Morning Buzz: Grim reality for Aussie home owners

PROSPECT: The site has been cleared following an accident involving a car and motorcycle on the M4, near Reservoir Road. There are heavy traffic conditions in the area.

KOGARAH: There has been a two-car accident on President Avenue at Cross Street.

EASTERN CREEK: A truck breakdown is affecting traffic on the M7 on-ramp from the M4.

NORTH PARRAMATTA: A car breakdown is affecting traffic on the James Ruse Drive on-ramp to Pennant Hills Road..

Australia has one of the lowest rates of home ownership among rich countries as the dream of owning a home fades for young people and the lowly paid.

The latest report card into the nation's wellbeing also found welfare spending increased by $40 billion in the past decade, growing to 9.5 per cent of gross domestic product.

Rates of home ownership - either with or without a mortgage - declined "modestly" over the past two decades - from 71 per cent in 1994–95 to 67 per cent in 2013–14, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report Australia's welfare 2017. Read more.

Staff at Western Sydney University’s Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Kingswood and Bankstown campuses will walk off the job for four hours tomorrow in protest of “rampant casualisation” and “precarious employment”.

University employees who are also members of the National Tertiary Education Union will down tools at 9am and will gather at the Parramatta campus for a rally at 10am.

NTEU WSU branch president David Burchell said many staff feared for their future employment. Read more.

Campbelltown residents complain more about than NBN (National Broadband Network) than people in any other postcode throughout Australia.

That’s what the findings in the Ombudsman’s annual report have revealed.

The report released the postcodes of that recorded the 10 highest complaints. Read more.

Sydney consumers are paying less for electricity than five years ago, according to the surprising findings of a review of household electricity prices released by the state's pricing regulator on Tuesday.

An Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal draft report has found that despite electricity price rises of nearly 15 per cent announced this July, the average Sydney household's bill is still lower than five years ago.

"On average, residential customers are paying […] a real [adjusted for inflation] decrease in prices of 5 per cent," the report said. Read more.

The $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme will almost certainly be delayed after a major government inquiry found the rollout had fallen at least a year behind schedule and the rush to catch up had compromised the quality of care.

The Productivity Commission said the current timetable would not be met as the scheme struggles under a "tsunami" of demand.

Federal and state governments must start planning now to delay the start of the full scheme beyond 2019-20, it suggested. Read more.

A man who filmed the "revolting" gang rape of a semi-conscious, intellectually impaired 16-year-old girl has been sentenced to at least five years in prison.

Ayden Devereux, 26, was at a house party at St Clair in Sydney's west on May 22, 2015, when a young girl arrived with a man she had met a few days before. Read more.

Residents will be able to find out more about construction of the district’s new high school and provide feedback about the project, at an information stand at Richmond Marketplace.

The Hurlstone Agricultural High School (Hawkesbury) Information Stand will sit between Prouds and Jeanswest from 3.30pm until 5.30pm on Thursday, October 26. Read more.

A man has been injured while working on a construction site at Cronulla on Wednesday.

Emergency services were called to the Gerrale Street site at 11:45 after reports the man, believed to be in his mid 30’s, become trapped under some steel meshing. Read more.

Heritage issues have emerged in Thompson Square as the government looks for contractors to complete the Windsor Bridge Replacement Project.

An early and groundbreaking type of road paving has been discovered next to the bridge at South Creek, while a Francis Greenway-designed wharf will likely have to make way for the new bridge.

The presence of a ‘Telford’ style road in the area of Thompson Square proves, according to Susan Templeman and members of CAWB, that there are more heritage questions than answers. Read more.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman is seeking advice from the Crown Solicitor about the effect on controversial NSW anti-protest laws of a High Court decision that found similar laws in Tasmania were unconstitutional.

The decision could have ramifications for three protesters facing up to 14 years in jail after becoming the first people charged under laws introduced by the NSW government last year. Read more.

We’re hitting our stride in round three of the Super Subs.

A-League heats up and has plenty of fans turning out but the games still look empty. How can we fix the look? Check out the podcast here.

Matildas star Samantha Kerr has capped off a near-perfect year by being named the Women's Health sportswoman of the year.

The 24-year-old was instrumental in helping Australia win the inaugural Tournament of Nations in the US in August and scored a classy goal in the 6-1 demolition of Brazil that secured the trophy. Read more.

Some of the best fighters out of St George and the Sutherland Shire – including former world champion Sakio Bika – will jump in the ring during an upcoming fight night at The Star.

The Johnny Lewis’ Ultimate Fight Night is being held on Sunday, October 22 at the Sydney venue.

Bika, 38, from Kogarah, will headline the event against Serbian Geard Ajetovic, while the other main bouts feature Rockdale’s Tim Tszyu – son of Australian boxing legend Kostya Tszyu – and Cronulla’s Jack Brubaker. Read more.

Brad Fittler believes the NSW coaching job is his to lose, believing there "wouldn't be many stronger cases" for the role given his experiences as a player, coach and ambassador at State of Origin level.

Fittler has revealed his plans to bring fellow Channel Nine commentators Andrew Johns and Phil Gould onto his coaching staff if he is the successful candidate in a move that will bring three of the Blues' biggest names into the fold.

The former Penrith and Roosters playmaker said the Nine Network's head of sport, Tom Malone, had given his blessing to juggle the coaching and commentary roles as the NSWRL prepares to interview "three to four" candidates from next week. Read more.

Isabel Huntington heard a knock at the front door on Tuesday night.

She wasn't expecting to see what she did when she opened it.

There stood Western Bulldogs coach Paul Groves, list manager Michael Sandry and director of football Chris Grant. Oh, and some cameras.

They were there to let the key forward know she'd be selected first in Wednesday's AFLW draft. Read more.