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GMS Client Newsletter l Issue 1Migration Agents Registration Number 0428740
MELBOURNE
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Like the multicolored beach houses
lining the ocean nearby, Melbourne
is a diverse and multicultural city
and melting pot. Melbourne is the
capital and most populous city
in the state of Victoria, and also
the second most populous city in
Australia. A resident of Melbourne
is known as a “Melburnian”.
Almost a quarter of Victoria’s
population was born overseas, and
the city is home to residents from
233 countries, who speak over 180
languages and dialects and follow
116 religious faiths. Melbourne
has the second largest Asian
population in Australia (16.2%).
The irst European settlers in Melbourne were British and Irish.
These two groups accounted for
nearly all arrivals before the gold
rush, and supplied the predominant
number of immigrants to the city
until World War II.
Melbourne was transformed by
the 1850sgold rush; within months
of the discovery of gold in August
1852, the city’s population had
increased by nearly three-quarters,
from 25,000 to 40,000 inhabitants.
Thereafter, growth was exponential
and by 1865, Melbourne had
overtaken Sydney as Australia’s
most populous city.
Melbourne exceeds the national
average in terms of proportion of
residents born overseas: 34.8%
compared to a national average
of 23.1%. In concordance with
national data, Britain is the most
commonly reported overseas
country of birth, followed by
Italy, Greece, and then China.
Melbourne also features
substantial Vietnamese, Korean,
and Sri Lankan-born communities,
in addition to recent South African
and Sudanese inluxes.
Over two-thirds of people in
Melbourne speak only English at home (68.8 %). Italian is the
second most common home
language, with Greek third and
Chinese fourth, each with over
100,000 speakers.
A DIVERSECITYMELBOURNE:
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02
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NEW ZEALAND
09 New Zealand
10 Becoming Kiwi
11 LIVE WITH BENEFIT - Holiday Pay
Copyright @ July 2010Global Migration Solutions Sdn BhdAll rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited
SOME FUN THINGS
04 Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex 05 Federation Square
06 Melbourne Musuem
08 WHY MELBOURNE? - Proile of a Melbournian
ITS SCHOOL TIME!
12 The First Few Steps – Pre-School
13 Spreading Their Wings – Primary Education14 How To Find the Right School
15 VISA EXPLAINED - Child Visa ( Subclass 802 | Subclass 101 )
AT HOME IN MELBOURNE
17 Things to Do in Victoria, Temporary Lodging, Rooming House
18 Renting
0428740Migration Agents Registration Number
New Zealand Licensed Adviser 200800600
THINGSCrown Casino and Entertainment Complex
is a casino and entertainment
precinct on the south bank of
the Yarra River, in Melbourne.
The casino complex opened in
1997. Actress Rachel Griffiths
infamously ran through the casino
topless on its opening night.
It is one of the central features of
the Southbank area in the central
business district and the Crown
Promenade fronts onto the
waterfront as part of Southbank
Promenade. Children under 18 are
permitted into the entertainment
section of complex, but not into
the gaming area or areas serving
alcohol. It is open 24 hours a day, 7
days a week except on Christmas
Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day.
Crown Casino is the largest casino
in the southern hemisphere, has
a license for 350 table games and
2500 poker machines. Amongst
other games, Crown provides the
6 main casino games of Blackjack,
Craps, Pai Gow, Poker, Baccarat
and Roulette but it was also the first
to introduce an electronic version of
Roulette known as Rapid Roulette.
Rapid Roulette is essentially the
same as traditional roulette but
rather than players placing bets
on a layout, all gaming takes place
on a personal electronic touch
screen connected to a central
roulette wheel. The purpose of this
is to provide the player with easy
access to the entire betting layout.
Rapid Roulette has been in use
for several years, and recently
Rapid Bigwheel and Rapid Sic-bo
have been developed.
Crown casino has 2500 poker
machines on the casino floor, with
values of 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent, 10
cent, 20 Cent, 50 cent and 1 dollar
available. 2 Dollar machines are
availabel in the VIP area.
FUNSOME
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The Crown Entertainment Complex incorporates several nightclubs,
a Village Cinema complex and
multiple restaurants, fast food
outlets, food courts and shops.
The complex also houses “Galactic
Circus”, an electronic games
arcade, laser ‘tag’ game and
bowling alley. Notable features
of the casino include its entrance
(commonly known as the ‘Atrium’,
featuring stepped fountains and
sound/light shows under the
themes of the four seasons), and
pyrotechnic towers running the
length of the Casino promenade.
The Crown complex has two hotel
towers named “Crown Towers
Hotel and “Crown Promenade
Hotel”. The premium Crown
Towers Hotel operates within the
complex, located on the banks of
the Yarra River overlooking the city
centre, Kings Domain, Port Phillip
and Docklands. A specialty area
called the Crystal Club Lounge
is available to people who stay
in some of the more expensive
suites at the Hotel. A third hotel
is under construction being built
at the corner of Whiteman and
Clarendon Streets, Southbank. The
new, “Metropol” will be Australia’s
largest hotel by number of rooms.
Federation Square (also locally known as Fed
Square) is a cultural precinct
in the city of Melbourne. It
comprises a series of buildings
containing a public broadcaster,
art galleries, a museum, cinemas,
exhibition spaces, auditoria,
restaurants, bars and shops
around two major public spaces,
one covered (The Atrium),
the other open to the sky, and
composed of two spaces that
low into one another (St. Paul’s Court and The Square). The
majority of the precinct is built on
top of a concrete deck over busy
railway lines. A major addition to
the precinct was Federation Wharf,
which extended Federation Square
to the Yarra by redeveloping the
vaults under the Princes Bridge
into cafes and ferry terminals with
elevator access to Federation
Square.
The site of Federation Square has
had a variety of former uses.
The Gas and Fuel Buildings,
Jolimont Yard and the Princes
Bridge railway station were the
immediate predecessors, though
in the nineteenth century there
was a morgue on the site.
The complex of buildings
forms a rough U-shape
around the main open-air
squares, oriented to the
west. The eastern end of
the square is formed by
the glazed walls of The
Atrium. While bluestone is
used for the majority of the
paving in the Atrium and
St. Paul’s Court, matching
footpaths elsewhere in central
Melbourne, the main square
is paved in 470,000 ochre-
coloured sandstone blocks from
Western Australia and invokes
images of the Outback. The
paving is designed as a
huge urban artwork called
‘Nearamnew’, by Paul Carter
and gently rises above street
level, containing a number
of textual pieces inlaid in its
undulating surface.
“The Atrium” is one of the
major public spaces in the
Federation Square cultural
precinct in central Melbourne,
Australia. It is a street-like
space, ive-stories high with glazed walls and roof. The
exposed metal structure
and glazing patterns follow
the pinwheel tiling pattern
zag proile to maximize their Square won ive awards in 2003 at
Royal Exhibition Building. It
include mummies from Egypt and
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The Crown Entertainment Complex
low into one another (St. Paul’s
space, ive-stories high with
used elsewhere in the precinct’s
building facades.
The “Labyrinth” is a passive
cooling system sandwiched
above the railway lines and
below the middle of the square.
The concrete structure consists
of 1.2 km of interlocking,
honeycombed walls. It covers
160m2. The walls have a zig-
zag proile to maximize their surface area, and are spaced
60 cm apart. During summer
nights, cold air is pumped in the
combed space, cooling down the
concrete, while heat absorbed
during the day is pumped out.
The following day, cold air is
pumped from the Labyrinth out
into the Atrium through floor
vents. This process can keep the
Atrium up to 12°C cooler than
outside. This is comparable to
conventional air conditioning,
but using one-tenth the energy
and producing one-tenth the
carbon dioxide. During winter, the
process is reversed, whereby
warm daytime air stored in the
Labyrinth overnight, to be pumped
back into the Atrium during the day.
The architecture was the result
of an international design
competition that received 177
entries. Federation Square
was designed by Don Bates
and Peter Davidson of Lab
Architecture Studio. When the
winning bid was announced in
1997, the design was a source
of great controversy, being widely
supported by the design community
and causing outrage among
heritage advocates. Federation
Square won ive awards in 2003 at the Victorian Architecture Awards,
including the Victorian Architecture
Medal. The designers of Federation
square did not get any work for 6
months after the completion of the
A$450 million public space. Instead
they received hate-mail. In 2009, it
was voted as being the 5th ugliest
building in the world by editors and
members of the popular website
Virtual Tourist. Despite design
criticism, the open space has
proved to be a remarkably popular
place for protests, performances,
cultural gatherings, celebrations
and just ‘hanging out’. Federation
Square is Victoria’s second most
popular tourist attraction, and
attracts between six and seven
million visitors annually.
Melbourne Museum
is located in the Carlton Gardens
in Melbourne, adjacent the
Royal Exhibition Building. It is the largest museum in the
Southern Hemisphere, and is a
venue of Museum Victoria, which
also operates the Immigration
Museum and Scienceworks
Museum.
The museum has seven main
galleries, a Children’s Gallery
and a temporary exhibit gallery on
three levels, Upper, Ground and
Lower Level and was constructed
by Baulderstone Hornibrook. The
Touring Hall is where temporary
exhibits are displayed. Past exhibits
include mummies from Egypt and dinosaurs from China. The Big Box
is part of the Children’s Gallery.
In addition, the museum has other
facilities such as the Sidney
Myer Amphitheatre and The Age
Theatre. The Discovery Centre, on
the Lower Level, is a free public
research centre. The museum
also has a cafe and a souvenir
shop.
The IMAX Theatre, which is
situated on the Lower Level
is also part of the museum
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complex. It shows movies, usually
documentary ilms, in 3-D format.
The main permanent exhibits
include:
1. Science and Life Gallery
- including a skeleton of a
Diprotodon (a giant wombat-like
creature), and skeletons of large
man-eating dinosaurs, and many
other prehistoric animals.
2. The Science & Life Gallery also
contains the exhibitions: Bugs
Alive!, Marine Life: Exploring our seas and two more exhibitions
soon to open in 2010.
3. Melbourne Gallery - where the
body of Phar Lap, a race horse
that won the Melbourne Cup during
the depression era, is exhibited. It
also features an exhibition about
the history of Melbourne from the
early 1800s through to present
day (called The Melbourne Story).
4. Large skeleton of a Pygmy
Blue Whale.
5. Mind and Body Gallery - a
gallery regarding the human
body. It also features a world irst exhibition about the mind (called
The Mind: enter the labyrinth).
6. Evolution Gallery - the upper level features the exhibition
‘Darwin to DNA’. The lower level
feature Wild: Amazing animals
in a changing world exhibition.
7. Forest Gallery - a living
temperate Victorian forest
environment, complete with live
birds, reptiles, and other fauna.
8. Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural
Centre - a gallery with exhibitions
about the Aborigines of Victoria.
9. Te Pasiika Gallery - an exhibition which highlights the history and
watercrafts of Paciic Islanders.
10. Children’s Gallery - exhibitions
aimed at 3 to 8 year olds.
11. Touring Hall - is where
International touring exhibitions
are displayed.
12. Public spaces - Outside
the main galleries are various
displays relating to Victoria’s
and Australia’s history. Including
CSIRAC (an early computer
built in Australia), a Pygmy Blue
Whale, among others.
07
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MELBOURNEWHY
education system that is among the best in the
world and being a resident (and now, citizen),
meant that I had the chance to give our daughters
access to these opportunities as a citizen.
With our children’s future in our hands, we decided
to make the move. It was a huge decision, as
we had much invested here in our home country,
but we managed to get our finances and familial
ties in order and took the plunge. We persevered
throughout the initial few years of inding our footing in a foreign land and we have been happy here
ever since.
I am now working in an engineering firm that
emphasises employee rights (no more overtime
for rushed projects without proper compensation!),
which gives me the necessary time to bond with my
family. My oldest daughter has now spent most of
her adolescence in a quality suburban government
school and my youngest has just started her pre-
school education. My wife herself has bonded
with the local Malaysian society chapter’s ladies
and is a proud inductee to the ‘Mah Jongg’ wives
club! My new home is now my old home and here
in Victoria, I am home.
Like I said, it is hard to believe I ever hesitated to
bring my family to Australia.
Looking back on my decision to migrate to Australia,
it’s hard to believe that I was initially hesitant on
the thought of packing and moving my family to
Australia. Back in 2005, my career just started to
blossom as I was elevated to engineering lead of
my team and my wife had just given birth to our
second child. The thought never occurred to us that
life had greater opportunity to offer us elsewhere.
A friend of mine from work introduced me to Global
Migration and on a whim, I took the chance to meet
up with Louis to survey my options. I never had the
intention to take migration seriously, but Louis had
very compelling reasons lined up to whittle my doubts.
The chief consideration was the value of education
for my children. Going through the public education
system myself, I knew of the pitfalls of having little to
no idea on what constitutes quality education.
In Australia, each and every school is unique, but
the Australian education system emphasises quality,
not quantity. Qualiied teachers undergo supervised teaching and teachers oversee a maximum of
about 25 children in each classroom, providing
our daughters the personal attention they need to
nurture and grow.
Australia offers quality public education, but what
really convinced me was the world-class higher
?
08
Migrant ProileMr. and Mrs. Lin, Glen Waverly, VIC
NEWZEALANDWith a population of just over 4 million people and two of the most livable cities in the world, New Zealand has become a destination of choice for migrants who seek to live life to the fullest.
As the least corrupt country in the world, New Zealand has the reputation of a safe and equitable environment for families and people intending to do business. It is ranked 2nd in the world for ease of doing business and 1st for the protection of investors. It only takes a single day of processing to apply for a business name reservation and incorporate the business.
New Zealand is also a land where many people from all over the world have called home. More than 1/5 of New Zealanders hail from a different country, and every year, approximately 30,000 residents make New Zealand their new permanent home.
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BECOMING
Highest Quality of LivingAuckland and Wellington ranked* #1 and #3 in Asia Pacific (#4 and #12 respectively in the world)*Mercer 2010 Quality of Living Survey
Free Healthcare & Education, Green Climate & Environment and Affordable Cost of LivingNew Zealand has public-funded health services, modern and innovative education institutions, spectacular eco-cities and an accessible standard of living
Easier Pathway to Obtain and Maintain Permanent ResidenceMigrants to New Zealand have less restrictive eligibility requirements and it is possible to obtain an ‘indefinite’ Returning Resident’s Visa
Live Where People Go to TravelFrom the Shires of Hobbiton to the mountain ranges of Narnia, New Zealand has the most picturesque locations in the world, all within vicinity of its world-class cities
Find Out More About Migrating to New Zealand!Call +603-2142 5199 to ind out more and for the opportunity to meet our licensedNew Zealand Immigration Adviser.
Visit www.PRforNewZealand.com for more details.
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KIWI
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LIVE BENEFITSWITH
HOLIDAY PAYMany migrants, who have made the move to Australia, succumb to
homesickness after a few years and yearn to return home for a long break
and reconnect with friends and family. For working and salaried migrants,
this would entail an application for a lengthy leave from work for the break.
Did you know that Australia has one of the most generous, fair and
holiday-friendly work conditions in the world?
For starters, employers generally give full-time employees:
• 4 weeks paid annual leave (5 for shift workers) for each 12
months of service.
• 10 days paid personal/carer’s leave in a year
• 2 days unpaid carer’s leave (when needed)
• 2 days paid compassionate leave (when needed)
• 12 months unpaid parental leave
For part-time employees, these benefits are provided on a pro rata basis.
One of the most intriguing benefits given to Australian employees is what
they call holiday pay, or leave loading in some states. Basically,
the theory is that when employees are on holiday, they are unable
to work overtime or earn additional income on those holidays, or
utilise company expenses that they normally would on a regular
working day. This translates to employees being compensated an
extra 17.5% benefit on top of their regular paid annual leave.
If you calculate annual leave paid in advance:
Normal rate of pay (week) AU$1000
Annual leave, paid in advance AU$4000 (4 weeks)
Leave loading AU$4000 x 0.175 = AU$700
Gross paid annual leave AU$4700
So, an Australian employee on holiday is paid 117.5% of their normal
rate of pay. Of course, this is dependent on the condition of the
contract signed with the employer, but generally, it is a rightful benefit
that many states have adopted as employment or fair pay provisions.
With special incentives like this, it’s no wonder that Australians take the time
to carefully plan their long holidays. Don’t you wish you had that too?
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TIME !SCHOOLIT’S
Every family who migrates to Australia have a common key
goal - enrolling their child into one of Australia’s world-class
education providers. New families beginning their new life in
Australia eventually have to weigh their child’s educational
options and make the right decision in providing their child the
best education possible.
Early learning education prepares the child for the world outside, for social exploration and educational development. Learn more
about early learning and education in Melbourne in this issue of
‘The Good Life’.
THE FIRST FEW STEPS - PRE-SCHOOLPre-primary education is commonly known as kindergarten,
transition, reception or pre-school education according to the
state the child is enrolled in. In Victoria, pre-primary is known as
preparatory school.
The minimum age for pre-school enrolment is between 3 and 5
years of age. Generally, pre-school goers attend about 10 to 17
hours a week, depending on the state.
Pre-schools are designed to prepare the child for their primary
education. They begin their social exploration, foster their
independence from family and adjust to a structured education system.
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A Helping Start
Some states offer free or low-cost pre-schools, along with kindergarten
subsidies for eligible low-income families. Victoria has an annual
kindergarten subsidy of AU$820 (or AU$205 per term) for eligible families.
In addition to the state subsidy, the Australian federal assistance
authority, Centrelink, also lists Family Tax Beneits and Child Care Beneit/Rebates as applicable for eligible families.
SPREADING THEIR WINGS – PRIMARY EDUCATIONWhen a child turns 6 in Australia, it is compulsory to enroll the child
into primary school. Primary education covers eight basic themes,
such as English, Health and Physical Education, a Secondary Language, Maths, Science, Society and Environment, Technology, and the Arts.
A typical school year session is divided into 4 school terms over 40 weeks
a year and an average school day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
VIC School Terms (2010-2012)
2010 2011 2012
Term 1 1 Feb - 26 Mar 4 Feb - 8 Apr 6 Feb - 30 Mar
Term 2 12 Apr - 25 Jun 27 Apr - 1 Jul 16 Apr - 29 Jun
Term 3 12 Jul - 17 Sep 18 Jul - 23 Sep 16 Jul - 21 Sep
Term 4 4 Oct - 17 Dec 10 Oct - 22 Dec 8 Oct - 21 Dec
There is the option of going to a public (state) schools, or the more
expensive private schools. It typically costs between nothing to AU$500
a year for public schools (fees in voluntary school levies) whereas
private schools can cost between AU$1000 - AU$5000 per term.
Public schools are also divided into two categories, open and selective
schools. Open schools generally accept all students within a deined region or location and utilise the Curriculum Standards Framework,
whereas selective schools have entrance requirement tests and
are highly competitive.
A Helping Start
Children enrolling into Preparatory school or Year 1 in the irst term are eligible for one-off state government subsidy of AU$300 called
the School Start Bonus. The School Start Bonus is intended meet the
cost of buying school and sports uniforms, bags and stationaries that
will help your child get the best possible start to a school term.
HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT SCHOOL?The first thing to do is to research the early learning resources
offered by the State and locate a school near your residence.
In order to ind the right school, you may wish to visit each individual schools website. The Qualiications Register or School Board of each state generally has more detailed information regarding the schools,
such as its annual reports, comparative performance in the region,
qualifications assessment and facilities offered.
In January 2010, the My School website was launched and it is a
gateway to a list of schools ranked nationally based on the NAPLAN
standardised literacy and numeracy tests. You can find out more
about the national ranking of your researched schools at the My
School site.
Useful Victoria Education Links
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
(https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/child/pages/Default.aspx)
Victorian Registration and Qualiications Authority (search schools)
(http://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/StateRegister/Search.aspx/
Search?SearchType=0)
ACARA MySchool site
(http://www.myschool.edu.au/)
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15
CHILD VISA
What is it?The Child Visa is a permanent
visa for a child of an Australian
citizen, permanent resident or
eligible New Zealand citizen who
is less than 25 years old and
wants to migrate to Australia.
If the child is above 18 years
old, the child would have to be
a full-time student and financially
dependent on the parent sponsor.
Who can sponsor?The parent of the child will be
sponsor of the child applicant.
The sponsor must provide
support for the child applicant for
the first 2 years in Australia.
What does the visa allow?The Child Visa allows the holder
to live permanently in Australia
and unrestricted travel to and
from Australia for 5 years from
the date of the visa grant. The
visa holder is responsible to
obtain a Resident’s Return Visa
(RRV) (Subclass 155) if they
wish to continue traveling to and
from Australia after 5 years.
FAQDo I need to apply for a child
visa if I am a PR and my child
is born overseas?
The following are situations
that apply for a child born to
Permanent Residents and
citizens of Australia:
In Australia
• If at least 1 parent was an Australian PR or citizen; the baby
is an Australian citizen
• If neither parents are Australian PR or citizen; the baby acquires
visa of a parent with a more
beneficial visa
Outside Australia
• If at least 1 parent was a full Australian citizen; the baby is
an Australian citizen by descent
• If at least 1 parent was an
Australian citizen by descent; AND
have been present in Australia
lawfully for at least 2 years before
the baby was born; the baby is an
Australian citizen by descent.
• If either or both parent has Australian PR, but not Australian
citizenship, the baby has no
immigration status in Australia.
The baby would have to apply
for a child visa.
Does my child need a police
check?
If the child is above 16 years of
age, the child may be asked to
provide character checks, which
may include penal clearance.
The penal clearance has to be
for each country where the child
has lived for 12 months or more,
in the past 10 years since turning
16 years of age.
I share custody of my child
with my ex-husband. Do I
need his permission to apply
for a child visa?
The following circumstances
apply when determining custody
requirements of children under
18 years old for visa purposes.
• If sharing custody of child with another parent or any other
person with the legal right to
determine where the child can
live; the sponsor must obtain
permission from that other person
to migrate the child, in the form of
a statutory declaration.
• If permission cannot be obtained, custody requirements can still
be met if the sponsor has a
valid court order that allows the
sponsor to remove the child
from the home country.
• Custody requirements may also be met if the Family Court
of Australia issues a residence
order, contact order or care
order and the grant of the visa is
consistent with the issued order.
VISAS EXPLAINED
Note: All effort has been made to present the information on this page as accurate and up-to-date as possible. Information on this page should not be taken as legal immigration advice. Contact Global Migration Solutions for more details.
Subclass 802 (onshore) | Subclass 101 (offshore)
SummaryVisa Subclass: 802 (onshore), 101 (offshore)Visa Type: PermanentApplicant Qualifying Age: Below 25. If above 18 years, must be student & inancially dependent on parent.Sponsor: Parent (Australian citizen, PR or NZ citizen)
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MELBOURNE
ATINHOME
Every migrant goes through the initial landing phase. Some, who have relatives or acquaintances in Victoria, have friendly faces to turn to for support, while others, with nothing but their luggage bags and a wide-eyed sense of anticipation, have to sort out the issue of finding their very first Victorian accommodation.
Free-spirited migrants who enter Australia individually may look towards a more affordable and attractive shared accommodation option, or rooming houses. On the other hand, family migrants may seek the more comfortable and family-friendly rent option.
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THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN VICTORIA
1. Organise long-term accommodation.
2. Apply for a tax file number (http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/
content.asp?doc=/content/4716.htm) and open a bank account.
3.Register with Medicare
4. Visit the local Centrelink (www.centrelink.gov.au) for assistance
and government payments.
5. Register for a free industry or business seminar on
www.LiveInVictoria.vic.gov.au.
6. Purchase a pre-paid mobile phone account
7. Apply for a driver’s license.
8. Enroll your children into school9. Start looking for work.
10. Make an appointment to see a migration coordinator in
regional Victoria.
(Source: LiveInVictoria.vic.gov.au)
TEMPORARY LODGINGThe search for long-term rental accommodation is a long and
sometimes arduous process, which may necessitate arranging
for temporary accommodation. Victoria is host to many quality
serviced apartments and hotels that will house new settlers until
they are able to find their own unit or property.
Links To Serviced Apartmentswww.visitvictoria.com
www.aussieapartments.com.au
www.questapartments.com.au
www.serviced-apartments.com.au
ROOMING HOUSESWhether referred to as boarding houses, guest houses, backpackers or
shared accommodation or hostel, all of the temporary accommodation
that involves sharing of accommodation are generally registered
as rooming houses and are governed by local councils.© Alain Lacroix | Dreamstime.com
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in regional Australia. In terms of
comparing rent in the city district
and the regional area, your
mileage will definitely vary.
To apply to be a prospective
tenant, a landlord or agent may
request for accept a deposit,
which must be refunded when
a tenancy agreement is agreed
upon and signed. If no tenancy
agreements are drawn within 14
days of the deposit being paid,
it is refunded to the prospective
tenant.
When you have found a home
that you want to settle in, you
would become a tenant of this
home and both you and the
landlord will have to sign a lease
or tenancy agreement. Tenancy
agreements can be fixed or
periodic.
The landlord or agent may
ask for a bond, which cannot
be more than 1 month’s rent.
Similar to the rooming house
procedures, bonds can be lodged
with the RBTA for safekeeping.
A condition report is also given
upon payment of the bond for
both the tenant and the landlord.
Rent is usually paid in advance
and the landlord or agent can
only ask for a maximum of 14
days rent.
MI CASA NO ES SU CASAA landlord may enter the
premises under the following:
Agreed time – a landlord
may enter as long as the
tenant agrees and is notified in
advanced
24 hour notice – a landlord
may enter after providing a 24
hour written notice by hand, or
delivered between 8a.m and 6p.m.
If there are any disputes, the
Victorian Civil and Administrative
Tribunal (VCAT) will hear the
dispute after an application is
made.
Consumer Affairs Victoriawww.consumer.vic.gov.au
Residential Tenancies Bond Authority
www.rentalbonds.vic.gov.au
Victorian Civil And Administrative Tribunal
www.vcat.vic.gov.au
Real Estate Linkswww.reiv.com.au
www.domain.com.au
www.realestate.com.au
www.commercialview.com.au
www.propertydata.com.au
A rooming house has to fulfill size,
amenity, safety and communal
cleanliness standards. It also has
to conform to space allowances
per person (according to Health
and Building Regulations).
A rooming house owner can set or
change house rules. Any changes
would have to be notified by
the owner to occupants at least
seven days before the changes
are implemented.
ROOM WITH A VIEWWhen residents have decided
upon a rooming house, the
rooming house owner has to
oblige by the Victoria Consumer
Affairs regulations and provide:
• a ‘Notice to Proposed Rooming House Resident’ form, which
explains residents rights, including
whether the room has exclusive
occupancy rights or otherwise.
• a ‘Rooming Houses – A Guide for Residents’ guide book and
the house rules
• the rooming house owner or managers’ name, address and
contact for authorising repairs
• extra rent charges for additional services such as room cleaning
or common meals
If residents do not receive the
above, the rooming house owner
may be fined.
The rooming house owner may
ask for a bond, which cannot be
more than 14 days of rent. The
bond paid has to be lodged with
the Residential Tenancies Bond
Authority (RTBA), which will be
kept for you. After submitting
a bond, residents will be given
a a Condition Report Form to
acknowledge or verify, copies of
which be kept in the case of any
dispute.
Rent can be increased as long as
the rooming house owner gives
an advanced notice of 60 days.
Rent can only be increased every
6 months. If residents think that the
rest increase is too excessive, they
can lodge a ‘rent assessment’
with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
RENTING YOUR HOMEIf you are keen on living on your
own, you may choose to rent
your own place instead of sharing
accommodations. Victoria has an
extensive network of places to
rent. Rent is usually advertised
on the basis of weekly rental. You
can find accommodations of a
single bedroom, single bathroom
apartment for about AU$250 per
week in Melbourne, whereas
the same may also get you a
3-bedroom, 2 bathroom house
© Phillip Minnis | Dreamstime.com © Marius Hainal | Dreamstime.com
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