Latest news with #MountDruitt
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Calls for more community programs combating rising type 2 diabetes in Western Sydney
Kelly Anderson's life fell apart when she suddenly lost her daughter in 2017. She stopped leaving the house, started eating unhealthy food and rapidly gained weight. "I was in a really dark place," she said. The Dhungatti and Gumbaynggirr woman sought advice from a doctor after finding a lump in her breast, which was ultimately deemed benign, but the GP delivered a searing reality check. She was diagnosed with high cholesterol and blood pressure, bursitis, chronic pain and type 2 pre-diabetes. "I was 151 kilos, I was morbidly obese … I was really lucking out," Ms Anderson said. A counsellor from Indigenous health service Marrin Weejali in Mount Druitt recommended she reach out to exercise physiologist Ray Kelly, who runs community lifestyle program Too Deadly for Diabetes. At that point, Ms Anderson could barely walk around her local park without losing her breath. "It took me maybe 30 to 45 minutes to walk around the park, I had to stop every 10 to 20 metres," she recalled. Mr Kelly remembers meeting Ms Anderson for the first time. Mr Kelly runs the 10-week lifestyle program that promotes nutrition, exercise and practical steps to lowering blood glucose levels. The program targets Indigenous people with diabetes in NSW, recently other remote regions, and is typically facilitated through a local medical centre. "When people first come to us there's a bit of fatalism around their diabetes or their health in general," Mr Kelly said. Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent chronic disease in Australia and one of the largest health challenges facing Western Sydney. One in 10 adults have been diagnosed with the disease in the western suburbs, costing the state about $1.8 billion a year according to NSW Health. Factors like lifestyle, diet and cultural and family markers play a role, as well as limited access to affordable and healthy food. But advocates believe a lack of community exercise programs is also contributing to the issue. "We know that the rates of diabetes in Blacktown is twice as high as it is in Mosman," Western Sydney Diabetes director Glen Maberly said. "It's related to the fact that people are unable to get out there and do as much physical activity, there's more car driving … there is a higher concentration of fast food outlets." A federal parliamentary inquiry into diabetes last year made 23 recommendations, including expanding efforts to increase exercise in neighbourhoods. None of the recommendations are yet to be implemented and no additional funding was allocated towards research or prevention in this year's federal budget. "Whilst measures to reduce the cost of medicines and increase bulk-billing were welcome, there is simply not enough being done to curb the alarming growth in numbers of people living with diabetes," CEO of Diabetes Australia Justine Cain said in a statement. Ms Anderson believes the exercise and diet plan, combined with the emotional support Mr Kelly's program provided, ultimately saved her life. She found a love in exercise, particularly boxing, and her GP said she no longer has type 2 pre-diabetes. "I followed the meal plan, and in that first week I was like, should I just stay morbidly obese," she joked. "Losing my daughter was my biggest motivation of turning my life around and improving my health. "She doesn't get to live out the rest of her life, but I have an opportunity to do that."
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Sale of a dilapidated shack without power or water for $1.18 million is ‘the new norm' in Sydney
It doesn't have power or water connected, the yard resembles a rubbish-filled jungle, and vandals have covered most walls with graffiti, yet this dilapidated house in a notorious Sydney suburb fetched a staggering price at auction at the weekend. Eleven registered bidders battled it out to secure 80 Mount Druitt Road in Mount Druitt, with the victor forking out $1.18 million for the eyesore. Selling agent Greg Okladnikov from Starr Partners shared a clip of the final moments of the jaw-dropping auction to TikTok, sparking a flood of shocked commentary. 'So, you have to be a millionaire to live in Mount Druitt now?' one man wrote, summing up sentiment. 'That's insane.' A decade after SBS sparked controversy with its fly-on-the-wall documentary Struggle Street, chronicling the lives of underprivileged residents of the crime-riddled suburb, it seems fortunes have shifted. And they have too across a whole host of Sydney pockets where the thought of million-dollar real estate was once unthinkable. 'For housing, $1 million is increasingly standard,' Eliza Owen, head of research at Cotality, said. 'More than a third of homes nationally are now valued at $1 million or higher, with that amount of money buying less in the market than ever before.' Sydney has the highest portion of homes valued at more than $1 million, with almost two-thirds of all properties above that threshold. MORE: Named: Aus' shock new $3m suburbs exposed 'Even for those with a budget of $1 million, the kind of property available in Sydney is generally smaller and further afield than a decade ago,' Ms Owen said. 'Only houses with five or more bedrooms had a median value more than $1 million in Greater Sydney a decade ago. 'Now the median house value for all bedroom types is more than $1 million, ranging from a median of $1.3 million for a three-bedroom house to $2 million for a house with five or more bedrooms.' In Mount Druitt, the median house is currently sitting at $960,000, but just a decade ago, it was roughly half that. Mr Okladnikov has worked across Western Sydney for 28 years and watched the region evolve dramatically over the years. 'It used to get a rap, and it still sometimes does, but it turns out a lot of people want to live here, otherwise nothing would sell. It's changed so much. 'That's true of anywhere, though. I remember when I was at uni, no-one wanted to go to Surry Hills or Redfern, let alone buy there. The same for Chippendale, and even Paddington, which was very rough and working class. 'Mount Druitt is seeing a lot of renewal. There are a number of duplexes and new homes being built. There's a lot of development activity.' This particular property was hot from the moment it hit the market, Mr Okladnikov explained, with half of those bidding having inquired within the first few days. 'Sometimes you get properties that become a local curiosity or a bit of a landmark, and that was the case here,' he said. 'A few of the top bidders said they had driven or walked past it over the years and wanted to snap it up if it ever went for sale. The people who really wanted it had been thinking about it for years.' The house had also served locals as a convenience store in the distant past but has sat empty for at least the past 15 years. And it shows. While it's not much to look at, the property has plenty of potential given it sits on a level 758 square metre block with a generous 18.2-metre frontage. 'We had people looking at it from all sorts of residential development angles – dual occupancy, maybe small townhouse development.' One model that was being considered by a buyer was a duplex, each with a granny flat in the backyard, effectively turning one dwelling into four. Mr Okladnikov, who sold the home with colleague Mark Vella from Starr Partners Blacktown, showed through plenty of buyers with builders in tow. 'People were bidding with what I call considered interest. They'd done their numbers. They'd gone through the process over that month prior. And they had done their homework and felt that what they were bidding was the price they were happy to pay.' On the negative comments on TikTok, Mr Okladnikov said he's used to criticism about the high prices some properties fetch. But on this occasion, he was surprised by the high volume of remarks about this being a sign Mount Druitt locals are being locked out of the market. 'Occasionally I respond to some of those comments and ask: 'What do you mean by a local?' And most people don't actually know how to answer. 'Yes, some people couldn't afford that property, that's fair, but there were 11 people registered in a transparent auction and when it crept above $1.1 million, there were still four people bidding. 'Yes, in terms of affordability, it's not easy. I'm not saying it's easy, but every property that comes on the market here generally sells. So, again, people make comments like, 'who can afford to buy anything?' but people are buying.' Ms Owen said the sharp rise in homes valued at more than $1 million – it was 9.7 per cent in 2015 while now it's 34.4 per cent – is a reflection of Australia's growing wealth and prosperity. 'After all, housing markets wouldn't have a million-dollar price tag if at least some Australians couldn't come up with that level of finance,' she said. 'As values continue to rise, the chance that homeowners hit millionaire status increases, opening up new opportunities for further investment, or accessing that wealth through the sale of a property.' It's not just Sydney with a high proportion of million-dollar-plus properties. In Brisbane, 40 per cent of homes are valued at $1 million or more, while that figure was a tint 2.8 per cent in 2015. In Melbourne, 30 per cent of properties are in the million-plus club, compared to 12.4 per cent a decade ago. Meanwhile, in Adelaide, 27.8 per cent of homes are worth more than seven figures, while in Perth, it's one quarter. @gregstarrpartners 80 Mount Druitt Rd Mount Druitt - auction Saturday May 10th at 4.30pm on site * 758sqm block - 18.2m frontage * House needs full renovation * Or knock down rebuild * Property being sold "as is" * Note - no power or water connected * Clear block - no sewer or easements * Plenty of potential and possibility For details, call or message Greg on 0414378336 or Lachlan on 0476009928 #mountdruitt #mtdruitt #developmentsite #knockdownrebuild #positionandpotential #auction #auctions ♬ Construction Works - TimTaj There are considerable downsides to of such an 'extraordinary' price point, Ms Owen said. 'The rate of home ownership has gradually declined over time, particularly among younger, low-income households where income cannot keep pace with growth. 'The average age of first home buyers has increased, and increasingly, wealthy households are stuck renting for longer, which increases competition for low income, renting households.' Housing debt has also blown out as homeowners battle to keep pace with rising values. Mortgage balances relative to income was 135 per cent at the end of last year, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia. That's up from 122 per cent a decade before. 'With values expected to continue rising on the back of rate falls in 2025, the wealth divide between homeowners and non-homeowners is also likely to expand,' Ms Owen said. Governments are investing billions to stimulate housing supply in order to ease pressure on home prices, but progress has been slow. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council released its State of the Housing System report this week, showing building activity projections remain flat. Australia is forecast to build 983,000 new homes between now and 2029, which is some 262,000 dwellings short of Anthony Albanese's goal to build 1.2 million new properties by then. 'The sad fact is that many Australians feel that homeownership is out of reach,' Property Council chief executive Mike Zorbas said. 'We have seen the federal and state governments co-ordinate their efforts on boosting supply, but more must be done.'
Daily Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Mount Druitt shop trashed by vandals to get hot auction
It has boarded up windows, mountains of junk and plants have taken over the roof – but an abandoned convenience store is expected to be hot property at auction. The property in Mount Druitt, which has been vacant since the early 2000s, will go under the hammer this weekend with expectations of selling at a price over $800,000. Selling agent Greg Okladnikov of Starr Partners said numerous buyers had indicated their willingness to bid on the Mount Druitt Rd property. It's currently fenced off to keep people off site and possibly to ward off vandals, who appear to have been a problem at the site in the past: much of the former shop is covered in graffiti. A video walkthrough of the property revealed piles of junk in the backyard, metre-high grass and an untamed vine growing across what used to be a small house connected to the back of the shop. Mr Okladnikov said the property was being sold 'as is, with everything you see … nothing has been cleared out'. He told The Daily Telegraph the current structure was 'not salvageable' and most of the buyer interest was from those who wanted to redevelop the site. 'The condition has been horrible,' he said. 'Someone has stolen the copper pipes, so there is no water. No one is looking at it from a renovation point of view.' A TikTok video of the property has drawn mixed reactions, with some talking fondly of their memories of the site when it was still an actively running shop, while others were perplexed by the condition. One commentator said they remembered playing the arcade game Street Fighter outside the shop and 'buying lollies'. Mr Okladnikov said an old sign inside the shop gives an indication of just how long it's been since the property was used as a shop. 'It says 50 cents cokes and $1 pies,' he said. Other online commentators were baffled with the offering. 'Who the hell wants to live in that ****hole area and secondly no one's gunna (Sic) pay that much then a ****load more to reno or knock it down and get another house built.' 'I'll give you $10.00 firm. I ain't going any higher,' said another comment. Others assumed the price would be expensive and came up exaggerated guesses of what they thought the property would be worth. 'Asking price $6m,' said one TikTok user. Mr Okladnikov said he did not know how the property came to be in its current condition and why it was left vacant for so long, but he expected it would be a solid auction result.
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Mount Druitt shop trashed by vandals to get hot auction
It has boarded up windows, mountains of junk and plants have taken over the roof – but an abandoned convenience store is expected to be hot property at auction. The property in Mount Druitt, which has been vacant since the early 2000s, will go under the hammer this weekend with expectations of selling at a price over $800,000. Selling agent Greg Okladnikov of Starr Partners said numerous buyers had indicated their willingness to bid on the Mount Druitt Rd property. It's currently fenced off to keep people off site and possibly to ward off vandals, who appear to have been a problem at the site in the past: much of the former shop is covered in graffiti. A video walkthrough of the property revealed piles of junk in the backyard, metre-high grass and an untamed vine growing across what used to be a small house connected to the back of the shop. Mr Okladnikov said the property was being sold 'as is, with everything you see … nothing has been cleared out'. He told The Daily Telegraph the current structure was 'not salvageable' and most of the buyer interest was from those who wanted to redevelop the site. 'The condition has been horrible,' he said. 'Someone has stolen the copper pipes, so there is no water. No one is looking at it from a renovation point of view.' A TikTok video of the property has drawn mixed reactions, with some talking fondly of their memories of the site when it was still an actively running shop, while others were perplexed by the condition. One commentator said they remembered playing the arcade game Street Fighter outside the shop and 'buying lollies'. Mr Okladnikov said an old sign inside the shop gives an indication of just how long it's been since the property was used as a shop. 'It says 50 cents cokes and $1 pies,' he said. Other online commentators were baffled with the offering. 'Who the hell wants to live in that ****hole area and secondly no one's gunna (Sic) pay that much then a ****load more to reno or knock it down and get another house built.' 'I'll give you $10.00 firm. I ain't going any higher,' said another comment. Others assumed the price would be expensive and came up exaggerated guesses of what they thought the property would be worth. 'Asking price $6m,' said one TikTok user. Mr Okladnikov said he did not know how the property came to be in its current condition and why it was left vacant for so long, but he expected it would be a solid auction result.
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- News.com.au
Horror as Mount Druitt, Sydney home sprayed with bullets as children sleep inside
A quiet suburb has been shocked by a terrifying incident as a home was sprayed with bullets in what police believe was a targeted attack. The Western Sydney home was peppered with bullets in a drive-by shooting just after 1:20am on Friday. It is believed that up to 30 shots were fired, as 11 people slept at the Frank Street home in Mount Druitt. 'We believe there was up to five adults and six children inside,' Mount Druitt police superintendent Darrin Batchelor told The Daily Telegraph. 'So obviously, the potential the seriousness of this incident is quite large.' The house had been targeted before, police said. A crime scene has now been established, and police have commenced investigations into the incident. Police said one person inside the home at the time of the shooting was known to them, but it is still unclear what the motive of the attack was. Shots were allegedly fired from a dark hatchback which fled the scene eastbound on Frank Street, police were told. Police are on the hunt for the vehicle, and multiple officers are canvassing the area for information and CCTV footage. Anyone with information or a dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
