Australia 101 Blog - General

Skilled Migration and Growing Unemployment

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:10:50 +1100

Welcome to my Australia 101 migration blog - and thank you Natasha and Nick, for hosting me!

My first post is about something that affects everyone interested in migrating to Australia under the skilled migration program – the Australian Government’s take on the impact of migrants on Australia’s workforce and growing unemployment rate.

Well, the news is all good!

Despite rumours and media spin-doctoring to the contrary, the Government has no current intention of closing Australia’s gates to skilled migrants. In fact, in December 2008, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship stated that the existing 133 500 planning target would remain, with the actual number of visas granted to be kept under review for the remainder of 2008-09. Here’s a link to his statement: Ministerial Statement by Senator Chris Evans. (PDF download)

Despite the global economic downturn, Australia is still a great place to live and work, with employment available across all trades and most professions and with unlimited opportunities for qualifying investors and business people to purchase an existing Australian business or set up their own.

So don’t believe the rumours of doom and gloom – Australia is fighting back in this recessionary climate – and is still the land of opportunity for skilled migrants, business owners and investors!

Sincerely

Susan

A Better Australia Day

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:05:09 +1100

Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars...

The song from the 70s ran through my mind as I watched the pie eating competition at Mad Fish Cafe this morning.

In some ways this country hasn't changed much in the last 30 years.

Events in our local area included: thong throwing contests; cockroach races; prawn peeling competitions; beach cricket; sandcastle building; whip cracking and hula-hooping.

Things that many of us consider "Aussie" but wouldnt be caught dead doing on any other day.

But in many other ways things have changed. A lot. For me, this year Australia Day felt different. And I am pleased to say - better.

That's because this year, as well as doing the usual, fun in the sun stuff, I had the opportunity to spend some time with some local Indigenous people. Not just as a spectator at a Welcome to Country but as a fellow Aussie, interested in learning more about Indigenous Australian Culture.

From the dreamtime storytelling, to the wonderful journey of the Message Stick Van, learning more about our first Australian's helped me to really celebrate Australia Day this year.

Somehow it made the day feel more legitimate.

As a descendant of a First Fleet convict I had always been uneasy about celebrating British settlement in Australia. It is no surprise to me that many consider the day to be more appropriately termed Invasion Day.

However this year, in our home, along our street and at our beach, the feeling of togetherness was tangible. A terrific celebration of Aussies, gathering shoulder to shoulder, to acknowledge how lucky we feel to live in this country.

What did you do on Australia Day? Did you become a citizen? Use the comment form below to let me know what you got up to...

Moreton Island Oil Spill

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:41:14 +1100

In recent months Australia has certainly had it's share of problems. To add to the global financial crisis that's affecting just about everyone on the planet, there have been the horrendous bush fires in Victoria and South Australia, and flooding in Far North Queensland.

To top it all off, Cyclone Hamish has caused wild weather along the Queensland coast, generating winds of up to 85km per hour and 9 metre seas. So why, one has to ask, did the ships master of the Pacific Adventurer think it was a good time to set sail from Newcastle to Brisbane?

Part of the cargo of this vessel is Ammonium Nitrate. 5 tonnes of this was spilled onto the deck of the ship, and subsequently ran off into the sea. This is on top of the 32 containers of the chemical that went over the side.

If this wasn't bad enough, one of the containers that fell overboard knocked a hole in the hull of the ship, releasing oil into the sea. This has now washed up on the beaches of Moreton Island, Bribie Island and a number of beaches along the Sunshine Coast (where I live).

Ammonium Nitrate is commonly used as an agricultural fertiliser, and as an oxidising agent in explosives. Although it is unlikely that it would cause an explosion in the conditions on the Pacific Adventurer (unless it is exposed to heat or chlorine), it is very likely it will cause environmental damage in the ocean.

Dumping a large quantity of Ammonium Nitrate into the sea, has a similar effect to a massive run off of storm water that finds it's way from the land into the sea. Storm water is a problem as it often contains large amounts of nutrients that run off from agricultural properties that have used the likes of Ammonium Nitrate in their fertiliser mix. This has the effect of encouraging algal blooms that clog up waterways and cause meadows of seagrass, kelp beds and entire ecosystems to die.

This effect could occur around Moreton Island where the majority of the Ammonium Nitrate was dumped and where there are kelp beds east of the island. (I know, as I've been scuba diving in them.)

The Environmental Protection Agency reckons this won't be a problem, as a 'single spike' of this chemical into the environment won't cause any long term damage, but I don't think they have truly thought through the long term effects.

Let's hope the Australian authorities pursue this company for it's incompetence with the full force of the law. Unlike the damage that the bushfires, floods and cyclone caused, this event was entirely avoidable. Now the already over burdened Australian tax payer will have to foot the bill for the clean up, and live for years with the damage to the environment that this has caused.

This damage not only has an immediate effect on the local wildlife, but will remain in the food chain of the local eco system for years.

UPDATE: Oil Spill in Brisbane River

The latest update to this sorry saga is that the ship, which is now berthed at Hamilton dock in Brisbane, has leaked oil into the Brisbane River. This is despite there being a boom around the ship to contain continued leakage into the sea.

Full details can be found on the Courier Mail website.

News & Information Links:

Damage to Coastline - ABC Online
ABC News
The Australian
Maritime Union of Australia
Swire Shipping Company (Operators of the Pacific Adventurer)
Maritime Safety - QLD

Let's Put Out the Fire...

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:04:59 +1100

The REAL Story about Changes to Skilled Migration. With all the media attention to the recent changes to Australia's Migration Program, it would be easy for intending migrants to Australia to be discouraged about their chances of obtaining a visa. The media's doom and gloom and dire warnings have been made worse by some migration advisors exploting the situation by coercing people into rushing to apply for visas in case they miss out.

Well, we can all relax and put out the fire.

Yes, there have been changes. No, they are not going to make or break most visa applicants' chances of obtaining a visa grant. And now that the changes have been announced, rushing to apply will not affect your processing priority. If you are applying for general skilled migration and have obtained state or employer sponsorship, your application will be priority processed. If you have no sponsorship but your application is on Australia's Critical Skills List, your application will have second priority. All other GSM applications will be placed in the queue until the first two priorities have been processed.

The real story is this:

The government is- and always will be - conscious of maintaining its popularity in the eyes of Australian voters. Australia, just like every other country, has been impacted by the global economic downturn. Business have folded and people have lost their jobs.

In response, in order to be seen to be doing something to protect Australians' jobs, the Government has reduced the skilled migration program's cap from 133,000 to 115,000 and removed most trades occupations off its new critical skills list.

FACT!

While this is quite a significant drop, what the media - and the Government - have failed to say is that during 2007-08, the program was increased by 31,500 places - so Australia is still welcoming more skilled migrants than it did two years ago.

FACT!

People who obtain state or employer sponsorship for a permanent visa will go to the top of the list for processing. Each state has a different list of occupations it will sponsor; many include trades and occupations that are not on the critical skills list. Because certain states have been beseiged with applications for sponsorship since the changes were announced, some are taking no more applications this program year; some still are accepting applications.

FACT!

The new changes only affect permanent visas. Temporary 457 visas have not been affected at all; and are an excellent basis for a long term strategy to obtain permanent residence.

FACT!

Even if you don't have employer or state sponsorship, or an occupation on the Critical Skills List, you can still apply for General Skilled Migration. YOu will have to wait significantly longer for your application to be processed.

FACT!

Temporary visas, family visas, partner visas, refugee and humanitarian visas, other permanent visas, resident return visas, working holiday visas and other visitor visas have not been affected by the changes.

Here's a link to the information sheet (PDF) put out by DIAC about the changes:

Obtaining an Australian visa under the General Skilled Migration Program has always been subject to caps and has always involved long waiting times - the recent changes are merely an announcement of new processing priorities, rather than a cause for alarm for most applicants.

Sincerely

Susan

Christmas in Australia

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:26:13 +1100

Our Christmas in Australia this year was certainly very different to Christmas in the UK last year.

Last year we hung the stockings on the mantlepiece for the children and snuggled up under our duvets. We awoke to frost on the windows and snow on the Downs.

This year, it was a santa pillow case on the lounge chair whilst we slept under ceiling fants with even the sheets pushed aside. We awoke to the sounds of kookaburras and feel of sunshine.

If you grew up in a climate where it was snowy at Christmas, an Australian Christmas may feel rather strange. Enjoy the novelty, but prepare yourself and your family for the differences.

Here's some tips to enjoy a hot Christmas in Australia:

Build new traditions that embrace the advantages of a sunny festive season such as watching the sun set (or rise if you're keen) from the beach.
Incorporate some Aussie summer foods into your Christmas meal. Check out these ideas.
Many Australians that celebrate Christmas will have a hot meal Christmas Eve and then cold left overs on Christmas Day to avoid putting the ovens on and heating up the house.
Phone loved ones in your home country and rejoice over the different experiences you are having. We managed to get Skype working for some great video calls on the day.

If you have any suggestions for making the most of Christmas in Australia please share them here by commenting below.

You Little Ripper!

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:53:18 +1100

Check out our new Australia 101 website!

Jammed full of information for new Aussies.

Over the last few years Australia 101 has grown in readership and content. The new design reflects our new brand and continued commitment to providing topical information to those migrating or moving to Australia.

New features include:

Drag and Drop. Simply click and drag content into the position you want it on the home page.
Minimise sections. Keep sections open if you are interested or close them to save space.
Migrant Success Stories. See what other migrants have done since arriving in Australia. We'd love to hear your story. Contact us.
Tips for Leaving Home, Arriving in Australia and Living in Australia. Checklists to help make your move down under go smoothly
What's Hot in Australia slideshow. Showcasing what's going on in Oz right now.
Comment on our articles to help others choose the best information. We'd love to know what you think, so please leave a comment below or send an email. Any suggestions greatly received :-)

Hoo-roo, Natasha.

The Danger of Bushfires

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:51:25 +1100

As southern Australia roasts in a blistering heatwave, the danger of bushfires for many communities is very high. Already there have been several in both South Australia and Victoria, (both natural and deliberately lit). These fires have destroyed not only property, but peoples lives.

If you were to spot a fire on the side of the road, would you know what to do? We found ourselves in just that situation back in October 2008 on a drive up from Sydney to Brisbane.

We were driving in the dark about 20 or 30km north west of Coffs Harbour on the mid New South Wales coast. The road we were on was in a very rural area. Any houses where on acreage, and there was quite a bit of distance between neighbours. As we turned a corner we spotted a fire on the side of the road about 500 metres ahead. As we drove closer, it became obvious that it was a bush fire in it's early stages.

At this point, it was easy to continue driving and think that someone else had already seen and reported it. Luckily we had a mobile phone with us, and my wife, Tash, (having been bought up in country NSW) new straight away that if it was left, it would most likely get out of control and cause damage to people & property. She got on the phone straight away to '000' (Which is the emergency number in Australia - equivilent to '999' in the UK and '911' in the US).

The main problem we ran into when reporting the fire, was not knowing exactly where we were. Fortuneatly, our car has a satellite navigation system, so we identified the road we were on from that, and told the authorities where the fire was. If we hadn't had the sat nav, it would have been a lot harder to work out our position, as there were no road signs. We would have had to turn back or keep driving until we found some identifying signs, or approached one of the properties we had passed earlier. There were no signs of people, so no one to ask!

Once Tash had phoned in the location of the fire, they said they would send someone to check it out. They didn't take any details, other than the location of the fire. About an hour later the phone rang, and it was the fire authority with a lot more questions about what we may or may not have known about the origin of the blaze. (Caller details are logged by the emergency services centre).

Luckily, they had been able to get there quickly enough to control it and stop it from causing any damage, but they were keen to get any leads that may help them find out who lit it! It seems they had enough evidence to suggest that someone had started the fire deliberately.

It's really incredible that people could be reckless enough to start one of these blazes on purpose. I guess it's an easy thing to set a fire and not have to hang around and see the devestation that their actions have caused. Rather cowardly really...

If you are thinking of moving to a part of Australia that may be affected by seaonal bushfires, you may want to check out this page with a list of links to the Fire Brigade in each state. Most states also have a volunteer rural fire brigade, and I'm sure any additional supporters would be welcome!