Much-needed fund to boost the wellbeing of Casino’s community

Momentum Collective has been awarded funding of over $450k for the Casino Neighbourhood Centre Renovation and Expansion Project under Round 5 of the Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF).

The SCCF was established in 2017 by the NSW Government and has since provided over $400 million for more than 1,500 local projects that enhance the lives and wellbeing of regional communities.

The Casino Neighbourhood Centre, managed by Momentum

Collective, has provided a range of support and services for the local community since 1979. The additional fund is welcome by the residents as the demand for its service continues to increase due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the series of fooding last year.

Momentum Collective’s CEO, Dr Tracey Mackie, says that the grant will be used to open up over 250 square metres of inaccessible space in the second story of the building.

“We want to create a safe environment for vulnerable clients and expand the community areas. Installing new accessible facilities to assist community members affected by natural disasters and homeless clients will ensure we provide higher standard amenities for our clients”, says Dr Mackie.

By upgrading the centre and introducing new activities, Casino Neighbourhood Centre will be able to support and expand its services to local residents with a disability, homeless people and Domestic Violence victims and Support Groups.

By GEOFF SMITH

The collapse in the number of new homes on the market, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, is outpacing even the shaky listing rates recorded during pandemic lockdowns.

Jason Pellegrino, chief executive of property portal company Domain Group, said on Thursday the scale of listings declines during the last three months of 2022 also eclipsed pullbacks recorded during the banking royal commission, which scrutinised lending practices in public hearings in 2018. Domain reported a drop in net proft of almost 38.9% to $15.9m in the six months to December, due to the lack of homes hitting the market. This is despite revenue increasing across the various business units of the listed company, which is 60% owned by media group Nine Entertainment. The market initially experienced a shock in early 2020, however buyers soon poured into properties as lending rates fell and the government stimulated the economy, leading to sharp price rises. However, a series of interest rate increases dating back to May last year, designed to tame infation, have shifted the property market into reverse, cutting prices and reducing the number of houses coming on to the market. Rents, however, have been steadily increasing.

Data from CoreLogic shows that the number of new listings are tracking at 22% lower than the fve-year average. Sydney prices for dwellings – houses and apartments – shrank 12.1% last year, or more