YOUR BUSINESS & TRAINING SOLUTIONS IN AUSTRALIA
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| About Australia |
| General presentation |
| Australian culture |
| Making Business |
| Money matters |
| Cost of living |
| Traveling to Australia |
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| About Australia |
| General presentation |
| Australia is a giant island bigger than the whole of Europe, populated by only 20 millions inhabitants, that will take your breath away as soon as you arrive!! This is the Adventure Land, the Land of Never-ending Spaces, the Land of Deserted Beaches, and the Land of the Dreaming... To sum up, the Land of Extremes and Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business and consumer confidence, and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, although the trade balance improved in 2006. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have kept Australia's budget in surplus since 2002. To help you understand the Australian geography and particularities, to convince you that coming to study in Australia is an unforgettable experience, we will transport you to the states that form the Federation of Australia, sharing with you our experience and personal opinion. This is not really a tourist guide so if you need more detailed information, consult any travel guides specialized in Australia such as Lonely Planet… If you wish to receive the best flight rates to Australia, please refer to our section Travel. Australia is a federation composed of 6 States and 2 Territories, is part of the Commonwealth and the head of state is not the prime Minister but the Queen of England Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor General. This system has got significant consequences in the business world: each State or Territory is run differently and has its own parliament and juridictions, so you’d better enquire if you are covered on a national or state level when you invest in Australia. - Australian Capital Territory (ACT): territory where the Australian capital city Canberra is; it only extends to the urban area of Canberra. This is an entirely diplomatic city. - New South Wales(NSW): capital city Sydney; NSW is the most populated and dynamic state as far as Business and investments in services, real estate (Sydney) and agriculture (regional NSW) are concerned; includes Newcastle, one of the largest ports in South East Asia, Wollongong, one of the largest metallurgy centres in Australia and the Hunter Valley reputed for its wineries. Winter Sports are possible in the Snowy Mountains at 6 hours drive South of Sydney. - Victoria (VIC): capital city Melbourne; the most populated State after NSW; offers a unique European influence and is said to be the cultural centre of Australia; second biggest business centre in Australia. Includes Gippsland reknown for its dairy farming and timber industry. Note the Yarra Valley for its wine production. Winter Sports are possible in the High Plains at 3-4 hours drive North and also 2-3 hours drive East of Melbourne. - Queensland (QLD): capital city Brisbane; state heavily dependent on tourism thanks to the Barrier Reef, Whitsundays… Agriculture is also very important; warm climate all year round except in summer in the far North where humidity can be suffocating. - Tasmania (TAS): capital city Hobart; State isolated from the main land, tranquil, with a spectacular wilderness; produces the best cheese and a large quantity of seafoods (lobsters and avalones); population very focused on the protection of the environment. - Western Australia (WA): capital city Perth (the most isolated city in the world); it is the richest state thanks to a vast mining industry; extraordinary growth in the last 2 years due to a frenesy of foreign investments from Asia; Note Margaret River for the growing reputation of its wineries. - South Australia (SA): capital city Adelaide, a quiet and very green city; vast state with a small population, strong European influence and a majority of deserts; international reputation for its wines (Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Mc Laren Vale, Adelaide Hills…) and gastronomy; enjoys the lowest living cost in Australia!The SA state offers financial advantages to companies willing to settle in or around Adelaide, and this decision has permitted a sleeping economy to become much more dynamic! - Northern Territories (NT): capital city Darwin, a very cosmopolitan city orientated towards Asia, its closest neighbour!: enormous tourist industry due to the presence of natural wonders such as : Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Djuta (Olgas); Totally composed of deserts, this state encompasses the largest cattle production in Australia within “stations” (ranches) as vast as a medium size town and a very important mining industry (zinc, uranium…)! |
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| Australian culture |
| The Australian population is principally composed of Anglo-Saxons (convicts and free settlers), the Aborigenes (1% only) and an increasing number of migrants since WWII (a majority coming from Southern and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and more recently from Asia and the Pacific Islands), who contributed to the building of an exceptional multiculturalism. The most problematic social aspect does not concern them but the Indigenous Australians, native inhabitants of Australia: reconciliation is a painful and sensitive process, far from being resolved. Most Australians, around 80%, live in an urban area and a big majority are home owners. Central city living is increasingly popular and the value of apartments have doubled since 2000. Find below all kind of information that will help you understand the Australian culture better! - To know about the daily life in Australia as well as how to confront it, click here! - To obtain general tourist information about Australia, click here! - To become familiar with the Australian slang, click here! - To see unusual photos about Australia, click here! |
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| Making Business |
| Please find below a summary of the elementary rules to respect if you are planning to make business in Australia. Australians in general are very open minded but would not be impressed by a demonstration of hierarchy at work or in private situations. You will not be judged by your title but by your personality. This sensitivity to an egalitarian world and the belief that everybody be treated equally result from the “fair go” attitude, a typical character of the Australian culture that allows anybody to go forward with their project, be it realised or not. They are fascinated with self made men or “underdogs”, actually people who made themselves on their own, who became rich and famous due to their perspicacity and strength of character and not thanks to long studies and networking. The Geert Hofstede analysis shows the high level of individuality Australian's hold dear. This is reinforced in their daily lives and must be considered when traveling and doing business in the Country. Privacy is considered the norm and attempts at personal ingratiation may meet with rebuff. Uncertainty avoidance is relatively low with a family centered culture and a stable society. According to the Hofstede analysis, this is still a very masculine society, women not being much present in top management positions. Appearance - Men wear a conservative dark business suit and tie. Women may wear a dress, or skirt and blouse, for business. - Informal clothing is appropriate when not attending business functions. - Casual pants are fine for both men and women. - Men should not become physically demonstrative with another man, or wink at a woman. Behaviour - Being punctual is critical. - Maintain good eye contact during meetings and conversations. - A single, male passenger using a taxi should sit in the front seat. - Gift giving is not a common practice in business. - You may bring a small gift of chocolate, wine or flowers if invited to someone's home. - When paying for a round of drinks, do not pick up the tab out of turn, and make sure to pay when it is your turn. - Should you approach a line/queue, go to the end/back and wait your turn. - Do not litter. Communications - English is the spoken language. - Shake hands when meeting and when leaving. - Although uncommon, some women may greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. - Exchanging business cards is common among professional workers. - Australians are friendly and open, but directness and brevity are valued. - Opinions are respected, and opinionated discussions are entertaining. - Be an active listener, and ask if you do not understand something in the conversation. - Do not hype yourself, your company or your information. - Sightseeing and sports are good conversational topics. - Afternoon tea is about 4:00pm. Tea is between 6:00 - 8:00pm and is an evening meal. - Supper is a late night light meal or snack. To have further information about “business etiquette” in Australia, you can buy some professional documentation online: www.worldbiz.com. Otherwise we recommend you to contact the closest Austrade office in your country or the Chamber of Commerce in the city you are planning to make business. |
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| Money matters |
| It is important to get familiar with the Australian dollar and the financial establishments. Refer to ourmoney converter to calculate the exchange rates. Banking: There are several national and local banks in Australia whose most important are Westpac, National Australia Bank, ANZ et Commonwealth Bank. To minimise your banking problems, we have made some research and Westpac, actually the first bank open in Australia in 1817, is one of the rare ones that offer very interesting services for non-residents and who wants to settle or make business in Australia. You can open a saving or transactions account, organize the necessary transfers from your home country and receive your bank card once in Australia. If you can prove any evidence of employment, you will be authorised to ask for a credit card, home loan and others. You even can open an account in foreign currency. If you are interested, you can open your account online on the following website: www.westpac.com. Beware the banks’ opening hours in Australia: non stop from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm from Monday to Thursday and from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm on Friday. Some downtown agencies open until 7.00 pm on Thursday evening and on Saturday morning. Australian Stock Exchange: For all information concerning listed companies and stocks, please refer to the website of the Australian Securities Exchange www.asx.com.au or you can visit their representative offices in the following cities: - Sydney (Exchange Centre, 20 Bridge Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000), - Melbourne (Level 45, South Tower, Rialto, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000), - Brisbane (Riverside Centre, Level 5, 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000), - Adelaide (89 King William Street, Adelaide, SA, 5000), - Perth (Exchange Plaza, 2 The Esplanade, Perth, WA, 6000). Click here to have access to the glossary of financial terms in English. |
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| Cost of living |
| Australia in general offers an extraordinary quality of life, a cost of living lower than in Europe, although living in Sydney has been considerably more expensive since the 2000 Olympic Games. A recent international survey has awarded Melbourne as the most liveable city in the world and Sydney in 10th position!! If you live in regional areas or in Queensland, WA or SA, daily expenses might be inferior than in the rest of Australia, although shops tend to have the same pricing policy all around Australia!! You need in general around AU$12,000 per year to live comfortably. Of course these costs do not take into account your flight, insurance, training…, only accommodation, transport and leisure costs. These estimates vary according to your lifestyle. Costs per category: We have established a recapitulative table of general costs to give you a better idea and help you organise your budget accordingly. Attention! The prices indicated below are in Australian dollars, per week. Click here to convert in your home currency! Accommodation Single room (Share Accommodation) : A$80 - $190 Twin room (share accommodation) : A$60 - $125 Studio: AU$180- $300 2-bedroom unit: AU$250 to 500 Food: A$60 - $120 Book materials: A$55- $1.000 (per year) Electricity: A$10 - $20 Telephone (mobiles and international calls): A$10 - $30 Transport: A$15 - $32 Stationery, photocopying, etc: A$20 Entertainment: A$30 - $200 Cinema Ticket: A$12 to 16 Postage Within Australia: A$0.50 International: A$1.20 Bread: A$1.50 - $4.00 Milk:(2 litres) A$2.60 Australian Cheese (500g): A$4.50 - $10.00 Lettuce: A$1.60 Cereals (box): A$4.50 Powerade (Sports drink – 33cl bottle): A$1.90- $3.00 Chips (bag): A$2.50 Big Mac: A$3 Medium Soft Drink: A$1.65- $3.50 Bottle of wine (75cl): AU$8 - $40 As far as study costs are concerned, please refer to section Training in Australia. Particularities: - In Australia, everything is paid weekly: salary, accommodation… - Rent costs: It is not automatically more expensive to live in the city than in the suburbs. It depends on the popularity of the suburb: the most trendy the suburb, the most expensive! Trends change rapidly in Australia, so get informed before moving into a specific suburb. |
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| Traveling to Australia |
| Nowadays it is easy to fly to Australia and tariffs are very reasonable. Australia is less than 23 hour flight away. Time flies quickly now that most air companies offer quality inflight entertainment … Furthermore the flight is often relieved by a compulsory stopover that allows you to stretch. How to choose your flight from your home country: You can constantly find special offers to Australia but checking each airline by yourself is time consuming. We advise you to use the services of travel agents specialised in Australia. Traveling in Australia: Australia is a gigantic island so when you organize your itineray, calculate distances correctly, distances between cities are enormous! It is not particularly necessary to book your domestic flights from your home country; in Australia, you have specialised travel agencies that offer interesting packages. Thanks to the airline Virgin Blue, that created an enormous concurrence on Qantas, you don’t need to suffer hours by train or coach for days on!! Check the websites of Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar and book online!! You’ll receive a confirmation by email (e-ticket) and a reference number to print as a receipt and ticket. |
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| Useful information |
| Shopping - Food: avoid shopping in city centres, in the 7 Eleven, city convenient stores and IGA. Better shop at the most common supermarkets: Bi-Lo or Aldi (the cheapest), Woolworth and Coles. Their car parks are generally free of charge. Otherwise the General stores or Corner stores are very useful when you miss a few ingredients. You can find ingredients from all around the world in most shops thanks to a high multiculturalism. - Clothes: quality or designer fashion is often expensive and not that varied, unless you buy items made in China, each from AU$10 to AU$50 but they don’t last long! |
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