Time4change

Hi - I've got exactly the same question - can you help!?!??!

Hi - I am calling on all the expertise you guys have to help us a bit with a decision....renting East or West. (Cos that hasn't been asked before!!! ;-) ) I've seen a few properties in the Bayside area - we like Patterson Lakes, Mordialloc etc, and a few in Sanctuary, Point Cook. The houses are obviously a much better bang for your buck over in Sanctuary, up and coming etc.....but I just wonder if it's going to be soulless....are we going to be always hankering after popping up into Ferntree, onto the beaches at Mordialloc and St Kilda...or are there things to do at the weekends over on the West side? I'm not a snob - I just want to try to find the right place "first" time, and it's like pin the tail on the donkey. I don't want to feel isolated...but at the same time we have a budget, and the big spacious houses are easier to come by for less on the west. Help!!!! Please??!?!!?

Hi all - quick question. I know there was a reform to the LAFHA this year on 01/7. It stated that any arrangments entered into "after 7.30 8th May 2012" were subject to immediate reform, with anything prior to that losing allowance in 2014. OH started work Monday just gone, but his contract was signed 3rd May. Is he entitled...or not!?!?! Also - we're looking for a rental in Mordialloc area with at least 4 beds. Does anyone know any reliable agents to point me in the direction of...or have a house, or know someone with one? Any help gratefully received, OH is in Melbourne, we're in the UK, and it's horrid being apart :-( Thank you!

Hi All - I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here, and don't want to offend anyone, so pleaaaaase- take this post as it's meant - and that is...HELP! Anyone got any advice/experience of the Sandringham/Black Rock/Beaumaris areas - as opposed to the Williamstown/Altona areas. I don't know which to concentrate on- I've heard good and bad about both - but haven't yet asked the pomsinoz crew....so please, fire away! We're a family of 4 - commuting to CBD and loving getting out and about... thank you :-)

Hi All. Am wondering if there are any of you out there who've travelled with young children recently? We're being given a choice of a few airlines : Malaysian/Emirates/Qantas and Qatar...and I was wondering if you had any reviews for me!?!?! Thank you! :-)

OK - basics please people. OH salary is going to be $80000 Inclusive of loadings blah blah, and LAFHA. Now....he isn't going to be LAFH...we are all going over to Australia too, with no intention of coming back. I know it's ceasing to be as easy to get it from end of June anyway...but can I just check...it's not going to affect his salary is it? His salary will be $80000, the only difference with LAFHA would be that he would pay less tax yes? IF there isn't any LAFHA to be had...that doesn't decrease his salary does it, it just increases the amount of tax he would pay. I am a fairly intelligent person (I'd like to think ;-)) But this LAFHA is completely screwy!!!!! His salary would stay the same wouldn't it - regardless of whether there is an LAFHA in it. It's just the amount ("Just" she says, like we can afford to throw it away!!!!) of tax that will differ....yes??? Argh!!!:arghh:

Thanks guys, that's most helpful. I didn't think it was particularly easy to fathom out what I was talking about, but you've managed! Obviously home is the main priority, I guess that although I'd thought about it, it was seeing it listed on school websites as a possibility that really made it come to the fore! I will do a bit more research. Thanks a lot :-)

Hi all We are looking at the Eastern side of Melbourne...Tecoma/Emerald type area at the moment. It's a bit disconcerting for a newbie to be looking at school sites etc and seeing that they are on the high risk bushfire register. Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive, and I fully understand that Victoria as a whole is extremely volatile - I'm just wondering how to ask, in the nicest possible way...how much should I take these registers into account when choosing an area. It sounds callous, and it's not meant to - I just need to get an idea of things. 400 pupils in a primary school is a large school, that's a lot of people "happy" to be in the area. I know noone can predict, and things will happen anywhere, anytime, so I guess what I'm trying to ask is - is it worth the risk?? I can't even think of a way to ask what I am asking. Sorry it's so vague. Anyone that can slightly see where I'm coming from, help!!! thank you :-))

Hiya,thankyou. I honestly don't know, we were lucky enough to have an agent dealing with it for us through OH's new company. She didn't think it would be that quick though - maybe they're going through a quiet patch, or have drafted in more people or something - I hope yours is as quick....keep me posted! :-)

Is it still walking around??! ;-)

GTBB.....of course - I agree entirely and am more than happy to pay the fees the school ask, the $300..or comparable. I just wanted to confirm we're not suddenly going to arrive there to be greeted with a $9000 per child per year bill, because that would scare me. An awful lot!

I also did a dummy shop at Coles....(course, the delivery charge would have killed me ;-)) and it was pretty comparable. AND that was on branded goods compared to my Tesco shop over here with some of their own brand (not value) stuff. It's going to be more expensive, we all know that - but people earn more, and the choices we are making are outweighing the fact that food is more expensive. It's sad that the thread went a little off kilter with people getting defensive about things - no-one is here to have a go at anyone, I'm a real newbie, and I've found the info on here invaluable. Course - apparently cars are ridiculously priced, but hey...maybe we'll walk more, or use public transport. We're only trying to learn....be kind to us :-))

Hi there.....visa just been granted, and I am 99.9999999% sure that I checked all this out, but obviously brain is now mush that it might actually happen! 457 visa holder dependent children will receive a state education "free" in Victoria, that's correct isn't it? I know that each school differs in the fees they charge for books etc, I understand that's about $300 per year per child. Just to confirm again though - we're not liable for the international student charges, or the tuition fees are we?? thanks lots all x

Can't believe it!!! 457 was lodged last Thursday (17th), and we have received approval already! So chuffed. Can't believe it was so quick, neither can the agent or the company. Now, it's just waiting on a pre employment medical that my husband had better pass! THat's next Tuesday, so hopefully by the end of next week we will be definites. I can't stress the importance of this website for just the sheer support (ongoing hopefully!), and help it's been so far...thank you all so much! The real work starts soon... :-)))

I was reading the first page of posts, getting more livid for you, and then I saw he had done it! :0 SO pleased, please keep posting to see how you get on. We're applying at the moment. It's the waiting game that is the killer isn't it! xx