moving from uk to perth after advice please

hi all, i am a fully qualifyed carpenter/cabinet maker with 10 yrs experiance in the uk working in factory 80% site work 20% i am looking at emigrating to perth next year and im after all the advice i can get on what living and working there will be and im hoping i could mabye get some here, any advice is very much appreciated,

a few questions i hav are

*, how do wages compare to cost of living,
* how many hours are a average week
* is there oppertunity of overtime
* is there good amount of jobs for bench work

i know i hav a few more but my mind is blank at the mo
i hope this is the right place to be asking

thanks for taking the time to read

Take me with you?

Deano, like most places Australia is facing some chronic skill shortages, Western Australia has some big issues in this area due to the huge mining/oil/gas boom over there.

It is very difficult to determine the cost of living comparison as everyone has different standards. Some things are a lot higher in Australia compared to wages, some are cheaper. I can only speak for myself (been in Australia for just 20 years) but our standard of living is higher than we had in the UK.

There are usually standard hours for trades that are all around the 38-40 a week mark. Overtime would depend on the company you work for.

As a rule of thumb, if you are a skilled worker living in WA and you are out of work, you are doing something wrong.

There are the most amazing housing developments going on in WA, by anyone's standards these places are quite big, all detached homes. Kitchen joinery skills etc are very much in demand.

Do you have a job to go to? If not you should contact the WA Government's skilled migration unit, they will be on the net somewhere. In general if you can't find a job in WA you won't find one anywhere.

Just remember, although Australia has a British heritage (apart from the indigenous population) you will be living in a foreign country. Things are different, yes we speak the same language (of sorts) although many sayings and phrases here have been "rearranged". Your favourite foods might not be available and neither might some European technology.

You will find better meat and veg providing you don't buy in the supermarkets. The number of ads and ad breaks on commercial TV will drive you crazy, on average 6 breaks an hour plus ads before and after the credits.

I think there are some books and websites related to living in Australia, by the way the whingeing POM thing is a myth, although if you speak your mind you will get called it.

I moved from Canada 3 years ago to the sunshine coast. I can't express this enough, you need to get involved with britishexpats.com. They have a forum that is a wealth of information and contacts.

Personally I ruled out perth as it's a bit isolated out there on the west coast of aus.

I can't speak for Perth but jobs around here are slowing in the cabinet industry.

The shop I worked for had a few jobs over there where we sent installers and and they report back that it's very expensive compared to where we are.

Deano.....there is indeed a skill shortage in WA. As Stub has said, if you have a trade and are out of work in WA you are not doing the right thing.

Most trades appear to have ample OT going at the moment.

I have worked with many British migrants over the years and most love the lifestyle. They say the most immediate change is the weather.
Be aware that Perth is a place with mild winters 4 degrees celsius is a coldish night here but it can be 40 degrees in the day and only gets down to 25 on some nights in the summer, but it is a dry heat with little humidity.
I can't comment on the cost of living compared to the UK, but most seem to do alright, and are soon paying off there own 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home in a very nice clean suburb, with a golden sandy beach not far away. Perth is spread up and down the coast and dose not extend much beyond 20 km from the coast.

Welcome to the best state in Australia.
Macca

Macca, I knew it would not be long before someone uttered the best state in Australia. We all know that it is Tasmania, cheapest housing, lowest crime rate, not a lot of traffic issues (although it is getting worse). All in all Tassie is still the best place to live overall.

The weather, well that is a matter of taste. I don't know how people put up with the heat of WA, NT or QLD to a lesser extent. While it gets colder down here we do not have the issues associated with the warmer states. No termites, no flies (in comparison) no deadly spiders. Hobart also has the second lowest rainfall of any capital city, although these days that is nothing to boast about. We could do with more.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stubchain

Macca, I knew it would not be long before someone uttered the best state in Australia. We all know that it is Tasmania, cheapest housing, lowest crime rate, not a lot of traffic issues (although it is getting worse). All in all Tassie is still the best place to live overall.

The weather, well that is a matter of taste. I don't know how people put up with the heat of WA, NT or QLD to a lesser extent. While it gets colder down here we do not have the issues associated with the warmer states. No termites, no flies (in comparison) no deadly spiders. Hobart also has the second lowest rainfall of any capital city, although these days that is nothing to boast about. We could do with more.

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You wouldn't happen to have a room to let? :U

Skilled Migration WA

check out Tasmania.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Toolin Around

Personally I ruled out perth as it's a bit isolated out there on the west coast of aus.

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Actually the most isolated city in the world.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by macca2

Welcome to the best state in Australia.
Macca

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I thought he said he was going to WA .... :wink: If he was coming to QLD surely he would have written "Brisbane" instead of Perth.

Seriously Deano, Macca's advice seems spot on.

I would only go to Perth if I wanted to work hard and make buckets full of money.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stubchain

The number of ads and ad breaks on commercial TV will drive you crazy, on average 6 breaks an hour plus ads before and after the credits.

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Stubchain you must be talking about SBS:?:). The commercial stations (Channels 7, 9 & 10) have more commercials than program content.

Deano if you don't like the HEAT then you shouldn't be thinking of moving to WA - or either NT, QLD. You can give this link a go which is the biggest internet provider of jobs in Australia - best of luck:wink:.

http://www.seek.com.au/

Metal Head

But it's only wuss bags living in Victoria of Tasmania who think that the heat in Perth is a problem, it's similar in latitude to Sydney. Much bloody hotter in north qld or northern WA.

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Originally Posted by Gingermick

I would only go to Perth if I wanted to work hard and make buckets full of money.

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That's good cause we wouldn't want you fraternising with any of our gorgeous women or using any of our fantastic beaches:D

Perth:

• Expensive food and accommodation
• Plenty of work if you want to work hard
• Good money
• BEST LOOKING WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA
• LOTS MORE WOMEN THAN MEN