cordanuk

Your options are also limited as to where you can walk your pets especialy in summer beaches are a no go area for dogs. During the winter they must be on a leash at all time unless in leash free zones.. Shocking I know But Elwood and Brighton are nice but exspensive but then again so is Richmond but for me Richmond would have the edge because of the accessabilityof most place in the CBD where Elwood and Brighton are good for St Kilda and the night life there.

Oh btw starlight the concrete boots dont worry me. If someone bullies or attempts to bully me I go at them head on! I wont back down to the point that they would be the one wearing the boots

Hi every one thanks for the advise. My biggest problem is I made it known that the reason I was leaving was over saftey reasons. Also they misled me into thinking that I would be able to become registered through them. LIES. So if I was to drop them in it with Vic Safe they would know imediatly where it came from. That said I rang energy safe Vic and guess what they passed me around that many departments I didnt know who I ended up talking to but they gave me the impression that they could care less... Shocked wasnt the word for it. I now have to go through the process of documenting it for them and hand them the information. As far as the visa thing goes.... well I get the feeling they are subcontracting part of the work out to a guy from germany who then subcontracts workers from Poland! This is then dealt with with some sort of business visa..... So not too sure about the legality of it all or if they are doing anything wrong? Well going to get as much info down on paper and then send it to Vic Safe .... along with trying to get another job that might go towards getting my A grade .... and telling prospective employers that you resigned because of ........

I have a dilema in which I dont what to do. Let me start by explaining that I came to Aus on a 176PR visa and found a job with a company as a service manager. During which time as I got more involved with the running of the company (Only small less than 20 employees but more than 10million turnover) I started to discover certain things about the company that didnt ring true. They were installing electrical equipment with out licensed elecricians or being registered electrical contractors. They then win a contract to install machinery so instead of employing local labourers and mechanics they then plan to use european labour on temp 457 visas. When I challenged them to their behaviour I was told they were not doing anything against the law and not to bring up the subject again. Being an Electrician I knew they were breaking the law and said so. That same night I thought about what the conseques could be and resigned the following day. Now my dilema is do I report them? 1) for not working with licensed electricians and being rwgistered electrical contractors. 2) for abusing the TEmp visa scheme using foreign labour to do work that Aus people could do. When resigning the Directors made a point of saying that they were sad to see me go and that I could write my own reference for future work. Also if I encountered dificulty in finding work to give them a call and they would look at helping me out...... this went on to the point of they are trying to bribe me either to keep their business affairs secret either to their competitors. My moral barometer say report them and to hell with the consequeses. But my personal one says keep them on side as you dont want to make enemies espesially when you dont know when you might need them. Thanks

Martin, life in mornington is good. The only downside is on the weekends the traffic lights by maccers is always camped out by charity collectors. Not that its a bad thing but if you go through them a couple of time a weekend it starts to bind. We live behind Bunnings in that small estate and its nice. People are friendly and always welcoming. I've only been working in Caufied for 4 months, so is not too much of a drag at the moment. But I could see it could be for somepeople. If we could we would like to move down further to Safety Beach or Dromana, but thats pushing it a bit it would add an extra 20mins each way. Mornington itself is nice in the summer and beaches are great. We get the tourists down from the city and further afield but its kind of funny seeing all the weekend sailors coming down from the city. At one point we thought it was take your boat to work week! The racecourse has lots going for it and has lots events all year round. Guys at work tell me they call it Little London. You hear a lot of English accents in the supermarket. Justin

Lol M62 ..... honestly its not that bad

Hi Martin We're in Mornington and I commute up everyday. It sometimes becomes a bind but my jobs a bit different. I work out of an office in Caufield and have to attend sites from anywhere from Dandernong to Moonee Ponds. But more often if I'm starting in the office I use the Nepean but I start at 7 and finish at 3:30 if my boss lets me get away. Traffic is a nightmare comming home if I leave anywhere between 4 and 5:30, it can take up to and hour and half. But normaly a hour to the city is normal. Supprisingly I started late on friday and my first appointment was at 8am in Richmond. Thinking it would be bad at that time I set off about 6:45 and traveled via the Eastlink then Monash Freeway. I still arrived there about 7:30. The biggest problems tend to be on wet days when people forget how to drive in the rain and tailagte their way to work. I hope this answers you questions... oh BTW I have company car so dont have to pay for fuel and dont use the train. But I have heard the train is free before 7:00. Justin

Sorry to tell you this but he wouldnt be able to apply for a visa given that he has no Certs. Tough as it sounds he would have to complete the VETASSES procedure and they would require his City and Guilds. The unfortunate fact of the matter is it's tough trying to get reognised as an electrician here as it is with out saying I have no certs etc. IS there any chance you have any skills that are on th Skills in Demand list? Sorry for the bad news. But if anyone else knows a way round I'm sure they'll pop their head up here. Justin

Nothing, The comapny pays for the fringe benefits.. Thats what they're called here. As far as I understand. Justin

Ambulance Insurance its only about $70 ish for the whole family

Just an option for you. I sent 3 boxes of 30kg by parcel monkey and was charged about £120 each box. Find them at http://www.parcelmonkey.co.uk the only problem was we had some hairdressers scissors removed from the boxes and cans of deoderant which they say wernt allowed. All in all took just over a week to arrrive but they were also a couple of days late collecting. Wasnt a problem because they were being collected from family. But for door to door delivery was as cheep as hell Justin

Hi Jim Unfortunatly because you have already completed a OTSR you wont be allowed to apply for an ARTC. And because of that you will have to do 12 months gap training. You will have to apply for an L grade Licence. Depending on where you want to live that is. Justin

Hi Matilda, Make your way down to Pomminton, opps sorry Mornington theres a great atmosphere down on the peninsular and lots of fellow brits here also not so far from Blackburn. But sorry my kids are a bit old for playdates 19 and 17 now but they maybe in for a spot of babysitting once they get their P's. Justin

I'm sorry Paul I have to disagree with you there. You dont need top dollar to survive here! You just need to adjust and budget appropriatley. I'm struggling to find work as an L Grade and am trying allsorts of devious ways round getting my 12 months gap training in. But at the end of the day everyone is in the same boat now. ARTC holder are going to be told now or very shortly that they need to complete the 12 month gap and log, especialy when the national licence comes online. Unfortunatly Australia has suffered with very poor migrants calling themselves electricians, I have seen them when we got agency sparks in the UK they turn up with a carrier bag with a couple of screwdrivers and a rusted up pair of pliers "that used to be his Dads" and thinks that he could do the job. As it stands I dont know if I'll be going back into being a spark again. Trying to find jobs in project managment or sales instead. Good Luck

Well Friday I think I must have been the first OTSR to sit his offshore practical assesment onshore with Vic Uni in Melbourne because of the fiasco with Energy safe Victoria. I arrived at 8:30 to wire up a booth with a light on a 2way switch in flexitube and plastic conduit. Then wire up a socket. Oh Btw wiring them in ausy equipment! Then off to wire up a DOL fisrt make a drawing of the control circuit then wire up in real and test. Next was some basic Ohms law stuff with resistors in parralel and series with calcs on current at this point a,b,c etc. A simple exam about basic theory multiple choice. Then I had to do a disconect reconect to ausy standards that I had explaine to me only 5 mins before, oh and the kicker I had to be videoed for the whole thing to prove I wasnt cheating. The ironic thing was that during the day I got to understand why they are doing the 12month log book. The uni lecturers appologised so many time to me for putting me through all this because "Brit sparks know their stuff and we dont want to tell you how to suck eggs". But the main reason for the logs were the amount of OTSRs issued to Far east "Electricians" has proved an bad thing now they are having to set the bar for people to pass. Even more disturbing was that being told just before I leave that "between you and me you pissed the tests and if you havnt got any job sorted out by mid Jan give me a call and you can come here and teach to our 1st and 2nd year apprentices.

Hi all I went down the TRA Vicoria Uni route last year but got informed this year after visa grant that the method of assesment used by Vic Uni wasnt acceptable and have to have a practical assesment. So now Ive landed I have to sit a practical assesment at thier campus. Has anyone else been through this or am I alone?

Yep 12 months applies to any goods shipped to Aus

Hi MissMalone Id sudgest all of the above. Plus if you can get references from your customers for work you might have carried out. You needent tell them it's to migrate wih but just for other customers so you dont give the game away. Also records from when you did your training certs from NGB's are invaluble. References from when you did your training would also help. I basicly asked all my ex employers for a letter stating my previous roles and duties going back to when I was an apprentice. Some replied but most did (as the saying goes dont burn your bridges). Hope this helps Justin

Hi Katy Sorry been busy working and packing/ emptying the house of junk. Shippers coming on Monday to take everything away. We've booked with John Mason, I was all up for going with White and Co but my OH talked me out of it. It was more the feeling the reps gave when they came round that helped her make her decesion. We whittled it down with price etc. Didnt take their insurance as it was far from the cheepest or the best. But good look! Have you make any bookings for flights etc yet? Where you heading? Justin

Been a while since I was last here, but we have been booking shipper flight etc. We travel out on the 21st of Oct to Melbourne and arrive there on the 23rd, (we me and my OH). Kids will be following out 1 month later. Hope it all works out for you guys still on the referals list. Next stop melbourne!! Justin

Bit of a strange question to those that already know but. What should i do with my test equipment flog it here in the UK or ship it. Does it conform to AU regs. Its a Kewtech 17th Edition all in 1, Inusulation, Loop and RCD tester obviously the leads would have to be changed. It just over 12 months old and dont fancy losing money on it they dont sell well 2nd hand. Cheers Justin

OTSR= Offshore Technical Skills Record You need this to gain a visa if your going down the skilled route. TRA= Trade Recognision Australia are the organisation that refer you to Vetassess (Independant company that assess candidates on their skills then reports back to TRA). TRA will refer you to either Vetassess or Vic Uni for your skills assesment. Justin

Hi I just got one for you all....... SPAM! Justin

There is a way left! 1st step is to obtain an ARTC and gain a cert III in electrotechnology. 2nd apply via http://www.esv.vic.gov.au/Electricity-Professionals/Licensing-and-registration/Overseas-Qualifications this is the pathway to class A Licience. Problems lie in the fact that you have to convince the TRA that you dont need to complete any Gap Training, or if you do then you should be able to comple the 170 hour course that EE-OZ specify http://www.ee-oz.com.au/content/view/82/115/. But to obtain An ARTC the guild line are these http://www.deewr.gov.au/Skills/Programs/SkillsAssess/TRA/ARTC/Documents/ARTC_CriteriaAndGuidelines.pdf. I know its confusing at the moment but there have been some severe shake ups. I completed my OTSR with Vic Uni and TRA, and was informed this week that I would have to complete a practical examination on landing in Oz to obtain just the L Licience. This is due to vic uni not following the "correct pathway model" laid out. Laid out by who? So having spent $2500 on an OTSR that only gained me my visa I'm not even allowed to obtain my suppervised L Licience. Any other thoughts are welcome. I mention Energysafe Vic due to the fact I'm heading for Victoria. Justin

WOke up this morning to the sound of the phone ringing. It was our agent. The Visa has been Granted. Ran round the house walikng everyone up and calling parents. So exicited now my wife is now searching singapore airline for flights. Justin Ps can someone update my status on the spreadsheet. Please