Sarah Brookes, WAtoday Journalist Profile

Articles

‘Pilbara killer’: Will this mega African iron ore mine sink Perth house prices?

1 week ago | domain.com.au | Sarah Brookes

By Sarah BrookesApril 15, 2025In the West African nation of Guinea a sleeping giant is stirring. The Simandou iron ore mine, a colossal project with vast reserves and high-grade ore, threatens to upend the global iron market, earning the ominous moniker ‘the Pilbara Killer’ for its potential to dethrone Western Australia. After years of delays, the Chinese-led (alongside Rio Tinto) project is finally moving with first shipments expected later this year.
‘Pilbara killer’: Will this mega African iron ore mine sink Perth house prices?

1 week ago | smh.com.au | Sarah Brookes

, register or subscribe to save articles for later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. In the West African nation of Guinea a sleeping giant is stirring. The Simandou iron ore mine, a colossal project with vast reserves and high-grade ore, threatens to upend the global iron market, earning the ominous moniker ‘the Pilbara Killer’ for its potential to dethrone Western Australia.
BGC fallout lands at Premier’s doorstep as homeless clients demand action

1 week ago | watoday.com.au | Sarah Brookes

A group of frustrated BGC customers have taken their fight to the top, firing off a harrowing letter to Premier Roger Cook in a desperate plea for help as cost blowouts and endless construction delays leave their dream homes hanging in limbo. The long-suffering customers, some who have been waiting more than five years, are calling on the state government to step in and take action, accusing one of WA’s biggest builders of leaving them in the lurch.
BGC class action ongoing even as company trials faster ‘shell home’ construction

2 weeks ago | watoday.com.au | Sarah Brookes

When WAtoday asked BGC what construction methods they were trialling and how many builds remained unfinished on their books they declined to answer. BGC customer Amanda was handed the keys to her new traditionally constructed home in Brabham in February this year, nearly three years after signing a contract in July 2022. An unfinished home in a Perth housing estate.Credit: Ross Swanborough“It’s been nothing but a circus,” she said.
Boom or bust: The Perth suburbs agents will and won’t buy in

2 weeks ago | smh.com.au | Sarah Brookes

, register or subscribe to save articles for later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Western Australia might be riding high on headlines about price growth and investor demand, but leading buyer’s agent Lloyd Edge said not every suburb was a smart buy in 2025. Edge has identified five Perth suburbs he’s steering clear of this year, based on risks ranging from oversupply and poor capital growth, to infrastructure stagnation and lack of long-term buyer demand.
Perth home values add $350k in five years, but still short of 2000s boom

2 weeks ago | domain.com.au | Sarah Brookes

By Sarah BrookesApril 9, 2025Perth property prices have surged since the pandemic closed the state’s borders five years ago, adding an extra $346,477 to the median price of a home – a bonanza for those who got in early. CoreLogic economist Kaytlin Ezzy said the 75 per cent rise in home values across the city was the largest across the nation’s capitals.
Perth home values add $350k in five years, but still short of 2000s boom

2 weeks ago | smh.com.au | Sarah Brookes

, register or subscribe to save articles for later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Perth property prices have surged since the pandemic closed the state’s borders five years ago, adding an extra $346,477 to the median price of a home – a bonanza for those who got in early. CoreLogic economist Kaytlin Ezzy said the 75 per cent rise in home values across the city was the largest across the nation’s capitals.
A West Aussie’s view from the east: Six reasons why Sydney outshines Perth

2 weeks ago | watoday.com.au | Sarah Brookes

But like the delays plaguing the $12 billion transformation of Perth’s rail network, the B Line is not without its own dramas. Office folk regularly find themselves waiting at bus stops for long periods due to cancellations and packed services. But Transport NSW is prepared to explore the unconventional introducing Keoride, an immensely popular on-demand public transport model introduced with the start of the B-Line service.
BGC class action ongoing even as company trials faster ‘shell home’ construction

2 weeks ago | watoday.com.au | Sarah Brookes

When WAtoday asked BGC what construction methods they were trialling and how many builds remained unfinished on their books they declined to answer. BGC customer Amanda was handed the keys to her new traditionally constructed home in Brabham in February this year, nearly three years after signing a contract in July 2022. An unfinished home in a Perth housing estate.Credit: Ross Swanborough“It’s been nothing but a circus,” she said.
WA news LIVE: WA teen killed in off-road motorbike crash remembered

2 weeks ago | smh.com.au | Emma Young |Sarah Brookes

By Emma YoungNew Curtin University research has found the vast number of pet dogs on the planet is having far-reaching negative effects. While ecological damage caused by cats has been extensively studied, the new research found dogs, as the world’s most common large carnivores, present a significant and multifaceted environmental threat.