Brooke Rolfe, News Corp Australia Journalist Profile

Articles

Perth property crisis spiralling out of control

4 weeks ago | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

While housing prices skyrocket and desperate Australians are pushed to the financial brink, thousands of homes across the country are sitting empty. The brutal paradox is especially obvious in the world’s most isolated city Perth, where there is desperate demand on one side, and wasted supply on the other. Large swathes of Perth properties are gathering dust – uninhabited and unaffordable for the average local.
Baby born with rare genetic disorder undergoes eight surgeries in 18 months

1 month ago | nypost.com | Brooke Rolfe

At 18 months old, baby Luca has endured more than most people will in their lifetime. Australian parents Ashleigh and Cody welcomed their little boy at just 33 weeks – six weeks earlier than expected – and nothing could have prepared them for what would ensue in the following 11 months. Luca, who was born on Nov. 9, the day after his mum’s baby shower, entered the world with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the heart, nerves, genitalia, eyes and ears.
Mum’s horror after giving birth to baby six weeks early

1 month ago | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

At 18 months old, baby Luca has endured more than most people will in their lifetime. Perth parents Ashleigh and Cody welcomed their little boy at just 33 weeks – six weeks earlier than expected – and nothing could have prepared them for what would ensue in the following 11 months. Luca, who was born on November 9, the day after his mum’s baby shower, entered the world with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the heart, nerves, genitalia, eyes and ears.
Millennial homeowners share regret after buying house

2 months ago | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

Seven years ago when Cara and Mitchell bought their first home, the Aussie dream looked pretty different compared to today. Property prices have exploded, interest rates are peaking and the cost of living is astronomical. In 2025, it’s a luxury to not enter Woolies or Coles with a strict, itemised budget. When the couple, now in their early 30s, bought their home in 2018 in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, it was “a foot in the door” but in hindsight they said, it “wasn’t the best financial move”.
Young Australians have home ownership ripped away from them

2 months ago | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

The great Australian dream of owning a home is officially dead, communities are in despair and no one seems to be making meaningful headway towards a solution. Home ownership has become a luxury that many Aussies have been forced to accept is not on the table for them as they face the uphill battle against excruciating rising costs of living.
House for $400,000 exposes problem facing young Aussies

Mar 1, 2025 | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

If you’re like me and dreaming of buying your first home, be prepared for an extremely rude awakening because in this market, even the bottom of the barrel comes with a luxury price tag. This harsh new reality smacked me in the face with full force when I inspected a property listed for the reasonable price – by 2025’s standards at least – of $399,000.
House find exposes gross truth in Australia’s housing crisis

Feb 25, 2025 | cairnspost.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

Pegged as a “must see” property and listed for a reasonable price — at least by 2025’s standards — was the house I thought could be my one big ticket into the housing market. It was listed “from $399,000” and sat on a generous 862 square metres, with three bedrooms and one bathroom, and while it wasn’t in my preferred location (still at least 40 minutes from Perth’s CBD) I had made peace with needing to compromise.
Hall Park in Mandurah WA is causing a war between locals and the council

Feb 11, 2025 | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

A small parcel of land on track to become a bustling commercial hub has caused major upset over claims it will “devastate” locals, cripple nearby businesses, and destroy “A class reserve” land. Hall Park, located in Mandurah, about an hour south of Perth, has for the past 75 years been home to funfair, King Carnival, which recently closed permanently as its decades-long lease expired.
Cafe decides to only serve drinks in disposable takeaway cups

Jan 10, 2025 | news.com.au | Brooke Rolfe

Fury is building following an Australian cafe’s decision to exclusively serve its coffees in disposable cups as distressed locals express concerns over the environmental impact. Surfing Lizard, which has two locations in Western Australia, one in Secret Habour about an hour south of Perth, and another in Coogee about half-hour from Perth, announced the decision last month.
Stomach-churning footage captures cockroaches, maggots inside busy McDonald’s

Jan 8, 2025 | nypost.com | Brooke Rolfe

Troubling scenes have been captured inside a McDonald’s restaurant where multiple creepy-crawlies seem to have set up camp throughout the store. Cockroaches were seen buzzing around inside the fries, furniture, a bin, and on the floor in exclusive footage released by newy.com.au from the Broadmeadow store, in NSW’s Newcastle area. Not only was there a roach filmed wriggling around among the outlet’s famous fries, but there were dozens of maggots captured sprawled across a dustpan too.