This is probably not the page you’re looking for
Almost three-quarters of Australian suburbs are in “extreme rental pain,” according to a recent report. The crisis of housing affordability and availability is most acute in working-class areas.
The June Rental Pain Index (RPI) report, by property data and analytics firm Suburbtrends, takes into account rent increases over the past year, vacancy rates, availability and proportion of income dedicated to rent. It synthesises these factors and produces a score from 1–100 for each region, where a higher score signifies more severe rental challenges.
The state of New South Wales (NSW) has an overall average RPI of 79.91, with rent costing an average of 33.41 percent of household income. Of the 17 locations in the state with an RPI of 100 (“extreme rental pain”), five are in Sydney’s working-class southwest and west (Belmore–Belfield, South Greenacre, South Wentworthville, Panania and Macquarie Fields), two each in the ailing coal and steel centres of Newcastle (Redhead and Beresfield) and Wollongong (Berkeley and Shellharbour–Oak Flats).
More than half of the 25 least affordable suburbs in the state are in Sydney’s southwest, with Greenacre and Bass Hill–Georges Hall, where rent accounts for more than half of household income, topping the list.
Of the 25 suburbs, rent prices rose most sharply in Lakemba (31 percent increase in the past year) and Belmore - Belfield (27 percent), but rises of 18 percent or more were common to all the southwest Sydney suburbs.
Across Victoria, rent increased by an average of 12.26 percent. Doncaster–East, Thomastown and Lalor, in north/northeast Melbourne all scored 100 in RPI. Of the 25 least affordable suburbs in the state, a great majority are in working-class areas (including Pakenham, Balwyn, Campbellfield, Frankston and Noble Park) and all have rent-to-income ratios of over 30 percent.
Working class suburbs such as Thomastown, Lalor and Campbellfield have been heavily impacted by the destruction of manufacturing jobs over the years. A South Pacific Tyres factory located in Thomastown closed in 2002, part of a wave of closures in the local automotive industry, most notably the 2016 shutdown of Ford’s nearby Broadmeadows Assembly Plant.
Entire working-class suburbs have been transformed into industrial wastelands as companies shut down or downsize. These major closures have ramifications for smaller related businesses and have led to high unemployment in the area.
At the time of the 2021 Census, the highest rates of unemployment for the state of Victoria were in Melbourne’s North, with more than 10 percent of the working-aged population out of work.
In Queensland, residents are compelled to spend more than 40 percent of their income on rent in the working-class Brisbane suburbs of Inala–Richlands and Mount Warren Park. Rent prices in the latter soared 30 percent over the past 12 months. Inala has some of the lowest income levels, highest unemployment rates and most acute housing shortages in Queensland.
In South Australia, three of the four areas with an RPI of 100—Smithfield, Elizabeth North, and Salisbury East—are in Adelaide’s working-class northern suburbs, where rent has increased by an average of 15 percent over the past year.
The destruction of manufacturing jobs, including the closure of the Elizabeth General Motors-Holden plant in 2017, has led to high unemployment and suburbs mired in social crisis. Many of these former car workers have been unable to find alternative full-time employment with decent wages and conditions, and the destruction of jobs has created a generation of working-class youth with dim prospects.
The largest increase in rents was in Western Australia, where average prices rose 16.79 percent over the past year, placing 83.74 percent of the state in “extreme rental pain.”
The Suburbtrends report highlights the multiple contributing factors to the housing affordability crisis confronting the Australian working class, which is not simply a matter of a lack of availability, but a product of the growing discrepancy between housing prices and income.
According to data from property analytics firm CoreLogic, rents across Australia surged 8.5 percent in the 12 months to May. This is almost double the nominal increase in wages, which rose just 4.1 percent in the 12 months to March.
Australia is one of only 16 OECD countries where wages have fallen compared with inflation since 2019, declining 4.8 percent in real terms. Over the same period, asking rents across the country have risen 51.2 percent.
The result of this is demonstrated by the 2024 Anglicare Australia Rental Affordability Snapshot, which confirms that rental affordability is in a particular state of crisis for those on low incomes and welfare payments. Out of the 45,115 rental listings surveyed in the Snapshot, only 289 (0.6 percent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Even couples with both partners working full-time, on the minimum wage, were unable to afford almost 90 percent of rentals.
Labor governments at the federal and state level, despite phoney claims to be addressing the cost-of-living crisis, are in fact spearheading both the decline in real wages and the soaring price of housing.
The sharpest decline in real wages over recent years has been in the public sector, where (primarily Labor) governments have enforced punitive pay caps against health workers, educators and others, keeping nominal pay rises below the official rate of inflation.
Since taking office in May 2022, Anthony Albanese’s federal Labor government has overseen 13 interest rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia, adding hundreds or even thousands of dollars to monthly mortgage repayments, putting more pressure on the rental market.
This is not aimed at lowering inflation, but at driving up unemployment to put even further downward pressure on wages, in order to serve the profit demands of big business and the escalating military budget.
The federal Labor government claimed to be addressing the housing crisis in its budget, with Prime Minister Albanese stating that the budget would mean “less talk and more homes.” Labor has established a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), which aims to build 30,000 new “affordable” homes by 2029—a single-digit percentage of the estimated shortfall.
As with similar schemes in states and territories across Australia, the primary purpose of this is not to provide high-quality housing to all those who need it, but to further increase the wealth of major property developers and remove any regulations that may threaten to impede their continued profits.
The refusal of governments to resolve the issue of housing affordability and availability is not about a lack of resources, but the pro-business, pro-war agenda of Labor and all capitalist governments and parties.
CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
This South Wentworthville home sold under the hammer for $900,000
Cheers echoed through a residential street in western Sydney over the weekend as young house hunters secured their first home
The loved-up pair’s property win came at the perfect time and was an early present to themselves ahead of their pending nuptials
One of five registered bidders at the Saturday auction, the couple competed for the house at 45 Monterey St
They had family members there for support as they placed the winning bid of $900,000
The lovingly maintained home is in great condition
“They are a lovely young couple getting married in five weeks,” Starr Partners agent Terri Godfrey said
“They were very happy because they had been looking to buy since September,” she said
The new owners plan to move into the four-bedder after their wedding
who sold the home with colleague Matt Carpenter
said it was nice to see the property sell to owner occupiers despite having duplex potential
On a block of about 695 sqm with a 15.2m frontage
a couple of living areas and bathroom which has been recently updated
The property also has an above ground pool and a long carport leading to a lock up garage
currently living in the Canterbury and inner west areas
the “beautifully kept home on a block that’s great for raising a family” had been held by the same owners for more than 30 years
The property has a pool and room to run around
South Wentworthville is a tightly-held area where residents tend to stay for more than 12 years
which has a median house price of $858,500
saw 79 property sales in the 12 months to February
third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it
completeness or reliability of the information
nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content
We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders
We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content
realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use.
We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says a double shooting overnight was believed to have been a specifically targeted hit.
Two men died in hospital overnight after being shot multiple times while sitting in a parked ute in the western Sydney suburb of South Wentworthville about 9pm yesterday. A search is under way for the gunman.
"This was not a random attack," Mr Scipione said.
Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas said that, while police were keeping an open mind, the shooting was most likely prompted by previous criminality.
Shot in the street ... victim Roy Yaghi, 33.
"There's a strong possibility that it's connected to some other crime," he said.
The Herald understands the execution-style killing is likely to be related to drugs. Residents of Boronia Street in South Wentworthville also said that one house had been raided earlier this year by the drug squad and Middle Eastern Crime Squad.
Neighbours reported hearing gunshots at about 9.10pm yesterday, finding the two victims inside a white four-door Toyota Hilux on Boronia Street.
Officers say the two men - Roy Yaghi, 32, of South Wentworthville and Jamie Grover, 26, of Mooney Mooney - were inside the ute when an unknown man approached the vehicle and opened fire.
A tow truck removes the crashed ute from the scene of a double shooting in Sydney's west.Credit: Peter Rae
The driver tried to pull away but crashed into another vehicle in the front yard of a nearby property before losing consciousness. The victims were taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition but could not survive their injuries.
Mr Yaghi's older brother, Bill, told the Herald that his brother ‘‘had a heart of gold'' and he wasn't aware of any criminal history.
The crashed bonnet of the Hilux, in which the two victims were sitting when they were shot.Credit: Peter Rae
Yet Mr Kaldas said both men were well-known to police and one, believed to be Mr Yaghi, was shot and injured some years ago.
Boronia Street is taped off at the scene of the shooting this morning.Credit: Stephanie Gardiner
This is pretty close for comfort, just a couple of houses up. I just heard this morning the two people died. It's horrific.
Mr Yaghi had two young children but was separated from his wife. He was a professional drag racer and part owner of an upmarket restaurant in Bankstown.
His nephew said the family were "all shocked".
Neighbour Kylie Cook with her daughter Ashlei-Rose.Credit: Peter Rae
Family members of both the dead men clashed with riot police as Westmean Hospital last night as they tried to gain access to see the two bodies. However, Mr Kaldas said there were forensic and hospital procedural reasons as to why that could not occur.
In a sad twist, Mr Yaghi's 80 year-old father was in the same hospital being treated for serious ongoing health conditions. He is unaware that his son died in the emergency ward beneath him last night.
A family friend, who did not want to be named, said Mr Yaghi's family were unaware of the motive for the shooting.
"The whole family doesn't know anything at this stage, they have no idea what's happened," she said.Some have paid tribute to the pair, who were good friends, on Facebook. One friend said: ‘‘Rest in peace Roy, a top bloke with a golden heart was sadly taken away from us today.''
Neighbours in Boronia Street reported hearing gunshots and a big bang as the ute carrying the two men crashed into the front yard of a property.
Richard Booth said one of his neighbours went to the aid of the men.
"The driver said 'I've been shot, I've been shot. Get an ambulance,'" he said, recalling what his neighbour told him.
"[The ute] came across our driveway and scattered our bins and through the neighbour's fence and then into the car."
Mr Booth said he had seen the white ute in the street before, and believed it belonged to a resident of a townhouse which was raided by police earlier this year.
"That particular place was raided. They were looking for a drug lab."
He said he was shocked the shooting had happened in Boronia Street.
"It's not what I've certainly grown up with. This time they haven't shot them in the leg or the knee. They've executed them for some reason or another."
Another resident, Kylie Cook, said there had been a big police raid on one house earlier this year involving the drug squad and Middle Eastern Crime Squad.
"You should have seen all the evidence bags; it was massive," she said.
Ms Cook's young daughter Ashlei-Rose said she heard the shooting and was terrified.
"It was quite freaky because usually this doesn't happen in my street, so I didn't know what to do," she said. "I just stayed in my room."
Ray Achembri, who has a photographer's studio a few doors down from the crime scene, said as recently as two weeks ago, at least six police cars arrived at the home.
"It wasn't [for] some petty little crime, you could tell," Mr Achembri said.
"It must have been a storm brewing."
A neighbour, who asked to be known only as Monique, said she had to wait an hour to get into her street last night when it was barricaded by police.
"This is pretty close for comfort, just a couple of houses up. I just heard this morning the two people died. It's horrific."
Mr Scipione described the ongoing gun violence in western Sydney as "ugly". However, he said police's best efforts were going in to preventing it and locking up those who were responsible.
Anyone with information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
\\\"This was not a random attack,\\\" Mr Scipione said.
\\\"There's a strong possibility that it's connected to some other crime,\\\" he said.
Mr Yaghi's older brother, Bill, told the Herald that his brother \\u2018\\u2018had a heart of gold'' and he wasn't aware of any criminal history.
His nephew said the family were \\\"all shocked\\\".
In a sad twist, Mr Yaghi's 80 year-old father was in the same hospital being treated for serious ongoing health conditions. He is unaware that his son died in the emergency ward beneath him last night.
A family friend, who did not want to be named, said Mr Yaghi's family were unaware of the motive for the shooting.
\\\"The whole family doesn't know anything at this stage, they have no idea what's happened,\\\" she said.Some have paid tribute to the pair, who were good friends, on Facebook. One friend said: \\u2018\\u2018Rest in peace Roy, a top bloke with a golden heart was sadly taken away from us today.''
\\\"The driver said 'I've been shot, I've been shot. Get an ambulance,'\\\" he said, recalling what his neighbour told him.
\\\"[The ute] came across our driveway and scattered our bins and through the neighbour's fence and then into the car.\\\"
\\\"That particular place was raided. They were looking for a drug lab.\\\"
\\\"It's not what I've certainly grown up with. This time they haven't shot them in the leg or the knee. They've executed them for some reason or another.\\\"
\\\"You should have seen all the evidence bags; it was massive,\\\" she said.
Ms Cook's young daughter Ashlei-Rose said she heard the shooting and was terrified.
\\\"It was quite freaky because usually this doesn't happen in my street, so I didn't know what to do,\\\" she said. \\\"I just stayed in my room.\\\"
Ray Achembri, who has a photographer's studio a few doors down from the crime scene, said as recently as two weeks ago, at least six police cars arrived at the home.
\\\"It wasn't [for] some petty little crime, you could tell,\\\" Mr Achembri said.
\\\"It must have been a storm brewing.\\\"
\\\"This is pretty close for comfort, just a couple of houses up. I just heard this morning the two people died. It's horrific.\\\"
Mr Scipione described the ongoing gun violence in western Sydney as \\\"ugly\\\". However, he said police's best efforts were going in to preventing it and locking up those who were responsible.
ABC NewsIbrahim's sister acquitted over cash in ceilingShare Ibrahim's sister acquitted over cash in ceilingTopic:Courts
Maha Sayour pleaded not guilty to dealing recklessly with the proceeds of crime. (AAP: Sergio Dionisio)
Link copiedShareShare articleThe sister of Sydney nightclub owner John Ibrahim has been acquitted of criminal charges after almost $3 million was found hidden in her ceiling.
Maha Sayour, 41, pleaded not guilty to dealing recklessly with the proceeds of crime after the cash was found in her South Wentworthville home during a raid in April 2009.
She told police almost $4,000 found in her walk-in wardrobe a month earlier was from her brother John to help with the mortgage.
But she denied knowing any cash was in the ceiling.
The court heard officers used a special cable with a camera attached to examine cavities in the walls and ceiling.
Ms Sayour's lawyer told Downing Centre District Court that police could not prove who left the 13 finger and palm prints found on the plastic money bags.
Why Trump wants to reopen an infamous US prison — and whether it's possibleTopic:Explainer