July 2022 – Page 9 – Michmutters
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Australia

Madison de Rozario wins back-to-back wheelchair marathon gold

“I’ll dry off and we’ll have a big cuddle. He does not understand what this is all about today, but these experiences I’m sure will be an important part of his development. It means a lot,” she said.

That winning feeling: Jessican Stenson.

That winning feeling: Jessican Stenson.Credit:AP

Since her last bronze medal Stenson has married (she was previously Trengove), had Billy and she said motherhood had made her a better runner.

“I’m a more relaxed runner as a mother. I can just enjoy the process a bit more. I really wasn’t thinking about the outcome today I was just trying to tick off each 5k and that’s what you do as a mum you can’t think too far ahead it’s just one moment at a time and you can’t control it you just have to respond to what is happening and I think that gives women a lot of strength as parents,” Stenson said.

“I was trying to juggle being excited and soaking it in with concentrating (in the final stages when it was clear she was well ahead and set to win). These roads can be uneven and it only takes one little step for me to land flat on my face and not get up again. I just had to deliver myself to the finish line.

Australia's Eloise Wellings leads Australia's Jessica Stenson during the Women's Marathon on day two of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England

Australia’s Eloise Wellings leads Australia’s Jessica Stenson during the Women’s Marathon on day two of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, EnglandCredit:PA

“I was coming into the home straight and I saw the 1K to go sign and thought ‘you’re joking’. It was a long final K. I kept tricking myself, saying ‘this is the final hill, no this is the final hill’ and they kept coming.”

She now has time to celebrate with a burger and maybe a cheeky beer.

All three of Australia’s female marathoners made the top five after Stenson was joined by Eloise Wellings in fourth in 2:30:51 and 45-year-old veteran Sinead Diver fifth in 2:31:06.

Earlier, Liam Adams delivered an extraordinary performance in the men’s marathon to lead for most of the race and finish just seven seconds off the podium in fourth place.

A full-time tradesman in Melbourne, he had never seen the course before, his app didn’t work so he hadn’t worked out the route and was then dismayed to discover when he confronted it that there was a punishing long uphill climb the last five kilometers.

“It’s tough, but I will take that, I’m pretty proud of that run, those guys are professionals, I’m amateur, I’m working 40 hours week they’re not, they are probably running 40 hour weeks,” said Adams who was at his third Commonwealth Games and ran the last two Olympics.

“Those guys are world-class 2:05 2:06 type guys, I’m not in their league. I just thought try and stick with them and hold onto them and I did alright considering.”

Adams went out to lead for more than half the race because the pace began too slowly. He admitted he probably paid the price later on.

Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat won gold in 2:10:55, Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu silver and Kenya’s Michael Githae. Adams finished in 2:13:23.

De Rozario continues dominance with gold

Madison de Rozario racing in the wheelchair is like Usain Bolt sprinting in his prime. When he raced he won. When Australia’s wheelchair marathoner competes she wins.

De Rozario won another gold medal, this one a second successive Commonwealth marathon gold to go with her twin golds from the Paralympics in Tokyo last year, her three world para championships gold and then there are the innumerable silver and bronze.

The win came as Australia’s De Rozario won her marathon in 1 hour 56 minutes, winning by 3.45 minutes from Eden Rainbow-Cooper of England.

All smiles: Madison deRozario.

All smiles: Madison deRozario.Credit:Isaac Parkin/PA/AP

“The actual course though was one of the hardest marathons I have done in my life with the most brutal part of it being the last 5k which is the cruelest way to have to end the marathon. Definitely a tough race, I am definitely feeling it,” de Rozario said.

That she would win another gold was likely given the long CV and the bursting trophy cabinet, that she would do so in Birmingham had a sense of even greater expectation given the size of the field.

There were four athletes in the race: two Australians, two English. There was no bronze medal awarded due to the size of the field.

“Regardless of the size of the field it’s an incredibly elite field … yeah it was a small field but it was a tough race.”

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Meanwhile, Australia’s Jake Lappin finished fifth in the men’s wheelchair marathon in 1:56:21, 15 minutes behind gold medalist Johnboy Smith from England.

Get all the latest news from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games here. We’ll be live blogging the action from 4pm-10am daily.

Categories
US

Third-largest US lottery jackpot ever

One lucky lottery ticket-buyer in Illinois may soon be a billionaire, following Friday night’s $1.337 billion Mega Millions lottery drawing.

According to lottery officials, the winning numbers — 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67 and a gold Mega Ball of 14 — match a single ticket sold at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois, roughly 17 miles northwest of Chicago. The winner has yet to claim the prize, Harold Mays, director of the Illinois Department of the Lottery, said at a news conference on Saturday.

“We don’t know whether or not they even know that they won a prize,” Mays said. “So, I encourage everybody to check your ticket.”

The jackpot ranks as the third-highest lottery prize in American history, and its winner — who likely paid around $2 for the ticket — stands to either gain $780.5 million as a cash lump sum or receive payments in an annuity over the next 30 years.

If the winner chooses the more popular lump sum option, which “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary recommends, he or she will have to account for a mandatory 24% federal tax withholding. The winner will likely also owe state income tax: If the winner lives in Illinois, the winnings will be considered taxable income at the state’s 4.95% rate, and they may owe even more if they live in a state with a higher income tax rate.

That means the winner should expect to owe a minimum of almost $226 million in taxes, lowering the take-home amount to roughly $554.5 million — still a potentially life-changing sum of money.

In a statement on Saturday, Mega Millions also noted that 26 tickets earned second-tier prizes worth either $2 million or $1 million apiece, and a total of 14,391,740 tickets won some amount of money across nine different prize tiers Friday night.

If you’re one of the lucky winners — especially if you’re the mystery individual who hit the jackpot — experts say you should immediately take steps to protect your ticket and privacy.

“Privacy is key,” Emily Irwin, senior director of advice at Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management, told CNBC on Friday. “That provides safety to both you and your family from scammers or other individuals who can start to prey on you.”

You should then hire a team of professionals to assist you, including an experienced attorney, a financial advisor, a tax advisor and an insurance expert, as CNBC recently noted.

Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter

Don’t miss: The 10 best places to win the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot

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Categories
Business

Qantas travelers faced massive delays due to IT glitch at Melbourne airport

Qantas is battling to deal with nightmare queues at Melbourne Airport this morning after a nationwide computer outage grounded flights on Sunday evening.

Travelers looking to jet from the Victorian capital to Sydney today were met with huge lines snaking all the way to the international terminal as the airline struggled to deal with the “domino effect” caused by the IT glitch.

“(The queue) snakes all the way back pretty much to the international terminal,” Today reporter Christine Ahern said.

“On top of this, there’s a fairly long queue for the service desk as well because there are three canceled flights to Sydney. So, people are trying to be rebooked on other flights.”

According to the carrier, the issues began at 2.30pm on Sunday, with at least a dozen flights affected.

By Monday morning, several people had taken to Twitter to share angry messages about their flights being cancelled.

The latest issue to hit the embattled airline has also led to renewed calls for CEO Alan Joyce to stand down.

Hello @Qantas. Again flight cancellation W*F. ‘We are sorry we had to cancel your flight QF417 from Sydney at 06:45 on Mon 1 Aug’. Alan Joyce please resign,” wrote a Twitter user.

Qantas forced to increase costs

Recently, Qantas was also forced to cut several flights from their schedule, while hiking up the price of domestic flights due to higher fuel costs.

On Thursday, the airline said they had been pushed to “rebalance capacity and fares,” so they could increase the number of passengers flying on the remaining flights.

Prices saw an increase of up to 2.6 per cent, adding around an extra $10 per ticket. This comes as jet fuel has seen increases of 28 per cent throughout 2022, soaring at prices of around A$208 a barrel.

Speaking to 2GB’s Ben Fordham, Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said that flights would be reduced over July and August and apologized to customers.

“We are the national carrier, people have high expectations of us, we have high expectations of ourselves and clearly over the last few months we have not been delivering what we did pre-COVID,” he said.

“We have reduced some of our flying this month and we’re planning to do the same next month, recognizing the operation pressures we have.”

Read related topics:melbourneqantas

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Categories
Entertainment

Ne-Yo’s wife, Crystal Renay, accuses him of cheating: ‘8 years of lies and deception’

Looks like Ne-Yo’s wife is about to become “Miss Independent.”

Crystal Renay shared an impassioned statement via Instagram on Saturday, in which she accused her husband of cheating on her with “numerous” other women over the course of their nearly decade-long relationship, reports the new york post.

“8 years of lies and disappointment. 8 years of unknowingly sharing my life and husband with numerous of women who sell their bodies to him unprotected… every last one of them!” her statement from her began.

“To say I’m heartbroken and disgusted is an understatement. To ask me to stay and accept it is absolutely insane. The mentality of a narcissist. I will no longer lie to the public or pretend that this is something it isn’t,” she continued.

Renay, 36, added that she would be focusing on herself moving forward, writing, “I choose me, I choose my happiness and health and my respect.

“I gained 3 beautiful children out of this but nothing else but wasted years and heartache,” the model added of the three kids she shares with the 42-year-old singer — sons Shaffer Chimere, 6, and Roman Alexander-Raj, 4 , as well as 13-month-old daughter Isabella Rose.

She concluded on a conciliatory note that nonetheless conveyed an air of finality: “If someone can’t love you the way you deserve then it’s up to you to love yourself. With no hate in my heart I wish him nothing but the best.”

A spate of celebs and influencers proclaimed their allegiance to Renay in the comments section, offering both condolences and words of support.

“Stand in your truth boo. Now it’s just time for the next chapter in your story. Sending you all the good vibes,” wrote social media personality Landon Romano.

“So sorry,” wrote model and dancer Bria Myles, adding five melancholic crying emojis.

By Sunday afternoon, Ne-Yo responded to Renay’s post via Twitter.

“For the sake of our children, my family and I will work through our challenges behind closed doors,” he explained.

“Personal matters are not meant to be addressed and dissected in public forums. I simply ask that you please respect me and my family’s privacy at this time.”

Renay first started dating Ne-Yo sometime after the two met in 2015 to discuss potentially collaborating on the musician’s upcoming album, according to People.

The R&B star’s ex-fiancee, Monyetta Shaw, 42, — with whom he shares Madilyn Grace, 11, and Mason Evan, 10 — claimed in a 2016 New York Post op-ed that she learned of his involvement with Renay in 2014 , one year after he’d broken up with Shaw over the phone.

In any case, the One in a Million crooner successfully proposed to Renay in 2015, and the two wed a little under a year later — at which time she was nearly nine months pregnant with their first child.

The couple briefly split in 2020 before remarrying in 2022, throwing a lavish ceremony in Las Vegas to celebrate their reunion.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

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Categories
Sports

Bill Russell dead at 88: NBA in mourning after Celtic legend passes

The basketball community lost an all-time legend on Sunday as Bill Russell died at age 88, his family announced.

Russell, who won a record 11 NBA titles with the Celtics, was a trailblazer as a black superstar in the 1950s and ’60s, and became the first black head coach of any North American professional team when the Celtics hired him in 1966 as a player -coach.

In a statement announcing his death, his family called Russell “the most prolific winner in American sports history.” By any measure, that is correct.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and in 2021 as a coach, Russell won two NCAA titles at San Francisco, an Olympic gold medalist and two NBA titles as a coach, in addition to his 11 as a player.

Comprised of a core that included Russell at center along with fellow Hall of Famers Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, KC Jones, Bill Sharman and Sam Jones, the Celtics won a stunning 11 of 13 championships from 1956-1969.

In 10 Game 7’s, Russell was undefeated in his career. Extended to any winner-take-all game — in NCAAs, Olympics and best-of-five playoff rounds — he was 21-0. The Finals MVP Award is named after him, and Russell was often on hand to give it out.

In addition to his basketball credentials, Russell was also a leader in the area of ​​civil rights, enduring racist abuse throughout his career in Boston, where his home was once broken into and graffitied.

“From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the fuel wake of Medgar Evans’ assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candour that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness and thoughtful change,” his family said in a statement.

“Bill’s wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh at him as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded. And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.”

Russell’s relationship with the city was complex — he didn’t attend his jersey retirement in 1972 and once described himself as “playing for the Celtics, not for Boston.” Eventually, in 1999, the team re-tired his number from him in a ceremony at which he attended.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that Russell was “the greatest champion in all of team sports.”

“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values ​​of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill vigorously advocated for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed him in his footsteps, ”Silver said. “Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”

Born in Monroe, Louisiana, Russell’s family moved to San Francisco, where he parlayed a spot on the McClymonds High School basketball team into a scholarship at San Francisco. Though Russell never averaged over 20 points in an NBA season, he is considered one of the greatest defensive players of all-time, with a 6-foot-9 frame that made him one of the greatest shot blockers ever, and a career average of 22.5 rebounds per game.

In 2011, then US President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Medal of Freedom.

“Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men,” Obama said at the ceremony. “I have marched with King; he stood by Ali. When a restaurant refused to serve the Black Celtics, he refused to play in the scheduled game. He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players and made possible the success of so many who would follow.”

Arrangements for his memorial service have yet to be announced.

This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission

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Categories
Australia

Robin Khuda buys house next door in Mosman, creates $30 million compound

CBRE’s Caroline Fagerlund says no one has lived in the apartment because it was purchased by the buyer’s mother, who no longer wants to leave the family home – presumably the Nahas family’s Merrylands mansion.

Buyers are being given a guide of $6.5 million.

Meanwhile, records show the buyer of their Bellevue Hill home is Canberra developer Zhenglian Wang, a director and majority owner of Coda Property Group and TF Taofei Investment group.

The three-level residence comes with DA approval to be knocked down and rebuilt into a Blainey North-designed mansion.

The three-level residence comes with DA approval to be knocked down and rebuilt into a Blainey North-designed mansion.Credit:

The Nahas and Sahyoun sale resulted almost doubled the $11 million it last sold for in 2020 by freight boss Arthur Tzaneros, although it did score DA approval just three months before it was listed to be knocked down and rebuilt as a Blainey-North-designed mansion at a cost of $6.3 million.

Point Piper’s latest buyer

Nikki Schofield has bought an apartment in Point Piper's art deco Buckhurst block for $6.25 million.

Nikki Schofield has bought an apartment in Point Piper’s art deco Buckhurst block for $6.25 million.Credit:evil fairclough

Investment banker Phil Schofield and his wife Nikki, of Melbourne’s coffee and olive oil Valmorbida family, have bought a Point Piper apartment from billionaire Will Vicars.

The couple were already living in the ground-floor apartment in the art deco Buckhurst block, which no doubt would have made the $6.25 million sale from landlord to tenant all the easier. It last traded for $2.48 million in 2008.

Schofield, an executive director of investment bank Canaccord Genuity, and Nikki wed in the summer of 2016 in New York before the likes of business types like Rob Rankin, Ben Tilley and developer Robert Whyte.

Trismegistus Farm’s record hopes

North Coast property Trismegistus Farm – built by self-styled spiritual healer Serge Benhayon and his wife Miranda – is for sale for $17.995 million, discounted from $24 million a month ago.

Trismegistus Farm is set on 23 hectares thanks to a recent property consolidation.

Trismegistus Farm is set on 23 hectares thanks to a recent property consolidation.Credit:

Jaye Scanlon, of the Melbourne rich list family headed by Melbourne-based billionaire philanthropist Peter Scanlon, purchased the property from the Benhayons a year ago, and consolidated it with an adjoining property soon after to create a 23-hectare holding company.

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Amir Mian, of his eponymous agency, and assistant Rochelle Lamers say it last traded for $17 million, however official title records show the Benhayons pocketed $3.8 million, and the neighboring acreage with a four-bedroom house and cottage was added for $1.25 million.

The property, named after the Egyptian god Hermes Trismegistus, is billed in the marketing as the “Land of the Gods”, and features a main six-bedroom residence, a separate caretaker’s cottage, Queenslander cottage, two swimming pools, separate recording and photographic studio, pecan orchard and stables and arena.

Categories
US

Apple River stabbings: 4 surviving victims are in stable condition, charges expected Monday

SOMERSET, Wis. — Authorities in western Wisconsin have released more details in the fatal stabbing incident at a popular tubing area on the Apple River, including the conditions of the surviving victims.

According to the St. Croix Sheriff’s Office, the dispatch office received reports of a stabbing on the Apple River upstream from Sunrise Bridge in Somerset at approximately 3:45 pm Saturday. When deputies arrived, they found five people with stab wounds to their mid-sections.

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CBS


“Deputies, as well as citizens, began providing medical care to the victims,” ​​the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

The suspect, a 52-year-old man from Prior Lake, Minnesota, initially ran off but is now in custody. Police say he was with another group that was tubing. He did not have a knife when officers arrested him.

All five victims were taken to area hospitals, with two airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and another two taken by ambulance to the same location. The fifth victim was taken to Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities said the deceased victim is a 17-year-old boy from Stillwater.

The four victims are all in stable conditions, with injuries ranging from serious to critical in their torso and chest areas. They are identified as:

  • 22-year-old man from Luck
  • 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minnesota
  • 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, Minnesota
  • 20-year-old man from Luck, Wisconsin

The suspect’s name is not being released until he’s formally charged, which authorities expect will be Monday. Authorities said he was located near the exit point for tubers on the Apple River, and then taken into custody without incident. He is being held at the St. Croix County Jail.

“The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the agencies that responded to assist with this traumatic incident and express our gratitude to the citizens who stepped in to provide care and comfort to the victims,” ​​the sheriff’s office said in the update.

The sheriff’s office said Saturday that it’s unclear if the stabbing was random and investigators are attempting to determine a motive.

Tubing in the area has been closed while investigators work in and out of the river.

Anyone with information, including video, are asked to call Investigator John Shilts at 715-381-4219 or emailing [email protected].

Categories
Technology

Dr Disrespect dropped game footage for his new shooter. People immediately shredded it

Popular video-game streamer Dr Disrespect on Sunday revealed early footage from the first game of his new gaming studio, a first-person shooter Deadrop. People are already tearing it to shreds on social media.

The announcement comes months after Dr Disrespect announced the launch of the games studio he founded with Call of Duty and Halo veterans Robert Bowling, Quinn DelHoyo, and Sumit Gupta called Midnight Society. Disrespect founded the studio a year after he was permanently banned on Twitch for still unknown reasons and is now on a quest to create video games that rival the best FPS franchises.

Disrespect and Midnight Studios describes the game as “the world’s first vertical extraction shooter” and early access has been given to fans who bought the $50 Founders Access Passes. And to be clear — more clear than the definition of a “vertical extraction shooter” — this is early footage and you can tell in the video below by the choppy framerate, poor gun mechanics, lack of animations, sound design, etc.

However, what makes the reveal sting even worse was Disrespect’s comments on the game in June. He stated in a now-deleted tweet that Deadropblows out anything from CoD engine.” Subsequently, his bold claim was met with ridicule by fans. Some have compared it to a mobile game and others have described it as an arcade shooter you’d find at Chuck E. Cheese.

According to PC Gamer, Deadrop also serves as a way for Midnight Studios to sell NFTs. Players who have bought the Founder Pass have access to snapshot builds of the game that release every six weeks. These snapshots come with “procedurally generated NFTs of a character who serves as [the player’s] in-game avatar.”

Again, this game is in the very early stages of development, and it’s very uncommon to show gameplay this early in the process for the obvious reasons seen above. A release date is far in the future for Deadrop so maybe Dr Disrespect will prove us wrong and the game will blow away our expectations. Maybe.

Categories
Sports

England beats Germany, wins women’s Euros: Football news, reaction

England won a major women’s football tournament for the first time as Chloe Kelly’s extra-time goal secured a 2-1 victory over Germany at a sold out Wembley on Monday morning (AEST).

In front of a record crowd of 87,192 for any match in the history of the European Championships, Kelly prodded home a loose ball from close range to end English football’s 56-year wait for a World Cup or Euro victory.

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England looked set for victory in the 90 minutes when substitute Ella Toone’s sublime chip over Merle Frohms put the hosts in front.

Germany showed remarkable resilience to bounce back as Lina Magull leveled 11 minutes from time.

But for once, England were not to be denied a major tournament success. Kelly fought back from an anterior cruciate ligament tear to be fit in time for the tournament and made herself a national hero by being in the right place to pounce when Germany failed to clear a corner in the 110th minute.

The Manchester City winger tore her shirt off in celebration in scenes reminiscent of Mia Hamm’s famous reaction to scoring the winning penalty for the USA at the 1999 World Cup.

Fortune did not favor Germany, who lost captain and top goalscorer Alexandra Popp to a muscle injury in the warm-up.

But England will feel their time for some luck was due as 12 months on from the Three Lions’ defeat on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 men’s final, the nation’s women went one better.

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Categories
Australia

Rent hikes and cost-of-living pressures are exacerbating homelessness in Ipswich

It is Tuesday night in Ipswich and across town lines of hungry people are forming outside boarding houses, hostels and care centres. Everyone is waiting for a bright yellow van to roll around the corner.

For some, tonight’s meal will be their first for that day. For others, the first in a few.

Helping Hands volunteers scramble every week to pull together grocery packs and collect food donations to make sandwiches and soup for some of the region’s most vulnerable.

But, as the cost of food rises, that’s becoming more difficult to do.

“We don’t have many pantry packs this week folks,” one of the volunteers yells to a crowd of 20 people, some of whom started to line up half an hour before the van arrived to get the first pick of what was on offer.

“So, if you don’t need one tonight, we ask that you don’t take one. But, of course, if you do need one, feel free to take it,” he said.

Kyle Dixon has relied on the service for nearly two years.

He’s found refuge at an Ipswich boarding house. While it’s not perfect, for $170 a week he has a bed and a roof over his head.

Kyle Dixon lives on the streets in Ipswich
Kyle Dixon says his budget is getting tighter. (ABC News: Dean Caton)

While the weekly food van service has been a budget lifesaver, he said he’s been going hungry a lot more recently than ever before.

“I have a bit less money, considering my bills and the expenses I need to do day-to-day life,” he said.

“Yeah, it’s quite hard to get food in.

“With the soup and the sandwiches as well [from the van], it’s absolutely amazing. That’s a good dinner if you hadn’t had anything to eat already.”

Anthony Burke, who volunteers for helping hands, has seen the effects of the rising cost of living firsthand.

Mr Burke said people seem hungrier and more desperate.

“In the last year [there’s] been a lot more demand,” he said.

“Some people are having to choose between canned food and toothpaste — in those situations, they’ll always choose the food.”

Anthony Burke volunteers to help homeless people in Ipswich
Anthony Burke says there is increased demand for food services in Ipswich. (ABC News: Dean Caton)

Sean Maskiel has also relied on the food van for two years.

He lives in another boarding house in Ipswich, and said he’s noticed more people are using the service now.

“There’s quite a few homeless people that are appearing out of nowhere that just need that extra hand,” he said.

Living without a home
Sean Maskeil says the boarding house he stays at is full.(ABC NewsLaura Lavelle)

Rental crisis filling boarding houses

Gene Waterman manages two boarding houses in Ipswich.

Just a few weeks ago, there were up to 15 people on a waiting list for a room.

“[It is] crazy. From five years ago to now, it’s a completely different beast,” he said, “10 years ago, there were always around 10 rooms available. Now I’m always full.

“There is literally nothing out there. You don’t have a choice where you live. You just go anywhere you can get a place.”

Data from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland shows the average cost to rent a three-bedroom property in Goodna, Springfield, Bellbird Park and Camira in 2019 was $350 per week.

Now it’s $420.

In the Rosewood area, the price hike is even steeper, going from $295 per week to $440 per week in just three years.

And, while rental costs balloon, so has the number of people sitting below the poverty line.

The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) now defines the poverty line as any single adult earning less than $457 per week or a couple with two children earning less than $960 per week.

According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2016 more than 54,000 people in the Ipswich local government area were earning less than $499 per week.

According to the 2021 census, that number has grown to more than 55,000.

Problem starts with low income

ACOSS chief executive Edwina MacDonald has a handle on the issue.

“We know that, of the people we’re spoken to, 50 per cent of them are skipping meals and they’re reducing how much they’re eating,” Ms MacDonald said.

“We know that they’re cutting back or not using their car at all.”

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