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Cerberus1

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  1. According to a recent Australian Population Research Institute survey, three quarters of Australians believe the country doesn't need any more people while 54% want a reduction in the annual migrant intake. The organisation's researchers, Katharine Betts and Bob Birrell, say the result shows a disconnect between the political elites' commitment to high immigration policies and the concerns of voters. In their analysis, they said the results are driven by the impact of population growth on people's quality of life. Australia's population increased by 389,000 people to 24.5 million in the year to March, largely due to the arrival of new immigrants. Most people who migrate to Australia are skilled workers (68%) and about a third make the move to be with family. But 74% of those surveyed believe Australia is "already full", with most pointing to roads congestion, hospitals capacity, affordable housing and fewer jobs as evidence. Mr Birrell said "population pressures" significantly contributed to this result. "For most Australian voters, the problems associated with Australia’s very high population growth, which is higher than other developed countries are now starting to bite," he said. "We’re seeing that in our survey that most respondents thought that population pressures were adding to difficulties of urban congestion, housing affordability, job competing and the like. It's hardly surprising that 74% of them would respond by saying Australia doesn’t need more people." Immigration minister Peter Dutton reacted cautiously to the survey results on Thursday, stating that the government was "always looking at the migration numbers" to get the balance right. "In the Labor years the number peaked at about 305,900 in one year which was an enormous number, we've got that number down now below 190,000 and as I say, we’re happy to reassess." He said new migrants were drawn to the big population centres where pressure on housing and infrastructure was most often felt, however, "In some regional towns they’re crying out for people because they can’t get workers in the meatworks or areas of primary production, tourism, restaurants and so on. So we need to get that balance right." The institute commissioned the survey from July 31 to August 17 this year, where a random national sample of 2067 voters, drawn from an online panel of 300,000 people, were asked questions about Australia's immigration and population policies.
  2. You can use https://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline/home.do to help with catchment areas The 'Search by an address' facility is primarily to help you as a parent find the school where your child is guaranteed a place. This guarantee of a place is based on your child’s usual place of residence. WA Dept of Education School enrollment policies are detailed in http://det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policy-planning-and-accountability/policies-framework/guidelines/enrolment-frequently-asked-questions.en There's also info about 'Local Intake' schools on the attached pdf Declaration of local-intake areas for schools 2017.pdf
  3. CENSUS 2016 – OUR BRISBANE Brisbane’s LGA population has grown by 1.7 per cent per annum on average over the past five years, in line with the national average. This increase in population is mostly attributed to continued growth in outer suburbs such as Taigum, Fitzgibbon, Rochedale and Burbank, but also reflects the increasing growth in inner city suburbs such as Bowen Hills, Newstead and Fortitude Valley. Brisbane’s population growth has also been supported by migration. The number of overseas born residents, particularly from China and India, as well as a host of other Asian nations, has increased. The proportion of Brisbane LGA residents born overseas increased from 28.3 per cent in 2011 to 30.6 per cent in 2016. Although the United Kingdom and New Zealand remain the most common overseas nations of birth, this proportion has decreased. Language diversity in the city has increased with the shift in migration. The most commonly spoken languages other than English are Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese. AGE Brisbane’s median age has increased slightly from 34 to 35, due to a 16.6 per cent increase in the number of residents older than 65. EDUCATION The proportion of residents who have completed high school has increased from 69.5 per cent to 72 per cent. There has also been an increase in the number of residents attending universities from 81,000 to 97,800. HOUSEHOLD INCOME Brisbane’s median personal and household income continued to increase between 2011 and 2016, by 10.6 per cent and 13.4 per cent respectively. Median personal income in the Brisbane LGA is $770 per week, which is higher than the median income for Australia, Queensland and Greater Brisbane. HOUSING COSTS The median mortgage repayment decreased in the Brisbane LGA, as interest rates reached record lows. As a result, housing affordability has improved, with the proportion of household income spent on rent and mortgage repayments decreasing. Improved rental affordability has occurred at the same time as the proportion of renters in the Brisbane LGA has increased, which in part reflects an increase in the proportion of people living in apartments. The average household size in the Brisbane LGA remained unchanged between 2011 and 2016 with the growth in occupied dwellings in line with population growth. INTERNET CONNECTIVITY Greater Brisbane has retained its position as the most internet connected of the state capitals. The proportion of dwellings with an internet connection increased further between 2011 and 2016, from 78.6 per cent to 82.4 per cent in Greater Brisbane (84 per cent of dwellings are connected in the Brisbane LGA). EMPLOYMENT
  4. CENSUS 2016 – OUR BRISBANE Brisbane’s LGA population has grown by 1.7 per cent per annum on average over the past five years, in line with the national average. This increase in population is mostly attributed to continued growth in outer suburbs such as Taigum, Fitzgibbon, Rochedale and Burbank, but also reflects the increasing growth in inner city suburbs such as Bowen Hills, Newstead and Fortitude Valley. Brisbane’s population growth has also been supported by migration. The number of overseas born residents, particularly from China and India, as well as a host of other Asian nations, has increased. The proportion of Brisbane LGA residents born overseas increased from 28.3 per cent in 2011 to 30.6 per cent in 2016. Although the United Kingdom and New Zealand remain the most common overseas nations of birth, this proportion has decreased. Language diversity in the city has increased with the shift in migration. The most commonly spoken languages other than English are Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese. AGE Brisbane’s median age has increased slightly from 34 to 35, due to a 16.6 per cent increase in the number of residents older than 65. EDUCATION The proportion of residents who have completed high school has increased from 69.5 per cent to 72 per cent. There has also been an increase in the number of residents attending universities from 81,000 to 97,800. HOUSEHOLD INCOME Brisbane’s median personal and household income continued to increase between 2011 and 2016, by 10.6 per cent and 13.4 per cent respectively. Median personal income in the Brisbane LGA is $770 per week, which is higher than the median income for Australia, Queensland and Greater Brisbane. HOUSING COSTS The median mortgage repayment decreased in the Brisbane LGA, as interest rates reached record lows. As a result, housing affordability has improved, with the proportion of household income spent on rent and mortgage repayments decreasing. Improved rental affordability has occurred at the same time as the proportion of renters in the Brisbane LGA has increased, which in part reflects an increase in the proportion of people living in apartments. The average household size in the Brisbane LGA remained unchanged between 2011 and 2016 with the growth in occupied dwellings in line with population growth. INTERNET CONNECTIVITY Greater Brisbane has retained its position as the most internet connected of the state capitals. The proportion of dwellings with an internet connection increased further between 2011 and 2016, from 78.6 per cent to 82.4 per cent in Greater Brisbane (84 per cent of dwellings are connected in the Brisbane LGA). EMPLOYMENT This post has been promoted to an article
  5. It says that the form to 'Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (including migration agent)' is available through ImmiAccount but I assume that's relating to who the department corresponds with and not for actually terminating the appointment of your migration agent. (https://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/Immi-FAQs/online-forms-immiaccount-update-details)
  6. From: https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Usin/Using-a-migration-agent-in-Australia If you withdraw or terminate the appointment of your migration agent, they should advise the department in writing or using Form 956. If Form 956 is used to notify the department, your migration agent will ask you to sign and indicate at Q24 (Declaration by Client) that they are no longer acting on your behalf. https://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocuments/Documents/956.pdf
  7. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CLEVELAND, BRISBANE If you have never visited the welcoming suburb of Cleveland, you are certainly missing out on one of Brisbane’s hidden suburban gems. There are plenty of things to see and do in Cleveland, and as far as suburban living goes Cleveland offers a beautiful balance of quality shopping centers, delicious restaurants, good schools and plenty of public transport. BENEFITS OF LIVING IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE Cleveland is a fantastic Brisbane suburb for young families looking for a place to settle down; with an abundance of family-friendly activities including many parks, the local Cleveland Pool, and the Redlands Hospital within close reach, it really offers everything a young family would need. This suburb also happens to be a very popular destination for those looking to retire; with many well-respected retirement villages including Aveo Cleveland, Renaissance, and many others. THE BEST STREETS IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE The best streets in Cleveland, Brisbane, completely depend on which reason you are choosing to move to the suburb. If you’d like to live a luxurious lifestyle, and be within reach of a direct route to Brisbane’s CBD, you may choose to live in Raby Bay. However, if you are looking to raise a young family you may want to choose a home located in the streets around Cleveland’s kindergarten, primary and secondary schools. THE BEST SCHOOLS IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE Cleveland is a fantastic suburb to raise a family, as previously mentioned, one main reason being that the Cleveland schools offer a lot of support for students with many programs created to build a sense of community and offer specialized education for certain interests. The Cleveland Primary School caters for students from Prep to Year 6, and during their schooling students are able to participate in sporting programs, drama, music, and other specialized education. Cleveland Primary School also has a well-respected Swimming team, known locally as ‘The Cleveland Penguins’. Two additional benefits for parents sending their children to the Cleveland Primary school are the on-site dental office for easy dentist appointments, as well as on-site before and after school care. If however your children are high-school aged, they will be attending Cleveland District State High School. This is a very well respected school with plenty of award-winning and high-achieving students. The main specialized programs on offer at this school are the sports program, foreign language program, and leadership programs. There is also a lot of support for students as they prepare to transition into the workforce, with Year 10 students being given the option to participate in certificate programs within the school year so that they may graduate with qualifications. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE Cleveland is the end of the line for a direct train service that goes directly to Brisbane’s CBD and through to Shorncliffe station. This is ideal for those looking to work in the city, or in neighboring suburbs. (https://jp.translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/timetables/train/T/cleveland-line) Apart from the central train line, there are also plenty of bus services around Cleveland, making it very easy for students and adults to travel around the suburb and beyond. On top of this, there is also a ferry service on the edge of Cleveland that allows for transport to Stradbroke Island, a beautiful island that is known for it’s beaches and delicious gelato shop. A wonderful holiday destination, this is another benefit to living in or travelling to Cleveland, Brisbane. SHOPPING IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE From clothing to groceries, Cleveland has a fantastic range of shopping available all around the suburb. One of the most popular shopping destinations that has to be mentioned is Stocklands Cleveland. Located just a short walk from the Cleveland Primary School, this shopping center offers a variety of stores including a Woolworths Grocery Store, a Golden Casket, a few delicious cafes, a Liquourland, and a Terry White Chemists, among other stores. (https://www.stockland.com.au/shopping-centres/centres/stockland-cleveland) Bloomfield Street in Cleveland offers a variety of shops that stretch along the street. For your Fashion needs, boutiques to visit include Louky Boutique, Neon Laundry, Jolie, and Get Gorgeous. On Sundays Bloomfield Street closes off for the weekly Cleveland Village Farmer’s markets, which is a great place to find farm-fresh produce, handmade gift ideas, and bakery-fresh bread and desserts. DISTANCE FROM CLEVELAND TO BRISBANE CBD If you plan on driving from Cleveland to Brisbane’s CBD, you will need to know that it is a total of 28km distance. The easiest route is to take Shore Street all the way from Cleveland through to the CBD – you will drive through Capalaba, Carindale, and Woolloongabba, however it is an easy drive if you give yourself enough time. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE For the youth that grow up in Cleveland, many of the most popular jobs are in the hospitality industry. There are many small cafés, as well as restaurants, fast food restaurants, and grocery stores. For those having trouble finding employment, there are a few employment services in Cleveland including Employment Services Queensland on Queen Street, and Mylestone Employment (for disabilities) on Bloomfield Street. Cleveland as a suburb is a fantastic place for those looking to be employed by small business, however many residents of Cleveland have work outside of the suburb that they travel to. WHAT THERE IS TO DO IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE Cleveland is a beautiful, quiet, and welcoming community that offers plenty of fun things to do on the weekends and during the week. If you are looking for a relaxing time, Stephanie’s Vintage Day Spa on Middle Street in Cleveland offers an abundance of services including highly reviewed massages. The spa itself is beautifully decorated and is a perfect destination for a one-off relaxation appointment, or for regular treatments. (https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g494983-d9812382-Reviews-Stephanies_Vintage_Spa-Cleveland_Redland_City_Brisbane_Region_Queensland.html) If you are a foodie, Cleveland is a wonderful place to enjoy a delicious meal! Raby Bay Harbour is very popular for restaurants including Hogs Breath Café, The Funky Mexican Cantina, Icon Bar, and many others. There are also delicious restaurants dotted around the suburb – many which deliver locally. One of the most well respected restaurants is Maharaja, an Indian restaurant with arguably some of the best butter chicken dishes in Brisbane. (http://maharajacleveland.com.au/) The Cleveland Lighthouse is a beautiful place to visit on the weekend to enjoy the scenery. From the lookout you are most likely to see a few friendly Pelicans swimming about. There is a recently renovated park with a playground perfect for young kids, as well as a gelato shop, fish and chips, a café, and a fine dining restaurant. MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES IN CLEVELAND, BRISBANE If you are considering moving to Cleveland, the median house prices (according to Real Estate.com.au) are $460 per week to rent, and $560,000 to buy. To rent a unit by comparison is around $300 per week, or $395,000 to buy. (https://www.realestate.com.au/neighbourhoods/cleveland-4163-qld) Overall, Cleveland is a wonderful bayside community, offering an escape from the busy city and a perfect place to raise a young family.
  8. A master of understatement if ever I've seen one
  9. Most people would post there own photos up surely, not search the Daily Mail for a photo of where they've walked, still each to there own
  10. I'm confused about this picture, what's it's purpose?, you've nicked a picture from a Daily Mail article depicting Malmesbury in Wiltshire from an article talking about 'temperatures plummet as low as -12C' ? (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3407991/UK-weather-Rush-hour-drivers-face-icy-roads-freezing-fog-12C-temperatures.html)
  11. Hi Kelly There's several Migration agents in Melbourne & Sydney who actively contribute on the forum, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. @wrussell http://www.pinoyau.com/ (Sydney) @Raul Senise http://www.ozimmigration.com (Sydney) @Alan Collett https://www.gmvisas.com/ (Melbourne)
  12. A figure or around $1100 per month seems to be the ballpark figure, although it appears there's some variation depending on the immigration officer you may encounter.
  13. I wouldn’t be 100% certain that the visa fee will count towards the $4,000 spend. Spending on ‘Govt fees and charges’ doesn’t earn points. Most credit cards clamped down on this (or the regulator clamped down) some time ago.
  14. Thanks to members who have recently contributed articles on St Kilda, Oakleigh and East Keilor. They can be found at: https://www.pomsinoz.com/articles.html/where-to-live-in-australia/
  15. Quite a few members have used movecube, I'm sure they'll be happy to share their experiences. I think the big four banks - Commonwelath, ANZ, Westpac, NAB will all offer a similar level of service. We're personally with ANZ for everything but any should be fine. If you use a shipper, then John Mason do seem to have a good reputation, hardly ever see any complaints about them.
  16. A recap of forums news / changes from this month in case you've missed them. Australia Visa Timelines Tracker If you’re applying (or about to apply) for an Australian visa, you want to know how long it’s going to take to be granted. This is understandable, as you’re eager to start your new life in Australia. Having such information will also allow you to get on with other crucial steps in the immigration process. This can include knowing when to put your house up for sale – too early and you may have to move into temporary rental accommodation if your house sells and your visa hasn’t been granted. Conversely, if you delay putting your house up for sale, you may end up with your visa being granted and not being able to move as your house hasn’t sold and your equity is tied up in the property. Other things to consider are knowing when to organise international removals – shipping your goods to Australia takes several weeks. Knowing when to start job hunting, arranging for your children to finish school etc. As you can see, being able to accurately predict when your visa will be granted is very important. With this in mind and following feedback from our members, we're happy to announce that our Australian Visa Timelines Immigration Tracker is now live at: www.australia-visa-timelines.com The tracker allows you to enter key dates about your visa application and compare them in tabular format with other applicants around the globe. You can look at who’s applied for the same visa as you, the same dates as you, from the same country, occupation etc. This will allow you obtain greater insight into the likely time is will take for your visa to be granted. Quickly unsubscribe from all followed content We've recently added an option so that you can unsubscribe yourself from all followed content with one click - as shown in the screenshot below ('Remove from All Content') Pomsinoz visitor numbers Following the move to a new software platform earlier this year - and the initial impact it had on our SERP's, visitor numbers are on an upwards trajectory. There's still a long way to go, but we're working hard behind the scenes to continue growing our community and maintaining its status as one of the pre-eminent sources of information for people moving to and living in Australia. Read members real life migration stories in our articles section We've recently added a new section to our Articles area. Moving to Australia Real Life Stories I'd like to thank the members who have shared their migration stories with us and we'll be adding more stories as the weeks go by. If any members would like their stories published, we're happy to publish them using pseudonyms if requested. Christmas is coming to www.pomsinoz.com From the 01st December, forum members will be able to choose a Christmas theme. At the bottom of the page, there will be a dropdown option labeled 'Theme' where you can select the theme shown above. Also, we'll be running a Christmas themed quiz at some point in December, with prizes available. We're currently in the process of creating the quiz so keep an eye out for it next month.
  17. As snifter said, it comes down to the age and quality of the items. No issues with white goods working, the two countries use the same voltage. For TV's radios, consoles etc, have a look at: Have a look at https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/ https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/ https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/ to see what the cost of replacing your electrical goods would be.
  18. http://www.agriculture.gov.au/travelling/bringing-mailing-goods#check Spices Dried, ground spices and spice mixes weighing no greater than 1 kilogram are allowed into Australia. Spices and spice mixes consist of dried, ground plant material only. This will be verified by: checking the label on each package inspection information provided by the importer. All spice mixes must be in clean and new packaging. Spice mixes (including powdered herbs) may be released without inspection if the product is commercially prepared and in ready for sale retail packaging. All other consignments will be subject to an inspection to verify that it is free of seeds, live insects, soil and other biosecurity risk material. If an item does not meet all of the above conditions it must be treated, exported from Australia or destroyed. Treatment or export is at the importer’s expense. For individual items of each product type weighing more than 1 kilogram please refer to the commercial import requirements in BICON. If you're looking at fetching them in a container for example, then have a look at the BICON link.
  19. Yes - https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Skil#tab-content-2 (previous invitation rounds) (With the occasional exception - 1 in Jan 2017 & 3 in Sept 2016)
  20. We're rural, so have had fixed Wireless NBN for the last year or so. Considering where we live, I've been very happy with it. Today's speed is below we often get faster than that and looking at my speed test figures over the year, several times the download figure has been 40+ Mb/s Drop outs - it maybe drops out once a week on average, I'd guess about 20 minutes downtime per week. We work from home, so internet is vital and it's been fine. For backup/redundancy purposes, I do pay $100 per month for a Netgear® Nighthawk® M1 with 40GB per month , but have never had the need to use it at home, so just tend to use it when travelling.
  21. No bickering here and I'd class is as good info I'm happy to post some real world figures for us per month Mortgage $1100 - based on a mortgage of $220,000 Scale up as appropriate - $2,600 ish for a $500,000 mortage etc. House Insurance $130 (was more when I was in Melbourne) Car Insurance $90 Fuel $200 Servicing&Tyres $35 Council Rates $325 Electric $200 Telephone & internet $100 2 Mobile phones on contract $180 Food $800+ per month (family of 3) Health Insurance (Bupa) $380 School Fees (catholic, not private) $600 Other expenses: Entertainment Clothes School uniform Medications / other medical not covered elsewhere vacations So around $4000+ per month without the items I haven't included figures for, or $5,500 if our mortgage was around $500,000 These are real world figures for our family. Obviously ever family is different and there are so many variables. To get ideas of figures for you, Use mortgage repayment calculators on the banks sites, go on the coles or woolworth sites and do an online shop to estimate food shopping costs, look at council websites to get ideas of rates costs for that area, look at school websites for fees (if applicable) insurance websites to get sample quotes for cars you may get, houses etc.
  22. No complaints here, given we're in a rural location (by choice) and so have a wireless (nbn) connection, I'm more than happy with our connection. We can stream in HD without any issue. To be able to live rural yet still have fast internet is a win/win for me. I was equally happy with our FTTH NBN connection when living in a more populous area in Townsville.
  23. If you're moving to Australia and haven't decided where to want to live yet, it may be worthwhile keeping an eye on CommSec's 'State of the States' reports. The quarterly report attempts to find out how Australia’s states and territories performing by analysing eight key indicators: economic growth retail spending equipment investment unemployment construction work done population growth housing finance dwelling commencements. Just as the Reserve Bank uses long-term averages to determine the level of “normal” interest rates; CommSec do the same with the economic indicators. For each state and territory, latest readings for the key indicators were compared with decade averages – that is, against the “normal” performance. The latest State of the States report also includes a section comparing annual growth rates for the eight key indicators across the states and territories as well as Australia as a whole. This enables another point of comparison – in terms of economic momentum. FIRST - New South Wales SECOND - Victoria THIRD - Australian Capital Territory FOURTH - South Australia FIFTH - Tasmania SIXTH - Queensland SEVENTH - Northern Territory EIGHTH - Western Australia Download the full report: CommSec_State_of_the_States_October2017.pdf
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