Local identity Hugh Bateman is calling on the region to work together to stamp out littering and keep our area of the world beautiful.
“As a whole it’s not an untidy district, it’s just as much about prevention and creating awareness that littering won’t be accepted as the region grows,” Mr Bateman said. Continue reading Let’s keep Mudgee beautiful
An appeal from the Salvation Army for toys for needy families has resulted in an avalanche of gifts and donations from the community and local businesses.
Salvation Army Lieutenant Dean Clutterbuck made the appeal after wet weather affected donations to the annual Mudgee and District Bikers Club’s annual toy run. Continue reading Community Associations of today are the Neighborhoods of yesterday
The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates by 0.25 per cent.
The 25 basis point fall comes on the back of a similar cut last month. The reduction is good news for people paying off a mortgage. “This will put an extra $60 into the pockets of borrowers each month,” says Domain property expert Carolyn Boyd.
The official interest rate is now 4.25 per cent.
Each 0.25 per cent drop in interest rates slices about $60 off the monthly interest cost of an average Australian mortgage.
Boyd says, coupled with last month’s cut, the drop represents a double windfall for borrowers because if they can keep their repayments at the same level they will be able to pay down their mortgages faster.
“It’s a smart idea to keep your repayments at the same amount as you were paying before this cut, and the one on Melbourne Cup day,” she says. “That way you can pay your mortgage off sooner but have no less money in your pocket than you did last month. There’s plenty to gain here with no extra pain.”
Many lenders don’t automatically readjust repayments when rates are cut, meaning borrowers often have to simply sit back and watch their loan shrink faster when rates fall.
Profits and peace of mind await young investors.
Buying a property in your early 20s is one of the smartest decisions you will ever make. Not only will you get a jump-start on building wealth, you also won’t be left struggling to pay off a mortgage later in life.
According to recent studies, the earnings of most Australians peak at the age of 48 and yet many people today still have a large home loan well into their 50s. Continue reading A portfolio with your first pay packet
It’s time to plan ahead, in order to take care of the future needs of the growing district of Mudgee.
As it appears this growth will be exponential over the next five years, such organisation is essential to ensure that we avoid any crisis that could result from growing pains associated with our expansion. Continue reading Looking to the future – Planning well in hand for Mudgee developments
The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for the first time in more than 2½ years, bringing relief to households and corporate borrowers.
As widely tipped by economists, the central bank today lowered its key cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.5 per cent. The move reversed the increase imposed on Melbourne Cup Day last year, the most recent time the RBA has shifted rates. Continue reading RBA cuts interest rates
House prices will continue to drift lower over the next year, said ANZ Bank, as increased caution about borrowing takes its toll on home sales.
“Amongst a turbulent global economic environment, the national housing market continues to soften,” said ANZ economics in their latest Australian Housing Snapshot, released today.
“The housing market has also been hit with a behavioural shift towards increased household caution.” Continue reading ANZ predicts house prices to keep dropping
FEWER than 50 households have signed up to a state government scheme to encourage relocation from urban to regional areas in its first three months, casting doubt over a forecast take-up of 7000 a year.
The relocation grant scheme was central to the Coalition’s pre-election pitch to create a ”decade of decentralisation” in NSW. Continue reading Public not moved by NSW regional relocation
Ten years ago I sanded an internal fibro wall on a lean-to built, probably, in the 1970s. Was it asbestos? I’m not sure. But ever since it has played on my mind.
It certainly was a dumb thing to do, that’s for sure, when you consider the risks that sanding, cutting or otherwise disturbing building materials containing asbestos. Continue reading Asbestos: a silent time bomb
The Reserve Bank has left its key interest rate unchanged for another month, ignoring for now the gathering signs of a slowdown in global growth.
The central bank kept its cash rate at 4.75 per cent where it’s sat since Melbourne Cup Day last year.
The RBA’s decision was widely expected as the central bank attempts to weigh the threat of higher inflation from a rekindled mining boom against weaker growth for much of the rest of the economy. Turmoil on financial markets – which has knocked about 15 per cent off local share values in the past three months alone – was also not enough to prompt a rate reduction. Continue reading RBA extends interest rate pause