robfromdublin

It's the ecological impact with sharks. By removing a top-level (apex) predator you have untold impacts on the underlying ecosystem. Removing lower-level animals doesn't usually have the same impact. http://www.livescience.com/4171-top-predators-key-ecosystem-survival-study-shows.html Also on the Qld nets. Their method of working is by killing sharks (and other wildlife). They are not barriers to the beaches because they are only about 180m long and 3m deep; sharks can swim round them. I think from memory something like 11,000 animals have been killed by them (sharks, dolphins, whales, turtles, fish, etc.) so they are pretty much equivalent to a culling program but more indiscriminate.

Still none the wiser. I didn't read all that but it doesn't contain the word super or superannuation.

The key issues are the ability to vote and the ability to rely on Australian consular assistance when travelling abroad on an Aussie passport. Separately, my driver to getting citizenship was to avoid the possibility of being summarily deported from the country away from my wife and kids. This could only happen if convicted of an offence carrying a sentence greater than 12 months. Obviously, I have no intention of breaking the law, but you never know what life thrusts at you. A recent case involved a Kiwi being subject to a road rage incident from a man with a history of such incidents. He hit the guy, who fell into the path of a truck and died. The Kiwi is now being charged with manslaughter and will be deported if convicted. That could genuinely happen to anyone, and I'd rather have the protection of being a citizen so that I would not be deported. I know this seems crazy, but it was worth a few hundred dollars and filling out a few forms for me. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-21/gateway-motorway-murder-charged-downgraded-manslaughter/8042268 Another point is it saves hassle when travelling. Emirates screwed up when checking me and the family in last year. They demanded an ETA or visa label and refused to issue a boarding pass until I got one. As PR with an electronic visa I didn't need what they were asking for and I kept making the point. A few frantic phone calls later and eventually they admitted their error but we could really have done without the stress. It turns out for some visas the information is on a different part of the Emirates screen and they hadn't scrolled down to check. I've spoken to 3 people who've had that happen to them. Again, for me it was worth getting the passport just to avoid that rubbish.

I doubt they would do that but you're right, it wouldn't be the first time they try to be seen as tough on immigration. Have you rung DIBP and got any clarification? Might be prudent to get your application in as soon as possible.

If you've already applied I'd say you're fine. If media reports are to be believed you're out of luck KidA. On the English thing, PR doesn't require an English test necessarily. The first test I did was for citizenship. When I did my test there was an older Vietnamese lady who needed her daughter there to translate for her.

I fluked this one. I got my citizenship in January under the old system. If I'd waited I wouldn't be eligible until 2019! I'm so glad I saw the writing on the wall with this government and got the passport. I had no real intention of doing so until Peter Dutton started to gain power and the LNP brought in their anti-refugee policies.

I really wish they would report median salaries and not average salaries. All it takes is a few CEOs to earn multiple millions and it drags the average up. The pollies can then point to rising salaries even if it is concentrated in the upper percentiles. Does anyone know if these stats include superannuation contributions?

Thousands of sharks are killed every year in Oz and it doesn't prevent shark attacks. Just suck it up and accept that people will die from sharks. It's Australia, everything kills you! There has been an increase in attacks, fair enough, but probably due to an increase in human population and interest in surfing/SUPing/kitesurfing as much as anything else

Just multiply the annual salary by the amount you are working no? So a 3 day week at a $5,000 salary pro-rata would be $30,000

I use Currency Fair. Fees are variable but between 0-0.6% and you can set a transfer to occur once the exchange rate hits a certain level. https://app.currencyfair.com/support/en/exchanging/19

Very true, but they are going out of the EU in any case. I don't think Sturgeon can demonstrate an unfettered path. It would take years and there is no guarantee it would happen. I think the result would still be on a knife edge with lots of uncertainty. It's possible that Scotland will wait to see the outcome of Brexit negotiations before holding a referendum. That would be the smart approach because then the situation of being out of the EU will become clear to the electorate. People can then make their own decision about whether life in the EU would be better. Looks like Spain would not necessarily veto, but they could of course change their mind: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/02/spain-drops-plan-to-impose-veto-if-scotland-tries-to-join-eu

You could have written exactly that in relation to Brexit. Nobody thought the UK would shoot themselves in the foot but here we are, led by those sensationalist politicians Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson, and their sensationalist Brexit Bus. Nobody thought that was a viable proposition either. Scotland also has a low density population, an educated workforce and access to considerable renewable energy sources and oil/gas. They have a lot going for them and to dismiss an independence campaign would make the same mistake the 'remainers' did.

Maybe call the ATO and HMRC? I'm almost certain there would be no tax to pay (as long as it's your principle place of residence) but there are plenty of people active on the site who will have moved back to the UK and could tell you for sure.

I'm a way off doing something similar but I'm interested in your comments about tax. What tax would you have to pay? I would have thought that simply exchanging money does not require you to pay any tax? Have you heard differently?

Yes but Spain has no influence on Scottish separation from the UK. Only after Scotland is independent could they apply for membership, so the horse would have bolted at that stage.

I think the border with Ireland is going to be one of the easier items to resolve. As Derek points out, all parties want to avoid a hard border. The Scottish referendum is an interesting one. You'd have to think they would vote to leave the UK at this point. If they do so prior to Britain leaving the EU then does that mean Scotland remains part of the EU, or would they have to reapply?

Bloody Sunday was in 1972. Hard to imagine how the British Army was protecting catholics then. The IRA and Unionist terrorist organisations were as bad as each other, but I agree that the war was unjustified. I don't think the IRA ever had equal rights as their primary aim. It was always about a united Ireland (at least until the Good Friday Agreement) and pointing out the majority of NI wanted to stay in the union doesn't make much sense when a large minority were disenfranchised. I don't think the British Army ever stated their aim but it sure as hell wasn't about defending republicans from nasty unionists! Given the understandable depth of feeling in the country, I don't think it would be wise to go back to a hard border, nor would it be practical. Best bet would be to enforce a hard border between NI and GB, or to simply keep a soft border for the UK generally. A soft border would surely stop most immigration which is the point isn't it? I don't see how free travel and trade can continue. Wasn't the point of the referendum to prevent free travel? The central tenet of the EU is free trade only with free travel so what was the point of leaving it if the status quo continues?

Great idea! Do you know how long you'll do this for or will you just keep at it until your circumstances change? Best of luck in any case!

Doesn't the BVE let you stay while awaiting the decision from the dept on your student visa? Isn't that the point? I would not reply yes to that question. Given your experience with an agent thus far, would you not be best contacting the dept directly? I'm surprised you were advised that your WHV could extend past 2 years.

Central Sydney is the same as rural Tasmania? The UK is still in the EU. The earliest it can leave is March 2019. I truly hope it continues to thrive once that happens.

As you've been resident in the UK there will be no issues accessing Medicare. Medicare's own employees often give conflicting answers but basically both of you will be fine to access it once you move here and register. Check how late she can fly. Airlines often quote 30 weeks, but require a medical certificate after 24 weeks. If there are any complications she may not get that certificate. You may have trouble getting travel insurance later in the pregnancy too. We've had 2 kids through the public system in Brisbane. I can't speak highly enough of the experience on both occasions.

Yeah Brisbane hasn't got lots for sightseeing. The Powerhouse often has events on (take the City Cat for a cheap river cruise). South Bank and the whole Cultural Centre as mentioned. West End is good for a night out. Mt. Coo-tha for hikes, views and the Botanic Gardens (there are also Botanic Gardens in the city which are nice). Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a zoo essentially, Enoggera Reservoir also has a small wildlife centre and is much cheaper (only worth it if you're staying within easy travel distance). Those spring to mind and there are other places a bit of a distance away (e.g. Australia Zoo/Mt Tamborine/Maleny) as others have touched on. Trip Advisor is probably your best bet for a full list

Sounds like the Gold Coast to me alright! Your partner makes a good point about citizenship. You should definitely get it having invested 3 years already for all the reasons the other poster mentioned. There are many other places in Australia that are different to the GC and would suit someone who prefers the more rural life. You could look at moving there just to wait out the citizenship period. Then it's no loss if you don't like that too. You can go back to the UK with the knowledge that you gave it your best shot, and with a passport in your back pocket should your outlook change as you get older.

What makes you think you won't be competitive salary wise? Are you skills not in demand or would you be in a very competitive jobs environment? Your questions are too broad to be able to answer with any sense. Tell us what jobs you're looking for, or at least what languages. Have you checked out SEEK or contacted some recruiters? Also, I'm in Brisbane and I know several software devs, so I wouldn't necessarily discount the smaller cities straight off the bat.

Probably they had family there or they spoke a bit of English and wanted to make it that little bit easier on themselves. Don't overestimate the problem though. Germany took 5 times more refugees than the UK did, so it's not like the majority of refugees were looking to go to the UK. There were only 6500 people at Calais too. Not very much in the grand scheme of the Syrian war.