There is a range of payments to help eligible people with the cost of health care services and prescription medicines. These payments help individuals and families to manage health care costs relating to medical conditions, medical equipment, disability and children’s health care needs.

Looking for work

If you are looking for work, have recently lost your job, or are at risk of losing your job, there are payments and services to support you.

Payments for job seekers

Australia offers several payments to support people who are looking for work. This includes income support while you look for work and financial assistance to complete approved studies. Australia also provides payments to help people with a disability, including those who are looking for work.

Disabled, ill or injured and looking for work

Australia provides support to help people with a disability, illness or injury find and keep a job. There is financial support available to help you work, study or do other approved activities. Australia also provides free information and job search services to help you while you are looking for work.

Essential Medical Equipment Payment

The Essential Medical Equipment Payment is an annual $140 payment to people who experience additional increases in home energy costs from the use of essential medical equipment to manage their disability or medical condition. This payment must be claimed, and payments will be available from 1 July 2012.

Age Pension

The Age Pension is an income support payment that helps give older people an adequate standard of living in retirement.

You must meet age and residence requirements in order to receive Age Pension.

There are different rates of payment for single people and couples. Your rate also depends on your income, assets, and other circumstances

At the time of writing, the median house prices in Australian capitals1 are as follows

Sydney: $555,000

Canberra: $495,000

Melbourne: $490,000

Darwin: $472,000

Perth: $460,000

Brisbane: $415,000

Adelaide: $370,000

Hobart: $350,000

The average house price in Australia is $470,000 ( averaged over the 8 capital cities)

What`s an average house

Generally speaking, an average Australian house would be a 3 or 4 bedroom, single-storey house on its own plot of land. Of course, there are many much bigger houses and many smaller dwellings, such as home units and apartments. As for any other country in the world, location is a key factor in property prices. As an illustration; $460,000, the median price in Perth, could buy you any of the following dwellings, depending on which suburb it’s in:

A single-storey 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in Padbury (suburb median $470,000).

A double-storey house with a pool on a large block in Gosnells (suburb median $315,000).

A 2 bedroom apartment close to the river in Applecross (suburb median $1.25 million)

Australia Compare to UK

The average UK house price is around £160,4005, equivalent to about $250,000 AUD at the current exchange rate. At $470,000, the average Australian house is 88% more expensive than the UK average!

In New Zealand the average is $365,000 NZD6, equivalent to about $285,000 AUD, so Australia is 65% more expensive than New Zealand.

Of course, we are only looking at the numbers here – it does not take into account the size or quality of the “average” house in each country.

Also, this is not a direct comparison of “Housing Affordability” between countries – that needs to take into account earnings, income tax and mortgage rates

Mortgage Payments

According to the ABS2, the average home loan in Australia in April 2012 was $288,900.

The current Cash Rate Target (Base Rate) set by the Reserve Bank of Australia3 is 3.50%, resulting in a typical mortgage rate of around 5.9%.

So, an average home loan will cost you around $1830 per month – that’s $21,960 per year or around $422 each week.4

Renting

According to REIWA7, the median rent in Perth in March 2012 for all types of property was $425 per week. For 4 bedroom houses, the average is more like $470 per week.

A good way to assess rents is to look at the yield ie. the annual rent as a percentage of the house value. The average yield in Perth is around 4-5%. So, as a rough guide, if you’re looking to rent in a certain suburb, where the median house price is say, $700,000, you can expect to pay $700,000 * 4.5% = $31,500 per year in rent. This comes to $605 per week.

A 100% mortgage on the same house would cost over $1000 per week. Add in rates, water rates and a few repairs and you would be paying around $1200 per week as a home-owner.

Clearly, renting is usually a lot cheaper than owning; in our example $605 versus $1200 per week.

The main reasons for this include:

Australia’s education standards rank amongst the highest in the world
Australian qualifications are widely recognized and accepted
Australia has multiple institutions offering a wide variety of courses with flexible delivery methods
Tuition fees are internationally competitive which, combined with a low cost of living
compared to other Western economies, represents good value for money
Educational facilities and teaching resources are of the highest quality
Government legislation and codes of conduct are applicable across the Education spectrum and serve to protect

Students
Australia offers an attractive lifestyle that is safe, stable and friendly. A multicultural society means international students quickly feel at home
There are opportunities to travel and / or work whilst studying Networks of support exist to help students in all aspects of their stay in Australia
Last year some 130,000 international students were studying in Australia. If we include students studying offshore this figure is almost 157,000.

In summary, Australia offers an efficient and stimulating academic environment that rewards students with a qualification recognized and valued around the world. But we couple this with an environment that is sophisticated, welcoming and full of exciting options

As a new migrant, you will inevitably compare grocery prices with “back home”. The fact is, some things are cheaper and some things seem super-expensive (especially with the current exchange rate). After a while, you stop comparing and just modify your shopping to get the best value.

Australia has nothing like the variety of prepared meals that are available in UK supermarkets.

A lot of fruit and veg is grown locally and the price fluctuates greatly depending on the level of supply. A recent example; storms in Queensland destroyed most of this year’s banana crop and the price of bananas in Perth went from about $3/Kg up to $12-$15/Kg! Peaches and plums can be $6/Kg one day and $2.50/Kg the next day.

At “growers’ markets”, fruit and veg can be MUCH cheaper than in the supermarkets. For example, recently in Perth celery has been scarily expensive ($5 for a whole celery), whereas at our local growers’ market, celery has been $1.99.

Total food bill for our family of 4:

$300 per week.

Specials

All supermarkets run weekly and daily specials – the price of individual items can be reduced substantially, sometimes by 30-50%. Therefore, if you are able to allocate enough time to the process, you should be able to reduce your weekly shopping bill significantly – I would guess by about 20% overall.

Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks are not sold in supermarkets (at least not in WA) – they are generally sold in “bottle shops”, which may be attached to a pub/hotel or may be a separate shop. Some of the supermarket chains do have bottle-shops as a side-line, located near the main store.

Note that every week retailers have specials which can reduce the price by 20% or more. Also, beer is much cheaper if you buy a “carton” of 24 cans/bottles or a “block” of 30 cans, rather than buying 4 or 6 at a time. Often there are savings to be had by buying wine by the case or half case. Wine casks (wine box in the UK), holding 2, 3 or 4 litres are also fairly popular and work out cheaper in general than bottled wine. Below are some prices of drinks advertised in specials catalogues that dropped through our door in June 2012.

Emu Draft Beer (aussie mid-strength 3.5%) – 1 block (30 x 375ml) for $28 = $2.14 per litre

Full strength aussie beer (5%) – 1 carton (24 x 375ml) normally about $38, on special for $30 = $3.33 per litre

Imported premium beers (5%) – 1 carton (24 x 375ml) normally $55, on special for $45 = $5 per litre

Wine – red or white 4 Litre wine cask – 2 for $20 = $2.50 per litre

Wine – “reasonable” (opinion of author!) bottle of red or white – $10 on special (normally $13)

Spirits – 700mL bottles of gin, blended whisky etc. – $30

Eating/Drinking Out

Here are a few indicative prices seen when eating and drinking out around Perth:

Cup of coffee = $3.90, mug = $4.50

Full cooked breakfast = $20

MacDonalds burger/fries/drink meal – $6.95

Large pizza (pickup) – $5.95

Gourmet/wood-fired pizza (pickup) – $18.00

Fillet steak main course with potatoes and a few veg = $35 – $40

Glass of wine in restaurant = $8

Bottled full-strength beer in pub or restaurant = $6 – $8

Pint of Guiness in a pub = $8 – $10

Estimated total for beer/wine, takeaways, eating out for our family of 4: $80 per week.

Cars & Traveling costs

an old ’97 Mitsubishi Pajero 3.5L 4WD, worth maybe $8,000. Insurance is $600 per year, annual

licence (road tax) is $555. 6-monthly services are $270. Repairs are running at about $1200 per year. I estimate I’m spending $2,500 per year on fuel.

a 2011 Hyundai i30 2.0L, bought new for $19,000. Insurance is $520 per year, annual licence is $472. RAC membership (covers both cars) is $200. Annual service is $220. Repairs estimated at $350 per year. Fuel costs are running at about $1,500 per year.

Petrol (regular unleaded) is around $1.30 a litre in Perth at the time of writing (June 2012). At the same time oil is about US$96 a barrel.

Total Car Costs:

Each car is driven about 10-15,000 km per annum. Total running costs, ignoring depreciation: amount to about $5,400 per year (Pajero) and $3,250 per year (i30), total $8,650 for both ($721 per month / $166 per week).

Of course, if you change your car every few years, depreciation becomes a significant cost. On this basis, overall running costs obtained from the RAC are about $1/km for the Pajero and 56¢/km for the i30. So, based on only 15,000km per year each, the total cost is $15,000 + $8,400 = $23,400 per year!

Public Transport

From Duncraig into Perth CBD (a 2-zone journey), the standard fare would be $3.80 per journey, totalling $38 per week (10 trips). This can be reduced by 25% to $28.50 per week by using a “SmartRider” card.

Schooling

Here are the education costs for one child in a private high school and one in a state high school.

State High School

No official fees for state primary or high schools, but each family may be asked to pay a “voluntary contribution” which may be up to $235 for the year.

There’s a stationery order (about $60) at the start of each year, plus the cost of any excursions or incursions (eg. plays put on at the school).

A contribution towards the P&C (Parents and Citizens Association) may also be requested ($60 this year at my son’s primary school).

Total for state high school (approx):

$400 per year = $33 per month = $8 per week

Private High school

Annual Tuition Fees = $7,985 (Year 12)

Other costs (approximate) = $1400

Examples of “other costs”:

Resources Fee ($375 per year)

Building Levy ($550 per year)

Camp fees ($220)

netball/athletics/swimming carnivals – $30-$50 each

Total for private secondary school:

$9,385 per year = $782 per month = $180 per week.

Note: this is a “middle-tier” private school. Fees for the “top” schools can be around $20,000 per year for tuition alone. Some private schools, especially Catholic ones, can be quite a bit cheaper.

Running the Home

In this section we list the main costs that our family incurs in running our home, excluding mortgage payments.

We have two school-age children, one dog and we run two cars, so that probably makes us a fairly typical Australian family.

Running the Home

Here are the main running costs for our home over a year.

Council Rates (City of Joondalup) = $1693

Water Rates = $892

Water Usage Charge = $416

Building Insurance ($418,000 cover) = $675

Contents Insurance ($113,000 cover) = $425

Electricity = $1,700

Gas = $750

Phone = $1300 ^

Broadband internet = $600

Foxtel Pay TV (Basic + Sport) = $840

Total of these housing costs:

$9,291 per year = $774 per month = $178 per week.

^ Phone – comprises a landline service and locals calls with Telstra, calls to Mobile and international with iiNet, our broadband internet provider. We also all have mobiles, which are not included in this. We could almost certainly rationalise all this and save money…something I keep meaning to do!

Sport and Recreation

Of course, this will vary enormously between families, but the following list is not at all unusual:

Family membership of the local tennis club = $420 per year

Golf (6 day membership of private club) = $1500 per year

Leisure Centre membership (Swim + gym + group classes) = $830 per year

Leisure Centre membership (Group classes only) = $645 per year

Swimming/yoga/gym (casual) = $12.50 per session

Winter kids sports (Soccer & Netball) = $250 per year

Summer kids sports (Teeball & Surf Club) = $250 per year

The total cost for our family: $2,500 per year = $208 per month = $48 per week

There are six states in Australia: New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (Qld), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (Tas.), Victoria (Vic.) and Western Australia (WA).

Each state has its own state Constitution, which divides the state’s government into the same divisions of legislature, executive, and judiciary as the Australian Government.

The six state parliaments are permitted to pass laws related to any matter that is not controlled by the Commonwealth under Section 51 of the Australian Constitution.

The monarch’s powers over state matters are exercised by a Governor in each state. The head of each state government is known as the Premier.

Territory government

There are ten Australian territories outside the borders of the states. Two mainland territories, The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and The Northern Territory (NT) and one offshore territory, Norfolk Island, have been granted a limited right of self-government by the Australian Government. In these territories, a range of governmental matters are now handled by a locally-elected parliament.

Outside of government, the ACT and the NT are often treated like states because of their significant population sizes.

Seven territories are governed only by Commonwealth law, usually through an Australian Government-appointed Administrator. They are:

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Australian Antarctic Territory

Christmas Island

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Coral Sea Islands

Jervis Bay Territory

Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Capital cities

Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory, is Australia’s national capital. The Parliament of Australia is located in Canberra, as is most of the Australian Government public service.

The other state and territory capital cities are:

Adelaide (South Australia)

Brisbane (Queensland)

Darwin (the Northern Territory

Hobart (Tasmania)

Melbourne (Victoria)

Perth (Western Australia)

Sydney (New South Wales)

Conflict of laws

If the laws of a state ever conflict with the laws of the Australian Government, the Constitution says that Commonwealth law is to be followed.

The Australian Government judiciary may also have the power to review decisions by a state judiciary.

Australian culture is as broad and varied as the country’s landscape. Australia is multicultural and multiracial and this is reflected in the country’s food, lifestyle and cultural practices and experience.

Australia has an important heritage from its indigenous people, which plays a defining role in the cultural landscape.

This diversity of influences creates a cultural environment in Australia that is lively, energised, innovative and outward looking

Population

As of February 2010, Australia’s population is roughly 22 million people. The most populous states are New South Wales and Victoria, with their respective capitals, Sydney and Melbourne, the largest cities in Australia.

Australia’s population is concentrated along the coastal region of Australia from Adelaide to Cairns, with a small concentration around Perth, Western Australia. The centre of Australia is sparsely populated

Climate

The majority of Australia experiences temperate weather for most of the year.

The northern states of Australia are typically warm all the time, with the southern states experiencing cool winters but rarely sub-zero temperatures.

Snow falls on the higher mountains during the winter months, enabling skiing in southern New South Wales and Victorian ski resorts, as well as the smaller resorts in Australia’s island state, Tasmania

Geography

Australia is an island continent and the world’s sixth largest country (7,682,300 sq km).

Lying between the Indian and Pacific oceans, the country is approximately 4,000 km from east to west and 3,200 km from north to south, with a coastline 36,735 km long.

Canberra is Australia’s capital city. With a population of approximately 320,000 people and situated in the Australian Capital Territory, Canberra is roughly half way between the two largest cities Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia has 19 listed World Heritage properties. Australia is also famous for its landmark buildings including the Sydney Harbour Bridge; its ancient geology, as well as for its high country

History

Australia’s first inhabitants, the Aboriginal people, are believed to have migrated from some unknown point in Asia to Australia between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago.

While Captain James Cook is credited with Australia’s European discovery in 1770, a Portuguese possibly first sighted the country, while the Dutch are known to have explored the coastal regions in the 1640s.

The first European settlement of Australia was in January 1788, when the First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. Originally established as a penal colony, by the 1830s the number of free settlers was increasing. Transportation of convicts to the eastern colonies was abolished in 1852 and to the western colonies in 1868

Legal system

Australia follows a Westminster system of government and law inherited from the British who originally colonised the country.

There are two main political parties and a number of minor parties, which make up the Commonwealth Parliament. Each state and territory also has its own government.