Cerberus1

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Radio DAB Radio The UK mainly uses the older DAB standard which uses the MPEG-1 Audio Layer 2 audio codec. Australia uses the newer DAB+ standard which uses the HE-AAC version 2 audio codec, commonly known as 'AAC+' However, all is not lost. Most new receivers are both DAB and DAB+ compatible whilst many older receivers can be updated to the newer DAB+ standard via a firmware upgrade. Another issue to consider is coverage - if you're regional you've no chance of receiving a signal. You can check coverage at http://www.digitalradioplus.com.au/can-i-get-digital-radio AM / FM Radio AM & FM broadcasts are widely available in Australia so there is no issue fetching your analogue radio. Television Analogue Analogue Television Transmissions were phased out in Australia between 2010 and 2013. Therefore if you have a very old television that can only receive analogue signals, you'd need to use a set top box in order to receive the Digital transmissions in Australia. These can be purchased very cheaply in places such as https://www.jbhifi.com.au/?q=set top box& for $49. However, bear in mind that the SCART connection standard was hardly utilized in Australia and as an old analogue TV won't have a HDMI connection, you'll have to check that you can connect the STB to the TV using composite video and L+R audio (the Yellow, Red & White cables) Digital Digital TV broadcasts in Australia go under the name of Freeview (as they do in the UK), the idea being to bring all of free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters onto a consistent marketing platform. The first new "Freeview" channel started on 26 March 2009 with the first Freeview certified devices appearing in retailers from May 2009. In June 2010, the second phase of devices, marked as "Freeview EPG" devices, became available in retail stores, designed to work with the newly launched interactive EPG built on MHEG-5, although this Freeview EPG will cease operating on November 24, 2017 Freeview is now focusing on its new Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) FreeviewPlus service which was launched in 2014 and incorporates an onscreen guide. New Freeview certified devices must be capable of receiving and decoding H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, as opposed to the current MPEG-2. Australia originally started broadcasting HD content over MPEG2, although in 2015 some Australian broadcasters switched to MPEG4. So does this mean I can use my UK digital TV in Australia? Definitely if you use an external Set Top Box to receive the Free To Air (FTA) digital channels. Without the use of a Set Top Box, then you may possibly be able to receive the TV channels (it depends as to the model of TV) due to the changing video & Audio codecs being used in the UK & Australia. Some people report being able to receive a picture but no sound, but by setting the TV to "germany' they get the sound as well. Again, the problem is easily alleviated through the use of a cheap external STB. Want to watch British TV in Australia? Check out: https://www.pomsinoz.com/topic/194613-want-to-watch-british-tv-in-australia/ DVD & Blu-Ray Europe & Australia are in the same Blu-Ray Region (B/2) so there is no compatibility issue with regards playing Australian Blu-Ray discs on a UK Blu-Ray player. The UK & Australia are in different regions for the DVD format (Europe Region 2, Australia Region 4) so unless you modify your UK DVD player to be multi-region/region free or the DVD says it will play in both regions, then you can't play an Australian DVD disc in a UK player. Power If you're fetching a radio, TV or STB from the UK then you won't have any power concerns, you'll just need to use a travel adaptor or change the plug or cable to make it work in Australia. The UK uses 230 V +10%/−6%., as does Australia (since 2000) As in the UK, 240 V is within the allowable limits and "240 volt" is a synonym for mains in Australian and British English. N.B. For disclaimer purposes, check if it is actually legal for you to rewire a plug in your state, you make technically require a licensed electrician to do it. eg. see https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-safety/electricity/homeowners-and-consumers/dontdiy Also, the use of a travel adapter should probably be seen as short term measure as there has been some discussion with regards to household insurance if they're the cause of a fire for example - possibly because adapters purchased overseas may not be licensed/built to Australian Standards. Adapters can be readily purchased in Australia. eg - https://www.bunnings.com.au/korjo-eu-uk-usa-japan-to-aus-travel-adaptor_p4420319

Will my UK Games Console and games work in Australia? Sony PS3 Games are region free – any PS3 game from any region will work on any PS3. Blu-Ray movie discs are region locked – Australia and UK are in the same Blu Ray region (B) and will therefore play both UK and Australian Blu-Ray discs. DVD Movie discs are region locked. A UK PS3 will only play UK region DVDs (Region 2). It will not play Aus DVDs (Region 4). Vice versa applies Sony PS4 The PS4 is region free for games, but for legal reasons Down Loadable Content (DLC) is locked by region. If you buy a game from the US, for example, you will have to purchase all the DLC from the North American PSN Store. If you buy your games locally, then there shouldn't be a problem. Please note that the console is region locked for DVDs and Blu-ray movies. Nintendo Wii Games are region locked, but Australian Wii games will work on a UK Wii and vice versa. The US has a different region and there is no inter-operability between US and UK/Aus Wiis. Any PAL region game will work on a UK or Aus Wii. DVD – Wii can’t play DVDs. (Without modification) Nintendo Wii U Like it's predecessor, Wii U Games are region locked, but Australian Wii games will work on a UK Wii and vice versa. The US has a different region and there is no inter-operability between US and UK/Aus Wii U's. Any PAL region game will work on a UK or Aus Wii U. DVD / Blu-Ray – The Wii U console does not play DVDs or Blu-Ray discs Nintendo Switch Unlike it's predecessors, Nintendo Games aren't region locked, meaning you can play games on it purchased any where in the world. This means you can save quite a bit by taking out an Amazon Prime Membership and pre-ordering games from Amazon US as they offer quite a substantial discount on pre-orders. XBox 360 Games UK and Australia will work interchangeably. Games from other regions such as the US or Japan may or may not work – each individual title is different as it is us to the individual publisher to decide whether or not to include the region coding in their game. A regional compatibility guide can be found here. DVD Movie discs UK XBox360′s will only play UK region DVDs (Region 2). It will not play Australian DVDs (Region 4). Vice versa applies. XBox One Xbox One games are not region locked. Any Xbox One game purchased at retail can be used in any country on any Xbox One. Xbox Live games may not be region free, though. - there needs to be a valid payment method corresponding to a supported launch country in order for any transactions to occur over Xbox Live, and some content may not be accessible outside launch markets due to geographic content restrictions imposed by content right holders. Each Xbox One console is manufactured for a specific Blu-ray and DVD region, following international standards. The Xbox One console can play Blu-ray discs and DVDs that are sold in the same region as the console. Sony PSP Games PSP games will play on any region PSP. Movie discs (UMD) are region locked as per DVD regions. A UK PSP will only play UK region UMDs (Region 2). It will not play Australian UMDs (Region 4). Vice versa applies Sony PS Vita The PlayStation Vita is a region free handheld that can play all retail games from every region. However, DLC is region-locked. So you can't use your EU PS Account to buy digital content from the Japanese store for example Nintendo DS Games are not region locked. Any game will work on any region console. The exception to this is the Nintendo DSi, which has a region block for the DSiWare downloadable games. Nintendo 3DS and all variants Unfortunately, the Nintendo 3DS (and all subsequent variants) does enforce region locking for 3DS-specific software. Australian 3DS games will work on a UK 3DS and vice versa. The US has a different region and there is no inter-operability between US and UK/Aus 3DS's. Any 'PAL region' game will work on a UK or Aus 3DS. Power If you're fetching a console from the UK then you won't have any power concerns, you'll just need to use a travel adaptor or change the plug to make it work in Australia. The UK uses 230 V +10%/−6%., as does Australia (since 2000) As in the UK, 240 V is within the allowable limits and "240 volt" is a synonym for mains in Australian and British English. For consoles from other countries, such as the US / Japan etc, you'll have to do some research. If an AC Adapter for a console operates between 100-110V then you'll need to use a step-down transformer. For 220-240V AC adapters, use a travel adapter or change the plug (depending if it's technically legal for an unlicensed electrician to change a plug in your state) and 100-240V versions, again, it's just a case of using an adapter or plug change.

Can you help us? Unanswered Topics The strength of a forum is in its membership and the knowledge and experience that the collective membership possess. With this in mind, I'd like to encourage all members to contribute as much as possible on the forum. One of the ways you can do this is through browsing the 'Unanswered topics' to see which members are waiting for an answer to a particular query. To view topics without a reply, from the homepage, check the righthand menubar for 'Topics with Zero Replies' Of course, your contribution on all topics on the forum is much appreciated. Link to us If you're a website owner and promote your site on the forum through the use of a signature, then consider placing a link back to us. The bigger we grow, the more traffic will flow on to your own website from us. If you have a website / blog etc related to Australia and have any advertising options, just Message @Cerberus1 if you'd like to discuss further. Social Sharing Help us spread the word - Consider sharing any content you find useful. We have social sharing links at the top right of the homepage (lower down if you're viewing on a mobile device) Each topic also has social sharing links at the bottom of the page. Newsletter Register for our monthly newsletter at https://www.pomsinoz.com/newsletter.html/ You can view previous newsletters at: http://aumigforu.ms/2r3LpFM Content Writing Are you good at researching and writing articles ? We have a list of topics we'd like articles written for. If we use your article, we will remunerate you for it. Private Message @Cerberus1 or @The Pom Queen if you're interested. Some examples or articles we'd like are: Internet options - nbn (fixed, wireless & Satellite) ADSL, 4G Wireless / availability / costs in Australia, speeds etc. Utilities in Australia - gas (mains or bottled) / water / electricity - costs / choices (if any) state by state etc. Health System - Medicare, Private Health Insurance, PBS, safety net, gp choice, out of pocket fees, medicare levy etc Electrical goods from overseas - will they work in Aus - TV, digital radios, variety of consoles etc. Schools - state, faith based, private, fees, voluntary contributions, naplan, myschools website, zoning etc Buying a house in each state - stamp duty, first home owner grant etc

CHOOSING AN AUSTRALIAN MOBILE NETWORK Australia has always been a little behind when it comes to mobile phone networks especially where data allowances come in to it. Purchasing a reasonable priced plan, with good data allowance and network coverage is a nightmare. Firstly, what you need to know is that there are only three telecoms companies who own/operate the mobile towers infrastructure - Telstra, Optus and Vodaphone. No matter which provider you choose your network will be provided by one of these. Tip: A good site for searching what mobile coverage you have in your area is: https://oztowers.com.au/ At the time of writing there are 30 mobile phone carriers: Telstra Network Telstra Woolworths Aldi Boost Southern Phone Telechoice Cmobile Optus Network Optus Virgin Yomojo Jeenee Amaysim Ovo Vaya Coles Dodo Spintel IINet Bendigo Exetel Vodaphone Network Vodaphone Lebaraya TPG Kogan Gotalk Think Hello Mobile Looking at the list above you are probably wondering where to start. If you are going to travel away from the cities then you need to look at Telstra or Optus networks with Telstra being the winner when it comes to network coverage. To be honest there are not enough Vodaphone towers for you to even consider them unless you live, work and play in one of the main cities. Fetching a phone from overseas? If you're thinking or fetching a phone from overseas, below are the main frequencies that each carrier uses. (N.B. 2G is in the process of being phased out) Now you have an idea of what network provider to choose you need to consider whether you want a prepaid or contract phone. Prepaid/PAYG When you first touch down in Australia you are best picking up a SIM card from places like Woolworths, Coles, Servos, Newsagents or Post Offices. These can be purchased for $2 and will give you an Australian contact number to help you sort out Jobs, rentals, Medicare etc. Remember to get your mobile phone unlocked before you arrive in Australia if you are leaving your phone behind you can purchase a pre paid one for around $60. When you have purchased your sim you will then get to choose what plan you go on. These are called BYO Plans (bring your own) or Pre Paid Plans. Remember to check if data allowance is included and how much. Also some providers do a rollover so as long as you keep paying them a monthly top Up fee your unused minutes and data will be carried over to the next month. What do I need to get a Prepaid Sim? When you purchase a prepaid sim they will ask for Identification, usually a passport or driving license. Postpaid or Contract Most mobile phone contracts in Australia are for a 2 year period so you need to check that the coverage is right for you before signing any legal documents. An example cost would be: IPhone 7 32gig on Virgin mobile $62 per month gives you $300 calls and 500mb data $81 per month gives you $300 calls and 6 gig data In comparison for the same phone Telstra is currently $91 per month gives you $550 calls and 1 gig data. As you can see Telstra are one of the most expensive on their plans but shop around because each provider often changes their deals on a regular basis. Tip: A good comparison site for comparing mobile contracts is: https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones What do I need to get a mobile contract? The first thing they will ask is if you can meet the 100 point check, so you are going to need some ID like an Australian Driving License or a Medicare Card as well as a bank card. They will also ask if you are employed and how much you earn. Now I've known cases where people have managed to get a contract without this information or may say they are self employed and they will ask how much you currently earn. They do not ask for wage slips. Once the ID is provided they will make a call to see if you have a bad credit rating. Again I have not personally known anyone fail who has been a new arrival.

From January 1 2018 most permanent residents & New Zealanders will no longer be eligible for subsidised places at University, meaning they will pay about three or four times more for their degrees, on average. To compensate, the government will now allow those groups to access the Higher Education Loan Program, meaning they can defer their fees and pay back the loan once they start earning regular income. Universities, researchers and even New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English reacted negatively to the plan, with Mr English bluntly warning Canberra on Tuesday: "We're pretty unhappy about it." But Education Minister Simon Birmingham argued the changes will encourage about 60,000 new students to study in Australia because they will no longer have to pay fees upfront. "Access to student loans could attract some new students for whom upfront payment was a disincentive to study, leading to an estimated 60,000 additional [full-time students]," the government contended in a policy paper. It did not stipulate the time period for the 60,000 extra students, nor how the number was modelled, and the minister's office did not answer questions before deadline on Tuesday. Recent visa changes also mean permanent residents must wait four years to become an Australian citizen, meaning they could be liable for full fees for the duration of their degree. About 20,000 permanent residents and NZ citizens are currently enrolled in Australian universities, according to government estimates. They will be unaffected by the changes, which apply to people beginning their courses after January 1 next year. Representatives from the tertiary sector attended urgent briefings on Tuesday and reserved judgment about the changes, although one observer noted "a few wry smiles" when government representatives suggested a potential deluge of New Zealanders. Henry Sherrell, researcher at the Crawford School of Public Policy, was sceptical that potential students would flock to Australia the way the government anticipated. While students did not typically react to big movements in degree fees, "that is not the case when you have very specific settings for certain groups of people", he said. Higher prices "will be a disincentive, even if it is an income-contingent loan, even if it does go through HECS," Mr Sherrell said.

As expected, the federal govt used yesterday's budget to outline its plans to abolish the 457 visa and replace the scheme with short and medium-term streams. Application fees for the short-term, two year visas will increase by $90 to $1150, while four-year visa applications will cost $2400 apiece. In addition to this, companies will also be charged annual foreign worker levies. Under the existing scheme, employers have contributed one of two per cent of their payroll to training if they employed foreign workers. But as the requirements have proved almost impossible to police the govt is taking a different route. From March 2018, businesses that employ foreign workers on certain skilled visas will be required to pay money into a "Skilling Australians" fund. Companies turning over less than $10 million per year must make an upfront payment of $1200 (per visa, per year) for each employee on a temporary visa. They must also make a one-off payment of $3000 for each staffer sponsored for a permanent skilled worker visas. Businesses with turnovers above $10 million will be required to make up front payments of $1800 for each worker on temporary visas and $5000 one-off levies for those on permanent skilled visas. The levy is expected to rake in $1.2 billion over the next four years, which will be funnelled into a new Commonwealth-State skills fund. "States and territories will only be able to draw on this fund when they deliver on their commitments to train new apprentices," Mr Morrison said in his budget speech.

Will a change in the budget may make older migrants reconsider moving to Australia? It is estimated more than two thousand new migrants will be barred from the age pension or disability payments in 2018 under tighter eligibility requirements announced by the government as part of the 2017 Budget yesterday. Pensioners and those claiming the disability support pension (DSP) will be required to have lived in Australia for up to 15 years continuously in order to continue receiving the payments. The savings measure will save $119 million over five years by imposing stricter residency rules for those claiming the two welfare payments. From July 2018, applicants will have had to have lived in Australia for at least 15 years continuously before being eligible for either the pension or DSP. Applicants will still receive their payments if they have either 10 years of continuous residence with at least five years of that time being during their working life – ie before they’re of age pension age – or if they have lived in Australia for a decade and never received any welfare for five years in total. The existing requirement is that an applicant must have lived in Australia for 10 years. The government estimates the measure will affect about 2390 people per year.

Visa Application Charges – 1 July 2017 As part of the 2017-18 Budget, the Government announced a number of changes to existing Visa Application Charges (VACs) including the introduction of a number of new products as detailed below. The VACs will be updated in the “Fees and charges for visas” section of the Department’s website (https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Fees) from 1 July 2017. VAC pricing changes to existing visa products Indexation of visa application charges From 1 July 2017 all current VACs will be indexed annually in line with the forecast Consumer Price Index (CPI) and rounded to the nearest $5. – The indexation only applies to the 1st installment component of the VAC. – Indexation does not apply to 2 nd instalment VACs. – The indexation of 1st instalment VACs applies to both primary and secondary applicants. – Table A below provides the revised VAC pricing (with indexation applied) effective 1 July 2017 VAC pricing for new visa products New visa products that will not have indexation applied in July 2017 are as follows: – Better targeting skilled visas: (effective March 2018) – Community Support Programme - establishment: (effective 1 July 2017) – Temporary sponsored parent visa – establishment: (effective November 2017) Other changes – Skilling Australians Fund levy - introduction: (effective March 2018) – This measure is not considered a 1st instalment VAC and therefore will not be subject to annual indexation. – Table B below provides the pricing for new all new products for 2017-18.