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Australia consists of a large island
continent and the large offshore island of Tasmania. It is the
only country in the world that is a continent. The country is only
a little smaller than the United States but its sparse population
is comparable with that of Canada. Including Tasmania it spans 30
degrees of latitude, resulting in a large range of climates from
temperate to tropical. With the exception of mountain ranges along
the east coast (Great Dividing Ranges) and in Tasmania, most of
Australia is relatively low flat to rolling country. Vast areas of
the continent consist of desert or sparsely populated pastoral
land with lush landscapes in coastal areas, particularly in the
east where most of the population is to be found. To the north lie
lush tropical rainforests and wetlands and in the west is an
enormous, ancient plateau which ends abruptly in the Indian Ocean.
Most of Australia is fairly low and
flat which means that contrasts of weather and climate are gradual
and there are few sharp local changes. Much of Australia is warm
or hot throughout the year, and even along the cooler southern
coasts the winters are mild rather than cold. Only Tasmania, which
is in the same latitude as New Zealand, has a temperate climate
comparable with that of Britain or northwest Europe. The east and
southeast coasts of Australia get rain at all seasons, with rather
more in the summer. The south and southwest coasts of South and
Western Australia are affected by westerly cyclonic disturbances
during the cooler winter season and have their maximum rainfall at
this time. As Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere summer
starts in December and winter starts in June. The sun is very
strong in Australia so caution is advised at all times.
For further information please visit -
http://www.bom.gov.au/
Nearly a third of Australia is in the
tropics and the rest is in the temperate zone.
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Seasons in Australia |
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Season |
Months |
|
Summer |
December – February |
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Autumn |
March – May |
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Winter |
June – August |
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Spring |
September – November |
|
|
|
|
Mean daily max/min
temperature (°C)
|
Mean monthly
rainfall (mm)
|
Mean daily
sunshine hours
|
|
|
Jan
|
Jul
|
Jan
|
Jul
|
Jan
|
Jul
|
|
Adelaide |
29/17
|
15/7
|
21
|
82
|
10
|
5
|
|
Brisbane |
29/21
|
21/9
|
160
|
62
|
8
|
8
|
|
Canberra |
28/13
|
11/0
|
62
|
42
|
9
|
6
|
|
Darwin |
32/25
|
30/21
|
431
|
1
|
6
|
10
|
|
Hobart |
22/12
|
12/4
|
42
|
47
|
8
|
5
|
|
Melbourne |
26/14
|
13/6
|
49
|
48
|
9
|
4
|
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Perth |
32/17
|
18/8
|
71
|
63
|
12
|
6
|
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Sydney |
26/19
|
16/8
|
104
|
99
|
7
|
7
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The Australian population is
estimated to be 21,439,982 (October 2008). Historically the
population is predominantly Anglo-Celtic. Approximately 22% of
Australians were born overseas with the three main countries of
birth being the United Kingdom, New Zealand and China (2006
Census). The first European settlements began in 1788 at a time
when Australia was sparsely populated by the aboriginal people.
The settlements began with the establishment by the British of a
penal colony in New South Wales.
For further information please visit -
http://www.abs.gov.au/
Christianity is the faith most widely
professed. The main denominations are Roman Catholic, Anglican and
Uniting Church.
Australia is an independent state
within the British Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is represented
by the Governor General who has wide powers, but by convention
acts only on the advice of ministers on virtually all matters. In
1901 the Australian Constitution established a federal system of
government. Under this system, powers are distributed between a
national government (House of Representatives) and the six States;
three Territories - the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern
Territory, and Norfolk Island have self-government arrangements
(The Senate). National elections must be held every three years
and voting is compulsory for those 18 yrs and over.
For further information please visit -
http://www.australia.gov.au/
Australian law is based on the
English model of common law. The Australian Federal Government has
the responsibility for crimes against the revenue (eg. tax
evasion), breaches of corporations law and border control. Crimes
against the person (eg. assault, murder) are the responsibility of
State/Territory governments. Civil litigation (eg. negligence) is
generally conducted in State courts. The High Court is the highest
court in the Australian judicial system. Below this are the
Federal, State and Territory courts and a number of specialist
courts.
For more information visit -
http://www.law.gov.au/
Social
Security
The Federal Government helps people
whose source of income has ceased, because of disability or
retirement for example, or has been interrupted by unemployment or
sickness. Age Pensions are paid to men from the age of 65 and to
women between the ages of 60.5 – 65, dependent on date of birth.
The range of pensions, benefits and allowances also includes
Disability Support Pensions, Family Allowance Supplement, Solo
Parent Benefit, Sickness Allowance or New Start Allowance. Social
security benefits are non-contributory and usually paid directly
to the recipient with the emphasis being on income support, based
on need. Eligibility for most payments depends on an income/means
test. New settlers are reminded that it is not possible to claim
social security benefits, such as an unemployment benefit, for the
first two years of residence in Australia.
For more information visit -
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/
Health care in Australia relies on
private and public facilities: a predominantly private medical
profession, private and public hospitals, and private and public
health financing. Medicare, the national health care system, is
funded through progressive income tax and an income related levy
(1.5% levy on taxable income plus an additional 1% Medicare levy
surcharge on individuals and families on higher incomes - A$50,000
and A$100,000 respectively - who do not have private patient
hospital cover).
Medicare provides access to free
treatment as a public (Medicare) patient in a public hospital,
free or subsidised treatment by practitioners such as doctors,
including specialists, participating optometrists or dentists
(specified services only). Medicare pays 85% of the scheduled fee
and the patient pays the difference. The difference between what
Medicare pays and the Schedule fee is called the gap amount. Once
your gap payments, within a calendar year, total A$328*, you are
eligible for the Safety Net. From this point Medicare benefits
will increase to 100 per cent of the Medicare Schedule fee for any
further out-of-hospital services in that year. Most medicines
available on prescription are subsidised under the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme (PBS). Most PBS-listed medicines cost the consumer
a maximum of A$29*. (* Figures are adjusted annually in line with
the rate of inflation)
Migrants are eligible for Medicare
benefits from the day of arrival and should enrol with Medicare
and obtain a Medicare card immediately upon arrival in Australia.
About 80% of Australians have some level of private insurance for
medical services that Medicare does not cover such as dentistry,
glasses or contact lenses, physiotherapy and chiropractic
treatment. There are over 40 health funds in Australia, the
largest being MBF, HCF and Medibank Private.
For more information visit -
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/
Preschool and school education has a
similar structure across Australia with only slight variations
amongst the States and Territories. School education is thirteen
years with some variations in Queensland and Western Australia. It
is divided into a preparatory year, primary schooling and
secondary schooling.
Preschool education commonly starts
at five years of age for one year and is not compulsory. Primary
schooling beginning at age six provides a general elementary
programme lasting for six or seven years. Students enter secondary
education in Year 7 or 8. School education is compulsory until
students reach school leaving age which varies across states. The
current leaving age for each state is 17 yrs for Western
Australia, 15 yrs for the Northern Territory, 16 yrs for New South
Wales, 16 yrs for Tasmania, 16 yrs for Victoria, 16 yrs for
Queensland and 16 yrs for South Australia. Students have to sit a
Year 12 exam to assess their eligibility to proceed with higher
education.
Around 68% of Australian children
attend free, government-funded schools which are mostly
co-educational and nonreligious. A parallel fee-paying sector also
exists, including independent schools and schools run by various
religious institutions. Children who need to attend boarding
school in their secondary school years because of rural isolation
will usually attend schools of this type, and their boarding costs
are subsidised by the Government.
Tertiary education programmes can be
divided into two main types, those offered by institutions and
industry within the Vocational Education and Training (VET)
sector, and higher education programmes which are mainly offered
by universities and other higher education institutions. VET is
competency-based and offers a wide variety of programmes under the
National Training Framework (NTF). There are approximately 4,000
registered training organisations, including TAFE institutes,
private training and assessment organisations, enterprises,
universities, schools and adult education providers throughout
Australia.
For more information visit -
http://www.dest.gov.au/
Driving is on the left. Each of the
states and territories has a separate authority responsible for
the issuing of driver's licences which are then valid Australia
wide. The minimum age for driving is either 17 or 18 years,
depending on the state or territory. Migrants should apply for an
Australian licence as soon as they take up permanent residence,
although most states have a grace period of three months. Holders
of a current drivers licence or an International Driving Permit
issued in their home country must pass a written test on the local
road rules. In most states it is also necessary to undergo an
eyesight test. Driving licences are issued for a set period of
time and a fee is payable for each renewal. For information on
driver's licences in the state of your choice, see the relevant
list of state websites in this publication.
For more information visit -
http://www.atsb.gov.au/
Great distances in Australia have led
to a significant role for transport and communications. Australia
has about 913,000 km of public roads. Private travel accounts for
almost half of all road use. For non-bulk merchandise, road is
Australia's dominant domestic transport mode (about 69%). There
are rail links between the major cities but no rail service in
Tasmania. Air transport is a major factor because of the distances
with scheduled domestic flights carrying more than 18 million
passengers a year. The two main domestic airlines are Qantas and
Virgin Blue. Coastal shipping is mainly for freight, with
passenger and car ferries operating between Victoria and Tasmania.
Australia has one of the highest proportions of personal computer
and mobile telephone ownership in the world and the Internet
takeup rate is second only to the USA. There are about 400 radio
stations in Australia, over half of them commercial, and a number
of television channels. Australia has 12 metropolitan daily
newspapers, 38 regional dailies and 138 suburban papers. Thirty
Australian magazines have a circulation of between 80,000 and a
million copies per issue.
Australia uses the AC 240 volts 50
cycle electrical system, although many homes also have 110 volt
sockets for electric razors.
In Australia approximately 70% of
people either own their own home with or without a loan. The
average home consists of three/four bedrooms, combined
lounge/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and separate laundry
room. The greatest proportion of Australians live in detached
bungalows standing in their own gardens, often with a backyard
swimming pool. A combination of both timber and brick dwellings
provides character and individuality in most neighbourhoods.
Prices of houses vary considerably depending on factors such as
locality, distance from the city and availability of services.
Rental accommodation sought through real estate agents is usually
for a fixed period of time. A bond equivalent to one month's rent
and two weeks rent in advance is usual.
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|
|
June 2008
|
(A$)
|
|
Sydney
|
$542,000
|
|
Melbourne
|
$449,888
|
|
Brisbane
|
$437,379
|
|
Canberra
|
$500,944
|
|
Darwin
|
$466,675
|
|
Perth
|
$496,111
|
|
Adelaide
|
$414,220
|
|
Hobart
|
$286,716
|
|
Source: Real Estate Institute
of Australia |
Australia has had one of the
strongest economies in the world over the past 2 decades.
Australia's high economic performance resting on strong growth,
low inflation and low interest rates has been the result of
effective economic management and ongoing structural reform, along
with a competitive and dynamic private sector and a skilled,
flexible workforce. The Australian economy has shown impressive
resilience by surpassing internal and external events over the
past decade.
Trade underpins Australia’s
prosperity and the current government’s trade policy has as its
main goal the creation of new and more open markets for exports.
This goal is pursued multilaterally through the World Trade
Organization, regionally through APEC and the Closer Economic
Partnership with ASEAN and bilaterally through free trade
negotiations, such as with Singapore, Thailand, Chile, New Zealand
and the United States. Australia’s top five export markets are
Japan, China, USA, South Korea and New Zealand. Australia’s goods
and services exports reached $216 billion in 2007, up 16%. The
growth of Australia’s exports rose strongly in 2007 with the
strongest percentage growth market being the EU with a 25%
increase in the export of goods and services. East Asia still
dominates the export market which accounted for 53% of Australia’s
total exports in 2006, a 15% increase from the previous year.
Australia’s main export goods include
coal, iron ore, gold, crude petroleum and Aluminium. Australia’s
main import items include machinery and transport equipment,
computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and
parts, crude oil and petroleum products.
The CPI is at 4.5% (Q4 2007/08) and
economic growth is forecast at 2.7% (Q2, 2008).
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics,
Dept of Foreign Affairs & Trade and The Commonwealth Treasury.
For more information visit -
http://www.treasury.gov.au/
Taxation
The tax year begins on I July. Since
1 July 2000 a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies on most
supplies of goods and services consumed in Australia. Income tax
is imposed by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. Other
taxes, such as petrol, stamp duty and payroll taxes are levied by
the state governments, and real estate taxes are levied by local
governments/councils. After arrival in Australia, newly landed
migrants will need to lodge an application with the Taxation
Office to obtain a personal tax file number (TFN) which must be
disclosed to employers, banks, building societies etc
For more information visit -
http://www.ato.gov.au/
Importing Personal Effects
Personal effects imported for your
own use and owned and used by you previously do not attract duty
or other taxes on arrival. The cost of moving can be high and
household items vary greatly in replacement value from country to
country, so it is worth doing some research before deciding what
to take and what to leave behind. In the case of many electrical
and electronic items, differing standards may make it more
worthwhile to purchase new ones.
For more information visit -
http://www.customs.gov.au/
Importing Motor Vehicles
The total cost of importing a car to
Australia, including compliance (ensuring the vehicle meets
Australian standards) and re-registration is so high that unless
your vehicle is very special it is seldom worthwhile.
For more information visit -
http://www.customs.gov.au/
Work Regulations
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20 hours per week during studies
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Full time during vacation
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