Latest news with #LizBennett
Courier-Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Courier-Mail
How sleepy Aussie suburbs were jolted to life after the Covid-19 pandemic
Liz Bennett and her partner Bruce Budge have lived in Balmoral for 30 years, having watched the suburb transform from a humble pocket into a thriving post-Covid community. 'When we first moved to Balmoral, it was a fairly sleepy little suburb,' Ms Bennett said. 'A lot of the houses hadn't been built up, and there had been no new developments.' Ms Bennett said in the early days, Balmoral was often best known for its cinema, only growing in popularity when the nearby factories were taken down to make space for new developments. But when people emerged from their homes after the Covid-19 pandemic, the couple started to see the community flourish like they'd never seen before. 'I think it's much stronger now than it's ever been,' she said. 'On the weekend, we walked down Oxford St about 10 o'clock in the morning – and it was just absolutely lovely to see the numbers of people out on the street.' Ms Bennett said she'd seen community infrastructure such as local parks being used and tended to more, including regular soccer games with large crowds occurring as she walked through the neighbourhood. New PropTrack research found Balmoral's median sale price has jumped by 85.9 per cent in the last five years alone: going from $925,000 all the way up to $1.72 million since 2020. This follows a trend across Brisbane where around 300 house or unit markets more than doubled over that same time, with some rising up by an incredible 260 per cent. Now, Ms Bennett and Mr Budge have decided to downsize. The two are selling their home at 55 Barton Pde, Balmoral, with Place Bulimba agents Kasey Drake and Carla Haddan. Ms Drake said her team had seen strong competitive interest in Balmoral since the pandemic, especially with recent development projects in the growing suburb. 'Since July 1st, Carla and I have placed over $21 million under contract across the 4171 postcode,' she said. 'What stands out most is the strong sense of community. We often meet buyers who grew up in Balmoral, and are now returning to raise their own families. That kind of loyalty really speaks to its long-term appeal.' Ms Bennett said while she'd seen more young professionals arriving in the neighbourhood, the camaraderie within the community has always been present. 'It still feels very much like a village; everyone knows [everyone],' she said. 'My Apple watch fell off the street at about 5am on Monday morning. I posted on the Facebook page for the street and was reunited with my watch in about half an hour … we look out for each other.'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
How sleepy Aussie suburbs were jolted to life after the Covid-19 pandemic
Liz Bennett and her partner Bruce Budge have lived in Balmoral for 30 years, having watched the suburb transform from a humble pocket into a thriving post-Covid community. 'When we first moved to Balmoral, it was a fairly sleepy little suburb,' Ms Bennett said. 'A lot of the houses hadn't been built up, and there had been no new developments.' Ms Bennett said in the early days, Balmoral was often best known for its cinema, only growing in popularity when the nearby factories were taken down to make space for new developments. But when people emerged from their homes after the Covid-19 pandemic, the couple started to see the community flourish like they'd never seen before. 'I think it's much stronger now than it's ever been,' she said. 'On the weekend, we walked down Oxford St about 10 o'clock in the morning – and it was just absolutely lovely to see the numbers of people out on the street.' Ms Bennett said she'd seen community infrastructure such as local parks being used and tended to more, including regular soccer games with large crowds occurring as she walked through the neighbourhood. New PropTrack research found Balmoral's median sale price has jumped by 85.9 per cent in the last five years alone: going from $925,000 all the way up to $1.72 million since 2020. This follows a trend across Brisbane where around 300 house or unit markets more than doubled over that same time, with some rising up by an incredible 260 per cent. Now, Ms Bennett and Mr Budge have decided to downsize. The two are selling their home at 55 Barton Pde, Balmoral, with Place Bulimba agents Kasey Drake and Carla Haddan. Ms Drake said her team had seen strong competitive interest in Balmoral since the pandemic, especially with recent development projects in the growing suburb. 'Since July 1st, Carla and I have placed over $21 million under contract across the 4171 postcode,' she said. 'What stands out most is the strong sense of community. We often meet buyers who grew up in Balmoral, and are now returning to raise their own families. That kind of loyalty really speaks to its long-term appeal.' Ms Bennett said while she'd seen more young professionals arriving in the neighbourhood, the camaraderie within the community has always been present. 'It still feels very much like a village; everyone knows [everyone],' she said. 'My Apple watch fell off the street at about 5am on Monday morning. I posted on the Facebook page for the street and was reunited with my watch in about half an hour … we look out for each other.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion advanced by Senate Republican majority
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Senate took up a bill on Tuesday that aims to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion offices or hirings in local government in the state. The bill says that a county, or any county board or office is prohibited from having a DEI office, hiring an employee to perform duties of the DEI office, compel any person to provide a DEI statement or give preferential consideration to any person based off of the DEI statement. Iowan sues makers of Jeep Wrangler 4xe due to risk of battery fire or explosion The policy advanced in a vote along party lines, 34 to 15. Senate Republicans argued that DEI policies show preferential treatment to every race besides one; Senate Democrats urged the body that the actual discrimination will come when DEI initiatives are removed from local government control. 'We need to recognize that these are not just buzzwords, they are the foundation of fairness, progress and opportunities in our communities and unfortunately, Republicans are once again taking local control away from our communities in the name of a culture war,' said State Senator Liz Bennett (D), District 39 from Cedar Rapids. 'The DEI movement is not about a sincere desire to make local government more diverse, more fair, more inclusive. Equal rights based on merits, talents and skills is what we should have in our local government,' said State Senator Cherielynn Westrich (R), District 13 from Ottumwa. Senator Westrich was asked to name an example of discrimination through the use of DEI policy in the state, but did not name an example. The bill heads over to the Iowa House where a similar debate on a much larger DEI bill occurred just last week. Iowa News: Work requirements for Medicaid, public assistance programs passes through Iowa Senate Webster City lineman injured by live wire during blizzard recovery; fundraisers created Iowa bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion advanced by Senate Republican majority Iowa law banning school library books that depict sex acts on hold again after a new federal ruling Iowa cosmetologists divided over bill aimed at easing licensing for industry Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
