Latest news with #iSelect
Time Out
14 hours ago
- General
- Time Out
The best place to raise a family in Australia lies just outside our nation's youngest capital city
Having grown up in Australia, I can confirm it's a pretty epic place to be a kid. I was lucky to have countless green spaces to burn off energy, playgrounds to live out my Tarzan dreams and top-notch educational institutions that made learning actually fun. It's no wonder so many Aussie expats move back home to have kids. But which spots offer the best family-friendly lifestyle? To find the answer, we've turned to iSelect's recent study on the best places to start a family in Australia. The health insurance experts analysed government data to compare more than 300 of Australia's largest regions across five key factors, including child development, childcare availability and cost, healthcare and fertility rates. Located just a five-to-ten minute drive from the city centre, South Canberra came out on top as the best place to raise a family in Australia. This leafy locale is surrounded by many of the capital's best nature reserves, from the mountain bike wonderland of Stromlo Forest Park to the wild beauty of Namadgi National Park. But it's not all about greenery – many of the capital's top cultural attractions are just around the corner too, like the Embassy Trail and Royal Australian Mint. Plus, who could forget the Weston Park Railway at Yarralumla Play Station? In terms of actual data, South Canberra ranks second in Australia for both childcare affordability (averaging 20.5 per cent of household income) and childcare availability (with almost three centres per child). The region also scores well on healthcare (6.8 out of ten), and although its child development rate isn't the highest (76.4 per cent), the overall balance puts it in the top spot. Overall, Sydney is home to five of the ten best places in the country to raise kids. The semi-rural suburb of Dural-Wisemans Ferry in Sydney's northwest ranked second, outperforming South Canberra on both healthcare and average child development rates. However, it fell slightly behind in terms of affordability and access to childcare, with higher costs (27.5 per cent of income) and fewer centres (1.74 per child). Leichhardt in Sydney's vibrant Inner West came in third, followed by the seaside city of Bayside in Victoria in fourth, and Ku-ring-gai, another leafy Sydney gem, in fifth. You can check out the full study here or see our round-up below. These are the 10 best places to raise a family in Australia: South Canberra, ACT Dural-Wisemans Ferry, NSW Leichhardt, NSW Bayside, VIC Ku-ring-gai, NSW Kenmore-Brookfield-Moggill, QLD Chatswood-Lane Cove, NSW Cottesloe-Claremont, WA Stonnington-East, VIC Manly, NSW
Time Out
2 days ago
- General
- Time Out
The best places in Australia to raise a family have been ranked, and 50 per cent are right here in Sydney
When I first visited Sydney, aged four, I was blown away by the playgrounds. If you asked four-year-old me, there's nowhere in the world that does playgrounds better. But Sydney has a lot more to offer the younger generation than slides and swings. The Harbour City is home to gorgeous family-friendly beaches, pubs and restaurants that cater specifically for families and world-class swimming pools designed to help teach our younger generation how to swim. And, according to a new study, 50 per cent of the best places in the country to raise a family are right here in Sydney. A recent study by health insurance company iSelect analysed government data to find the best areas in Australia to start a family, comparing five key factors: child development, childcare availability and cost, local healthcare performance and birth rates. According to the study, five out of the ten best places to raise a family are right here in Sydney. The semi-rural suburb of Dural-Wisemans Ferry in Sydney's north west ranked second nationally, offering plenty of childcare spots (1.74 per child), strong healthcare and a high fertility rate, scoring a total index score of 93.42 out of 100. The Inner West suburb of Leichhardt – best known for its excellent array of Italian eateries – ranked as the third best place to raise a family in the whole country. The friendly, buzzy suburb stands out for its early childhood development offerings, with nearly 88 per cent of children on track in terms of cognitive, language and socio-emotional development. Despite higher childcare costs than other places around the country, strong healthcare and fertility rates make Leichhardt a great all-rounder suburb for families. The next Sydney suburb to crack the top ten was Ku-ring-gai, which ranked fifth with a total index score of 91.22. The Chatswood-Lane Cove area in Sydney's north ranked as the seventh best place in the country to raise a family, with a total index score of 88.17. Finally, the beachy burb of Manly ranked as the tenth-best neighbourhood in Australia to raise a family, standing out for its comparatively affordable childcare, with costs making up just 22.4 per cent of income. These are the best places to raise a family in Australia South Canberra, ACT Dural-Wisemans Ferry, NSW Leichhardt, NSW Bayside, VIC Ku-ring-gai, NSW Kenmore - Brookfield - Moggill, QLD Chatswood-Lane Cove, NSW Cottesloe-Claremont, WA Stonnington-East, VIC Manly, NSW
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Most sustainable cities in Australia revealed, with one state coming out on top
Some Aussie cities are steps ahead of others in sustainability, with one state leading the charge. Four of the top 10 most sustainable cities in Australia are located in NSW, with three of the four located in far north NSW, according to data from comparison website iSelect. iSelect analysed seven key factors for Australia's 50 largest cities to uncover which urban areas are leading the charge – and which are falling behind – in the race toward a greener future. Based of the key factors, including carbon emissions, renewable energy usage, clean energy investment, solar panel uptake and tree canopy coverage, Australia's capital is tracking the best. Canberra and Queanbeyan take the crown as Australia's most sustainable city, thanks to having the lowest carbon emissions. A total of 100 per cent of the ACT has its energy coming from renewables compared to only 35 per cent of NSW, the areas combined top the index with a score of 97.94/100. The ACT is one of the only cities in the world which runs exclusively on renewable energy, marking a huge step forward in terms of Australian sustainability. NSW cities Port Macquarie, Ballina and Coffs Harbour also rank in the top 10 cities, each earning an index score above 80 Port Macquarie ranks seventh, with a carbon emissions rate of 8.88 tCO₂e per capita, solar installation density of 51.4 per cent, and 2.61kW of solar capacity per dwelling. Ballina in NSW also follows closely in 9th place, with slightly lower emissions per capita at 8.56 tCO₂e and a higher solar density at 57.6 per cent. Coffs Harbour only just makes the list with similar emissions at 8.64 tCO₂e and just below 50 per cent solar density. Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour lead NSW in tree canopy cover at 66.3 per cent and 65.5 per cent respectively, whereas Ballina trails slightly behind at 43.5 per cent. Queensland's Sunshine Coast unsurprisingly leads the way in solar capacity per home, at an average of 3.16kW of solar capacity per dwelling. South Australia has the best clean energy development potential, with 47.1 clean energy accredited installers and designers per 100,000. SA cities also took second, third, and fourth place in terms of sustainability. Hobart came in fifth, followed by the Sunshine Coast, Port Macquarie, Launceston, Ballina and Coffs Harbour. iSelect utilities general manager Julia Paszka said the statistics showed Australia's progress in developing sustainable cities, but also revealed which states needed more work. 'Our findings highlight some impressive progress regarding sustainability in certain parts of Australia,' Ms Paszka said. 'Capital cities such as Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart performed exceptionally well, driven by low carbon emissions and strong renewable energy generation. 'However, not all regions are keeping pace. Darwin was named the least sustainable city in our index, primarily due to low state-level investment in renewables and limited clean energy generation.'
Perth Now
28-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Most sustainable Aussie cities revealed
Some Aussie cities are steps ahead of others in sustainability, with one state leading the charge. Four of the top 10 most sustainable cities in Australia are located in NSW, with three of the four located in far north NSW, according to data from comparison website iSelect. iSelect analysed seven key factors for Australia's 50 largest cities to uncover which urban areas are leading the charge – and which are falling behind – in the race toward a greener future. Based of the key factors, including carbon emissions, renewable energy usage, clean energy investment, solar panel uptake and tree canopy coverage, Australia's capital is tracking the best. Canberra and Queanbeyan take the crown as Australia's most sustainable city, thanks to having the lowest carbon emissions. Canberra took the number one spot for sustainability. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: NewsWire A total of 100 per cent of the ACT has its energy coming from renewables compared to only 35 per cent of NSW, the areas combined top the index with a score of 97.94/100. The ACT is one of the only cities in the world which runs exclusively on renewable energy, marking a huge step forward in terms of Australian sustainability. NSW cities Port Macquarie, Ballina and Coffs Harbour also rank in the top 10 cities, each earning an index score above 80 Port Macquarie ranks seventh, with a carbon emissions rate of 8.88 tCO₂e per capita, solar installation density of 51.4 per cent, and 2.61kW of solar capacity per dwelling. Ballina in NSW also follows closely in 9th place, with slightly lower emissions per capita at 8.56 tCO₂e and a higher solar density at 57.6 per cent. Port Macquarie is another NSW city which ranked in the top 10. Visit NSW Credit: Supplied Coffs Harbour only just makes the list with similar emissions at 8.64 tCO₂e and just below 50 per cent solar density. Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour lead NSW in tree canopy cover at 66.3 per cent and 65.5 per cent respectively, whereas Ballina trails slightly behind at 43.5 per cent. Queensland's Sunshine Coast unsurprisingly leads the way in solar capacity per home, at an average of 3.16kW of solar capacity per dwelling. Sunshine Coast is leading in solar capacity per home. NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia South Australia has the best clean energy development potential, with 47.1 clean energy accredited installers and designers per 100,000. SA cities also took second, third, and fourth place in terms of sustainability. Hobart came in fifth, followed by the Sunshine Coast, Port Macquarie, Launceston, Ballina and Coffs Harbour. Statistics come amid a push for sustainable energy in Australia. NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire iSelect utilities general manager Julia Paszka said the statistics showed Australia's progress in developing sustainable cities, but also revealed which states needed more work. 'Our findings highlight some impressive progress regarding sustainability in certain parts of Australia,' Ms Paszka said. 'Capital cities such as Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart performed exceptionally well, driven by low carbon emissions and strong renewable energy generation. 'However, not all regions are keeping pace. Darwin was named the least sustainable city in our index, primarily due to low state-level investment in renewables and limited clean energy generation.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health insurance warning as dad forks out $1,200 bill: ‘So many people forget'
Around 15 million Australians are paying for private health insurance, but a sizeable portion haven't made a single claim in the past 12 months. With insurance costs rising and the cost of living continuing to pinch, many Aussies are considering ditching or downgrading their policy, but experts are warning people to think twice. Petrus Buys took out health insurance for his family in November last year but hasn't yet made a claim. The 29-year-old civil engineer told Yahoo Finance he had been putting off getting insurance, but the birth of his son, Caleb, kicked him into gear. 'We essentially came back home [from the hospital] and I realised now that I've got a kid, I'm not just caring for myself and my wife anymore,' he said. RELATED Simple way Aussie mum cut health insurance cost by $1,600 after price hike: 'Big opportunity' $3 million superannuation tax change sparks property warning as 'panic' selling begins ATO warning ahead of $1,288 cost-of-living cash boost: 'Shooting yourself in the foot' Buys, who moved to Australia two years ago from South Africa, ended up taking out a hospital and extras policy with HCF two days after his son was born in the public system. He used comparison site iSelect and is paying $100 a month for the cover, or $1,200 a year. Despite not needing to make a claim yet, Buys thinks paying for health insurance is worth it for his family. '$100 a month is not a lot considering that I'm sleeping a lot better knowing that I'm covered for all the critical things, especially dental, that are not covered by Medicare,' the Sunshine Coast dad said. 'It's just that peace of mind, really, and for that money, I'm comfortable.' New Finder research found two in five Australians with health insurance hadn't made a claim in 12 months, despite paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in premiums. That included 38 per cent who didn't use either their hospital or extras cover in the past 12 months and 32 per cent who only used extras like dental or physiotherapy. Only 17 per cent of the 1,013 people surveyed claimed on both hospital and extras in the past year. Finder health insurance expert Tim Bennett said millions pay for insurance but never claim. 'Health cover is a valuable safety net for unexpected illness or injury, but for many it feels like dead money,' he told Yahoo Finance. 'If you're paying for it, use it. So many people forget they're entitled to things like dental check-ups, physio visits or optical rebates — claiming just a few of these can make your policy far more worthwhile.' It comes as high premiums combined with cost-of-living pressures are also forcing some Aussies to put their health on the back burner. iSelect research found 33 per cent of Aussies were delaying routine check-ups like dental, hearing and cancer screenings, while 31 per cent were putting off GP visits. With private health insurance rising by 3.73 per cent on average in April, one in three policyholders were also considering cancelling or downgrading their cover. Buys said he was 'feeling the pinch' from the rising cost of living, especially after having his child and with his wife now working less. 'We bought a house about a year ago, and we probably are spending about 40 per cent of our income on the mortgage,' he said. Along with housing, Buys said the cost of groceries and household bills like electricity and water had also been rising. 'We are definitely cutting back a lot on leisure expenditures, so things like going on holiday, going to visit the family back in South Africa are happening less frequently,' he said. 'Myself being the main provider for the family, you're getting forced into a corner where you need to start considering doing second jobs and side hustles and ways of generating additional income.' Bennett said Aussies were facing a 'tough juggling act' but warned people against ditching their health insurance cover altogether. 'No one wants to be caught out without cover when they really need it,' he said. He said now was a good time to audit health insurance costs. 'Don't waste another 12 months paying too much for a policy that doesn't match your needs,' he said. 'Now's the best time to shop around for health insurance relief as insurers fight for business ahead of the new financial year.' Buys said he planned to compare his health insurance policy again once it comes up for renewal and was looking at claiming extras for a dental checkup and a visit to the optometrist.
