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Housing affordability plunges

February 22, 2010 by admin

(SMH) Soaring house prices, rising interest rates and a winding back of the first homeowners grant all contributed to housing affordability taking a nose-dive at the end of 2009. The deterioration was widespread in all capital cities and regional areas, with the largest falls recorded in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra, according to a Housing Industry Association (HIA)/Commonwealth Bank of Australia survey. The association is forecasting a moderate housing recovery in 2010 with about 152,000 dwelling starts. But that's still below the 190,000 required to keep pace with Australia's population growth. [..] "Without the required new home building to keep up with underlying requirements, house prices and rents are expected to continue pushing upwards through 2010," Mr [senior economist Ben] Phillips said. read more

Human wreckage remains after the abattoir is gone

February 9, 2010 by admin

(SMH) THREE days after 300 workers at an abattoir in Young were told to get out and go home on Tuesday afternoon, marriages were under severe stress, children had been removed from local childcare centres, real estate agents were threatening eviction and families were begging for food. The Burrangong meatworks, made famous for hiring 90 Afghan asylum seekers early last decade, was Young's biggest employer until it collapsed this week and went into liquidation and receivership, owing all of its workers one week's wages totaling $150,000 and millions of dollars in entitlements and debt. The effect on the town of 8500, north-west of Canberra, has been swift and devastating. read more

Have a look around their website before it goes offline. They seemed to be in an ideal place with the right people doing the right thing for staff and customers. Did you work there, or know of anyone that did? If so, can you leave us a feedback comment about the general atmosphere between the workers. Was there any teething problems over the years between the original Australian workers and the later included 90 Afghani asylum seekers?

NSW town's biggest employer shuts down

February 3, 2010 by admin

(SMH) The 300 workers left without jobs after an abattoir went bust in southwestern NSW will not immediately receive their entitlements. Burrangong Meat Processors in Young, a producer of mutton and beef products for Australian and export markets since 1985, went into receivership on Tuesday. More than 300 workers were stood down immediately. read more