Britz in Oz
Information for British Expats in Australia
Labour win the Tasmanian State ElectionLiberal, with 39% of the vote (112,935 votes), get 10 of the seats Interest ratesLabour win the South Australian State ElectionLiberal, with 42% of the vote, get 40.0% of the seats Mortgage Interest ratesCUA, Australia's largest credit union reduced its standard variable rate by 0.25% to 6.37% effective 19 March 2010. 2010 State Elections in AustraliaPrivate school student numbers boomAccording to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of students over the last 10 years has risen by 234,700, with the following breakdown between State and Non State schools: In 2009 there were 3,461,334 students attending full time school. Primary School student Attendance Secondary School student Attendance Choice 50th Birthday AwardsTo mark CHOICE’s 50th birthday, the following Awards has been made to: Record Fall in ATM useThe use of ATM machines in Australia has seen a record fall, but at the same time the use of the "cashback" option at the shops has also seen a record rise. UnemploymentThe number of Full time employed people in Australia rose by 45,123 from 7,655,080 in January 2010 to 7,700,203 in February 2010 in 'Original data' figures. An increase of 0.59%. The number of Full time employed people in Australia rose by 11,438 from 7,648,303 in January 2010 to 7,659,741 in February 2010 in Seasonally adjusted figures. An increase of 0.15%. The Australian unemployment rate was at 5.3 per cent in February, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.1 percentage points from the downwardly revised 5.2 per cent observed in January 2010. The ABS reported the number of people employed in February slightly increased, up 400 people to 10.971 million, seasonally adjusted. The rise in employment was driven by a rise in full-time employment, up 11,400 people to 7.660 million that was offset by a fall in part-time employment, down 11,000 people to 3.311 million. Interest ratesAustralian Average WagesTrend Estimates reported from the ABS (before the addition of the 9% Super) November 2009 2008/2009 Migration StatisticsAccording to figures released by the department of Immigration, the following applied to migrants from the United Kingdom to Australia, during the 2008-09 year.
6,160 Total Permanent Departures Based on that, a total of 28.6% returned at some point in their lives, and the following was also reported. 1,087 left within the first two years 976 stayed for between 3 and 5 years 4,097 had stayed for 5 or more years Australian National Education CurriculumThe draft K-10 Australian Curriculum in English, mathematics, science and history is now being finalised for uploading to the Australian Curriculum Consultation Portal. Australian Unemployment RatesJanuary 2010 For the third consecutive month, the ABS reported that the number of people unemployed had decreased, down 22,300 persons to 612,000 in January. The Australian Trend unemployment rate decreased in January 2010 to 5.4% The Australian Seasonally Adjusted unemployment rate decreased in January 2010 to 5.3% The number of people employed in January 2010 increased by 52,700 to 10.966 million, seasonally adjusted, the ABS reported. This is the largest rise in employment since December 2006 The unemployment rate for males looking for full time work has changed over the last 3 months as follows: The highest and lowest rates, for Full Time Males, during the last 3 years have been: Qld childcare website to name and shame9th February 2010 English speaking migrants will jump the immigration queue.February 08, 2010 Immigration Rule Changes February 2010On 8 February 2010, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced changes to the General Skilled Migration program. These changes can be seen at: The main area of changes are: Family Tax Benefits stopped for non lodgement of Tax ReturnsFrom January 2010, people who have not lodged tax returns may have their Family Tax Benefits stopped automatically. Changes to the Building Trade Licence Legislation - QUEENSLAND1st December 2009, From 1 December 2009, there will be a change to building licensing regulations in Queensland. Most work valued at $3,300 or less is now exempt from BSA’s licensing requirements. The previous threshold was $1,100. Smoking in Cars banned in QueenslandFrom the 1st January 2010 smoking will be banned in Queensland, in cars carrying children under the age of 16. Fines of $200 will apply. CPI - Consumer Price IndexThe ABS reports that CPI for the September Quarter 2009 rose by 1.0% This compares to a rise for the previous quarter (June 2009) of 0.5%. This will almost guarantee another 0.25% rise in Interest rates in November, with maybe even a 0.5% rise. 2009 Australian Education ReportThe 2009 NAPLAN Education report can be seen in PDF File at: Queensland, with the average age of children tested being up to 9 months younger than other States, again came near the bottom, but beating WA and NT More information at: .../australian-education-naplan-2009-results Shopping in AustraliaSydney, Perth, Melbourne, and all the major cities have great shopping, so take some time and explore the CBD. If you're looking to buy a gift for for someone, especially something last-minute, the Complete Basketcase delivers gift baskets and hampers all over the country, and to the UK. Driving in QueenslandMost speed limits in built up areas in Brisbane are 60kph, but this reduces to 50kph in many residential areas. Other roads may be 80kph, with 100 or 110 kph on the Freeways/Motorways. Car rental in Brisbane is normally only available for drivers over the age of 21 years, with 2 years full licence experience, although some companies state a 25 year age limit. More.... Driving in Queensland Australian Crime StatisticsMercer’s Worldwide Quality of Living SurveyFree Phone CallsFree phone calls to the UK ? and Free Phone calls all over Australia ? Need a Visa for Australia ?Not sure which visa to apply for ? The Australian Government immigration website now has the FIND A VISA WIZARD at: Answer the questions and the wizard will point you in the right direction... More Visa Information on our site at: Australian Visa's
Immigrant = for most part an immigrant will commit themselves to becoming a part of their country of residence. Expat = usually only temporarily placed in the host country & most of the time plan on returning to their home country. | m13 | ||||