Oatley, Lugarno, Mortdale, Peakhurst - South Sydney

Hi,

I've accepted a job offer in Sydney and will hopefully be moving out at the end of the year. I've been given the option of either being based in Penrith or Bankstown for work. I've already done some research on Penrith and the surrounding areas and am now trying to get some opinions on Bankstown. In general, it seems that Bankstown doesn't rate too highly for most people, but I've been looking at some of the suburbs south of there - Oatley, Lugarno, Mortdale, Peakhurst - and any advice on what to expect would be great. I'll be coming over with 2 young children (2 and 4) as well as my husband, so looking for a family friendly suburb, safe, parks, good schools, etc. Also need somewhere that is moderate in terms of expenses. Everyone says Sydney is so expensive. I've already had a look at rentals in some of these suburbs and think we could probably get by in some of the lower-priced properties if we're careful. Are there suburbs north of Bankstown that would be worth looking at? Grateful for any general advice at this stage!

Anne.

Hi. We looked at Oatley to live because my husband works in Hurstville, but in the end we decided that we preferred Sutherland Shire, a bit further south. I felt that Oatley (and presumably the surrounding suburbs) were a bit built up and busy with traffic which didn't suit us. Hubby occasionally drives through those areas and says that they seem fine.

We settled for Sutherland Shire because it is very family friendly, has everything that is needed in terms of shops, beaches, things to do, clean parks and playgrounds, good schools etc. We have two small children (4 and almost 6, they were 1 and 2 when we arrived) so we were looking for those sorts of things. We live in Woronora Heights, Engadine is where our eldest goes to school and where we do our food shopping and where most of our friends live, and love this area. It is cheaper than other parts of Sutherland Shire. If you are commuting to Bankstown, from Engadine you would be looking at maybe 30-40 minutes drive. From Menai/Illawong/Alfords Point/Barden Ridge, all of which are lovely areas which we looked at the commute would be far less.

Give me a shout if you would like and more info on Sutherland Shire.

Hi,

We have friends who recently went through the process of moving from the inner-west to the Shires in order to get more property for their money, so I'm sharing second hand info :-) Originally they wanted to be in Oatley - excellent schools and good access to the CBD but they still found it expensive. They have friends in Miranda so also looked there. In the end they've bought in Jannali. Moving into the catchment of a good school was a top priority for them so I thought adding a few more suburb names to your list might be useful.

All the best.

Hi,

 

I've accepted a job offer in Sydney and will hopefully be moving out at the end of the year. I've been given the option of either being based in Penrith or Bankstown for work. I've already done some research on Penrith and the surrounding areas and am now trying to get some opinions on Bankstown. In general, it seems that Bankstown doesn't rate too highly for most people, but I've been looking at some of the suburbs south of there - Oatley, Lugarno, Mortdale, Peakhurst - and any advice on what to expect would be great. I'll be coming over with 2 young children (2 and 4) as well as my husband, so looking for a family friendly suburb, safe, parks, good schools, etc. Also need somewhere that is moderate in terms of expenses. Everyone says Sydney is so expensive. I've already had a look at rentals in some of these suburbs and think we could probably get by in some of the lower-priced properties if we're careful. Are there suburbs north of Bankstown that would be worth looking at? Grateful for any general advice at this stage!

 

Anne.

Hi and welcome. I also live in the shire, but we live in Caringbah, we love it here, pleny to do and see, loods of shops. and so much to do for everyone. The schools are very good aswell. Ans we live 5 mins from Cronulla beach. Hope this helps, always here to help just ask :biggrin:

Anita

Hi all,

Thanks so much for these posts. I will certainly have a look at these other suburbs and explore the Shire area a bit more thoroughly. I didn't want to go too far South as I'm keen to minimise my commute as much as possible. But I'm definitely willing to negotiate if these suburbs have what we're looking for in terms of schools, lifestyle, and affordability. One other question... In general, what is child care like out there? I will have the option of using a creche based at work for my youngest, and once my husband starts work she will probably need to go in at least part-time. What are the average costs?

Many thanks,

Anne.

I pay $78 per day for long day care for my almost 4 year old. She goes three days per week, I work from home and because we are on a 457 we get no help with fees. There is no compulsory government funded pre-school, it is user pays. It can be difficult to get a place in daycare, particularly the good ones can have a wait list.

Gosh. That's not cheap. Though it's probably no more expensive than in some parts of the UK. Do they have half-day options? I know that's a difficulty here and you usually end up paying the same (or near-same) price for a full day even if you're only putting your child in for a half day. I'm probably going to be coming over on a PR visa, will I be able to get any help with the fees with that? Do they operate anything similar to the child care vouchers in the UK where you can pay daycare and preschool fees through a salary sacrifice scheme and, hence, out of your pre-tax pay? Sorry to bombard you with questions!

Yes, it is pricey isn't it! I have almost an hours round trip to drop her off/collect her too because there were no spaces in nearby suburbs. I don't know about other centres, but at the one that our daughter attends we have to pay the same regardless of whether she is there for an hour or all day! For PR I think that there is a rebate available (Child Care Rebate maybe?), but I am afraid I don't know anything about it. The Family Assistance website will probably have info on that.