. "If there's better infrastructure in some of these towns, and the most obvious one that comes to mind is childcare services, that will not just encourage them but enable them to go to those more remote towns." Livingston Medical provides GPs to local governments in the alliance. Michael Livingston said they had a "rural generalist hub" model which included working with doctors who were training and ensuring those taking up the roles had proper support. "We reckon we save the state about $14-20 million a year in preventable retrievals, that is when people don't have to be flown out because there's a doctor there who can see to the patient," Dr Livingston said. Mr Armstrong said going through Livingston Medical had reduced the pressure on the Shire of Lake Grace to source its own doctors. "We've only been working under this model for going on two years, we're fairly comfortable with it, we're just not comfortable that we've got to pay a cash component," he said. "We've most probably tried half a dozen different models and methods of getting doctors into our area, even at one stage here in Lake Grace we were flying in and flying out doctors from Albany." The proposal from the six local governments for federal funding was listed for discussion at the recent Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the government was considering the findings of the Working Better for Medicare Review, which examined existing policies to attract and distribute the health workforce, including for regional, rural and remote areas. The Rural Clinical School of WA began in 2002 and works with medical students who are in their penultimate and last year of studies. The students undertake training at one of 15 regional sites across the state, and project officer Juliet Bateman said the program was oversubscribed by about 50 per cent. Ms Bateman said the program was limited to the availability of places that met the necessary criteria, including being able to offer appropriate supervision. Dr Wasiun said spending time in a regional area while training could be a game changer. "If there's that exposure to rural places for junior doctors, then you've got a much better chance of that doctor staying in that rural area or moving on to another rural area rather than going back to the city," he said.
