Latest news with #Hornsby
ABC News
21-05-2025
- ABC News
Sydney commuters frustrated by delays on train network after outage chaos
Frustrated Sydney commuters have shared tales of chaotic crowds, a lack of communication and bafflingly quiet services on Wednesday morning. Sydney's rail network has been in chaos after a train became entangled with live wires during Tuesday's peak-hour rush. The network is not expected to get back to normal until Thursday morning's peak with major disruptions expected throughout Wednesday. Ben Ivey from Hornsby was kicking himself when he remembered he had left his laptop at his Parramatta office, leaving him unable to work from home and having to brave the commute. "It was awful," he said. Mr Ivey usually takes the train from Hornsby to Strathfield where he changes for Parramatta, but when he reached the interchange, he could go no further. "There was nothing at all. The trains were coming, but they weren't heading in the right direction, they were all going to the city," he told ABC News. "I must have been there for half an hour. And then they said no trains were going and if you're heading west, you need to take the bus. "Then the 526 bus was full, so we had to wait for another. It was chaotic and incredibly frustrating." Sydney Trains are working to get six tracks on the network operating as normal. Mr Ivey said his normal commute was an hour, but today it was almost two. But he said the mood among his fellow travellers "wasn't too bad". "No-one was yelling and screaming and carrying on, it was OK." And there is one benefit of the experience, he added: a very peaceful office and hopefully, the chance to leave work early. Alex Bennett said he was staggered by the lack of information from Sydney Trains this morning, which he believes made things even harder for Sydneysiders trying to plan their route and businesses relying on staff. After reading on his third-party travel app that 80 per cent of trains were cancelled, he arrived at Waitara Station to learn that no trains were scheduled at all. "There was also a message saying, 'The next train doesn't stop at this platform' and a recorded announcement saying the same thing," he told ABC News. But the communication turned out to be wrong, he said. "I was only there for two or three minutes when a train stopped. So I got on and the train went straight through to the city. So my trip was actually really efficient because of phantom trains." He was surprised to see the train empty, the North Shore Line platforms he passed through ghost-like, and the city unusually quiet. "Everyone was expecting pandemonium so people thought they couldn't work and didn't even go to the station. These poor communications have real impacts on businesses." Sydney Trains has been contacted for comment, while NSW Premier Chris Minns said he understood people's frustration. "I think the commuting public would have been understanding of [the technical faults] if there hadn't been a persistent lack of reliability on the public transport network over a long period of time," he said. Alex said it was great that Sydney also had the Metro, which runs on a separate network, as a back-up, but it was simply unable to cope with the overflow. "People coming into the city by Metro today said it was like sardines; they were absolutely jammed." On his commute home last night, shortly after the incident at Strathfield, he was unable to even enter Gadigal Metro station on Park Street. "They were waiting for people to come out before they'd let anyone back into the station." One female government employee from Gosford, who did not want to be named, gave up on her hour-and-a-half commute to Parramatta altogether this morning. "I was listening to ABC Radio, which was saying most trains weren't operating from Strathfield. So I ended up turning around from Gosford and going home. "I decided it was going to take too long." She said Gosford Station was quieter than normal this morning, suggesting others had felt the same. "It looked like people had decided not to tempt fate." She had recently returned to communing after eight years and believes the Sydney train network has deteriorated in that time. "When there are issues, it can take hours to actually get anywhere. For a world city, our network can be quite unreliable, particularly when you're travelling long distances." A female teacher, also travelling from the Central Coast, said she had no choice but to brave the network in order to get to her job at Cheltenham High School on Sydney's Upper North Shore. She said trains were "sporadic". "The express from Woy Woy to the City had only four carriages for most trains instead of eight. Trains were only sporadic on the Newcastle line, with many cancelled. "There were no T9 services from Hornsby to Epping so I had to go to Epping and wait half an hour for a bus back to Cheltenham High School." The lack of information made things harder, she added. "Apps did not indicate what was happening and indicator boards were not updated." She said her journey today came after it took her four hours to get home last night, but she admits her ordeal could have been worse. "I have colleagues who've spent $100 on taxis."
News.com.au
17-05-2025
- News.com.au
Major development after 840kg metal spill which caused traffic chaos
The driver of a truck which spilled hundreds of kilos of metal fragments onto the Pacific Motorway on the Central Coast, damaging hundreds of vehicles, will face court later this year after being charged by police. Traffic was brought to a standstill on the Pacific Motorway on May 2 after a truck spilled 840kg of metal pieces across a 30km stretch from Ourimbah to Mount White at about 5am. It was estimated that 300 cars had their tyres punctured as they ran over the tiny pieces of metal, closing the southbound lanes of the highway. It took 10 hours to re-open the highway - prompting some people to abandon their cars - as a massive clean up effort got underway to remove pieces of finely ground steel from the road. There were no reports of injuries and at the time police said it was lucky the incident did not result in a serious accident. At the time, police spoke with the driver of a heavy vehicle tipper which was towing a trailer. On Saturday, the 46-year-old driver was given a court attendance notice after being charged with driving a heavy vehicle not complying with loading requirements. The man is due to appear in Hornsby Local Court on July 10. In a statement earlier this month, trucking company NJ Ashton apologised for the incident. 'We'd like to thank all motorists, and anyone else impacted in some way, for their patience today. The driver is devastated and profoundly apologetic — as are we,' the company said in a statement.
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A fluff ball with a monster face: what explains the luxury appeal of Labubu dolls?
Labubu dolls first hit the market in 2019, but in 2025, they're sustaining a viral moment. We should ask ourselves why. reports that recent 'drops' of the toy in Australia have seen queues form for blocks around its distributor, Pop Mart, with 3am-risers racing to meet the arrival of restocked merchandise. A Pop Mart spokesperson insists such a mania in pursuit of the highly-collectible plushies and miniatures has gripped Australia 'like never before'. If this isn't aggressive sales hyperbole, it's an admission of touching innocence from someone too young to know about the Cabbage Patch Kid riots of 1983, the Tamagotchi State Repression of 1996 or the brawl economics of the Beanie Baby bubble in the late 1990s. Child, sit by me, and let me tell you the tale of when I, as a nine-year-old, somehow blackmailed my mother into chaperoning me to the Northgate shopping centre, Hornsby, before dawn, so we could be first in line to acquire a soft-bodied, vinyl-faced Cabbage Patch Kid with a unique birth certificate. 'Fifty bucks for that thing,' my incredulous mother said, forever thereafter, whenever my prized adoptee entered her field of vision. 'Fifty bucks!' Ah, but what price for childhood joy? Well, you can snaffle Labubu keychain figures for a lobster or two, but joy's price tag comes in at A$300 for some popular models of Labubu on eBay, and goes up to a truly eye-popping $1,580 for some items on the Pop Mart website. The queues and the cost aren't the only reason for media interest in the fad. The explosion of Labubu popularity can be traced to the appearance of the toy, not with aspirational child models in a heavily-capitalised, after-school-television marketing campaign, but in the possession of adults. Lisa from K-pop band BlackPink was photographed with one of the miniatures dripping from a luxury handbag last year. The Barbadian icon Rihanna followed suit. Then everyone was in on it. What's the aesthetic appeal? Uh, subjective! The dolls are the creation of Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised artist Kasing Lung, who was inspired by Nordic mythology when he created his 'Monsters' characters for a series of picture books in 2015, of which Labubu is but one. The style that emerged (and has since been rendered by brand partnerships into fluffy polyester and vinyl) most resembles what would happen if a Cabbage Patch Kid had a love child with a Tim Burton Nightmare Before Christmas claymation and then grew up to be a bunny furry. Cute fluffy ears are quite the contrast with sharp-looking teeth; some wear farmers' overalls, others what appear to be trans-pride helmets. You can dress them yourself – people do, look up the hashtag on Bluesky – or accessories are available for purchase. Pop Mart will generously sell you tiny plastic shoes for $22. The hybrid visual identity of the object provides a neat metaphor for the hybrid marketing assault that has stoked its popularity. It's not just that the doll speaks to a contemporary K-pop/anime aesthetic that has achieved near-global familiarity. Pop Mart has also replicated the restricted-supply concept of distribution that drove the Beanie Babies craze, releasing waves of variations, some in very limited numbers, and then cutting them off – creating hype around new releases, as well as the use of collectibles markets like eBay as an ongoing, unpaid-for marketing front. Add to this, Labubu are predominantly sold in 'blind boxes', like the LOL Surprise Dolls of 2017; at purchase, you don't know which precise model of Labubu you'll acquire. There's a lottery element of possibly acquiring a rare doll with a higher potential resale value than others. No wonder the Pop Mart spokesperson was able to claim to 'This isn't just about 'toys' but a collectible, pop-culture movement.' That this 'movement' is targeted not to children but to adults is the other conspicuous difference here. The queues, the celebrity vaunting and the online fandoms exist in a conspicuously grown-up consumer conversation. Men's fashion mag GQ has already run an article about the doll as a popular accessory in the growing market of men's luxury handbags. The American design academic Gozde Goncu Berk observes that trends exerting this level of heft do not exist in a vacuum; they are embedded in a cultural context. Fads catch on because they encapsulate a convergence of social anxieties, technological shifts, and shared desires that we may struggle to articulate but attach to with instant familiarity. In this framework, the doll becomes a totem for collective introspection. Like blockbuster comic book adaptations, Ghostbusters reboots, adult colouring books, video games, Lego masters and the increasing popularity of dollhousing, maybe Labubu offer a retreat into an illusion of childhood simplicity, to escape the complexities that presently overwhelm our adult world. We might consider that in a consumer society where possession defines us but has already stuffed 300,000 objects into the typical home, a doll on a handbag represents the desperate seizure of a diminishing real estate opportunity. In a moment of global markets and – now, thanks to AI – mass production of everything, maybe the fantasy of limited availability substitutes for creativity or specialness. Maybe a fluff ball with a monster face is the comfort object that today's bleakness recognises. But if we're getting up at 3am to queue for them, friends, one thing is certain. We are the Labubu. And the Labubu is us. Van Badham is a Guardian Australia columnist
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Americans find affordable homes in heartland city with $200K discount
By Published: | Updated: Affordable home prices and rising demand in the area are turning one surprising small city into a hotbed for real estate competition. Toledo, OH, once attracted the attention of local homebuyers who could afford it, but has now caught the eye of out-of-state investors with deep pockets, who have set14643897 off a real estate tug-of-war. While the median home price jumped 18 percent in March to $235,000, that's still is still about $200,000 cheaper than the US median, says 'We do get a lot of calls from out of state investors who are paying cash,' local realtor Megan Hornsby (pictured) tells The news comes amid crashing prices elsewhere in the US, including spots in Florida and four metros in Texas. She adds that the rate at which out-of-state investors are snapping up properties has gotten so out of control that Toledo has enacted new rental property ordinances to try to curb people coming in from out of town. 'They they did a paint ordinance where there can't be any peeling paint on rental properties. Some people are saying it's unconstitutional because it goes after landlords and doesn't go after owner occupied homes.' Most of the investors buying the homes then rent them out to locals, but fail to keep up with managing the property from afar, letting lawns grow to long and small fixes to remain broken. 'It's very hard to find a good management company around here,' says Hornsby. 'They have an app now where you can report properties that are falling into disrepair.' The affordable prices and high demand has pushed Toledo to the top of the Wall Street Journal/ Housing Market Ranking. It evaluates cities based on home price growth, economic momentum, lifestyle amenities, and resilience to climate change. In March, Toledo's median home listing price rose 18 percent year-over-year to $235,000, in large part by investors who have discovered the city. Data firm Cotality reports that investor purchases of single-family homes in the city doubled over the last seven years, from 15 percent in 2018 to 30 percent in early 2025. 'Most of the calls that I get from out-of-state people are because they wanna buy a property cheap and then use it as a rental,' Hornsby says. 'The city of Toledo I think has almost 50 percent rental properties at this point.' Most of the out-of-state investors are coming from large cities like New York and San Francisco. Others are coming from and even countries like Canada and Italy, who see Toledo as a hidden opportunity. Because of the investor interest, traditional and local buyers are being frozen out of the market. Real estate agents say cash buyers are quick to waive appraisals and inspections in order to secure deals faster and beat out first-time buyers or buyers who need to secure a mortgage. Rents in the area are also rising. A two-bedroom in Toledo is normally $1,000 a month, but because of high demand and property tax increases that has shot up to about $1,500. As for Toledo, there has also been a lot of interest in the city after it was awarded a few grants to revitalize downtown. 'We have a couple of outdoor shopping dining restaurant areas. 'Downtown Toledo has seen a major resurgence with lots of money invested and they're trying to get additional housing down there to support everything available. We're on the river so there's a concert series. There's a lot more events and things to do in my opinion then there used to be even just a couple years ago.' Elsewhere in Ohio, housing prices are skyrocketing where they were once affordable. In Cleveland, Ohio, home sale prices rose 15 percent in 2024 - the most of any of the 50 biggest US cities. 'Places that have long been known as affordable places to live, like Cleveland are now seeing double-digit price increases - and that's after home prices skyrocketed during the pandemic,' said Redfin senior economist Elijah de la Campa. Bonnie Phillips, a Redfin Premier real estate agent in Cleveland, explained some of the reasons why prices are on the up in the city. 'A lot of sellers have a very specific number in mind because they saw their neighbor sell for $40,000 over the asking price during the pandemic' she said. They're willing to walk away if they don't get that number, which is one factor keeping prices high.' She continued: 'Cleveland may still have a reputation as an affordable-housing haven among out-of-staters, but not so much among locals.' Overall, house prices are crashing nationally as fears of a recession tied to Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs have put homebuying on pause for many Americans.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Americans flock to heartland city where they can get a $200K discount on a home... but Wall St is closing in
Affordable home prices and rising demand in the area are turning one surprising small city into a hotbed for real estate competition. Toledo, OH, once attracted the attention of local homebuyers who could afford it, but has now caught the eye of out-of-state investors with deep pockets, who have set14643897 off a real estate tug-of-war. While the median home price jumped 18 percent in March to $235,000, that's still is still about $200,000 cheaper than the US median, says 'We do get a lot of calls from out of state investors who are paying cash,' local realtor Megan Hornsby tells The news comes amid crashing prices elsewhere in the US, including spots in Florida and four metros in Texas. She adds that the rate at which out-of-state investors are snapping up properties has gotten so out of control that Toledo has enacted new rental property ordinances to try to curb people coming in from out of town. 'They they did a paint ordinance where there can't be any peeling paint on rental properties. Some people are saying it's unconstitutional because it goes after landlords and doesn't go after owner occupied homes.' Most of the investors buying the homes then rent them out to locals, but fail to keep up with managing the property from afar, letting lawns grow to long and small fixes to remain broken. 'It's very hard to find a good management company around here,' says Hornsby. 'They have an app now where you can report properties that are falling into disrepair.' The affordable prices and high demand has pushed Toledo to the top of the Wall Street Journal/ Housing Market Ranking. It evaluates cities based on home price growth, economic momentum, lifestyle amenities, and resilience to climate change. In March, Toledo's median home listing price rose 18 percent year-over-year to $235,000, in large part by investors who have discovered the city. Data firm Cotality reports that investor purchases of single-family homes in the city doubled over the last seven years, from 15 percent in 2018 to 30 percent in early 2025. 'Most of the calls that I get from out-of-state people are because they wanna buy a property cheap and then use it as a rental,' Hornsby says. 'The city of Toledo I think has almost 50 percent rental properties at this point.' Most of the out-of-state investors are coming from large cities like New York and San Francisco. Others are coming from and even countries like Canada and Italy, who see Toledo as a hidden opportunity. Outdoor space is also a big draw for people moving to Toledo, which sits on a river. Only the top 5% of Toledo homes are priced above $336,000, but that still means you can find spacious houses on large lots for affordable prices Because of the investor interest, traditional and local buyers are being frozen out of the market. Real estate agents say cash buyers are quick to waive appraisals and inspections in order to secure deals faster and beat out first-time buyers or buyers who need to secure a mortgage. Rents in the area are also rising. A two-bedroom in Toledo is normally $1,000 a month, but because of high demand and property tax increases that has shot up to about $1,500. As for Toledo, there has also been a lot of interest in the city after it was awarded a few grants to revitalize downtown. 'We have a couple of outdoor shopping dining restaurant areas. 'Downtown Toledo has seen a major resurgence with lots of money invested and they're trying to get additional housing down there to support everything available. 'We're on the river so there's a concert series. There's a lot more events and things to do in my opinion then there used to be even just a couple years ago.' Pictured: A 4 bed, 2.5 bath house that's 2,032 square feet priced at $325,000 in Toledo, Ohio Elsewhere in Ohio, housing prices are skyrocketing where they were once affordable. In Cleveland, Ohio, home sale prices rose 15 percent in 2024 - the most of any of the 50 biggest US cities. 'Places that have long been known as affordable places to live, like Cleveland are now seeing double-digit price increases - and that's after home prices skyrocketed during the pandemic,' said Redfin senior economist Elijah de la Campa. Bonnie Phillips, a Redfin Premier real estate agent in Cleveland, explained some of the reasons why prices are on the up in the city. 'A lot of sellers have a very specific number in mind because they saw their neighbor sell for $40,000 over the asking price during the pandemic' she said. They're willing to walk away if they don't get that number, which is one factor keeping prices high.' She continued: 'Cleveland may still have a reputation as an affordable-housing haven among out-of-staters, but not so much among locals.'
