Utilities & Rates

Telephone billing is based on a 30 day period and is payable by cash, cheque or card at the post office. Card payments can be made online via your telephone provider's website, via B-pay, or via telephone. Direct Debit is also available.

Gas bills are generated quarterly and are payable by cash, cheque or card at the post office. Card payments can be made on the Internet or via telephone. Direct Debit is not available.

Electricity bills are generated quarterly and are payable by cash, cheque or card at the post office. Card payments can be made on the Internet or via telephone. Direct Debit is not available.

Water bills are separated into usage payable every 6 months and sewerage payable annually. The annual sewerage bill is paid on a property purchase at settlement and is based on the remainder of the 12 months.

Shire Rates (council tax) are payable annually and can be split into 4 equal payments for a fee. If you purchase a property these Rates are paid on settlement and are a percentage of the 12 months. The payment year runs from July to June.

Setup Charges - All of the utility companies charge a setup fee on new accounts for either a purchased house or a long term rental. Short term rentals are usually inclusive of utilities excluding telephone.

Refer to the Real Estate page for additional information on utilities.

Trading Hours In Perth

Banks
Monday to Thursday from 9:30am to 4pm, Friday 9.30am to 5pm.

Post Office
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm (Some branches may also open on Saturday 9am-11:30am.)

Retailers / Shops
Retailers: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm or 5:30pm. Thursday 9am-9pm , whilst Shopping Centres often open 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and some are closed on Sundays.

Postal Services and Mail
Stamps: Internal domestic 50 cents, International from 85 cents.

Power Supply
Power supply is 240 volts AC, 50 Hz, using a three-pinned socket. Plug adaptors for UK, European, North American and other plugs are widely available for around $10.

TV/Video/DVD
The Australian TV system is PAL-B/G.
European TVs & Video recorders operate on a different sound frequency to Australian systems so you can see the picture but hear nothing. You can run the TV system through an Australian Video which will then decode the sound & picture into the Scart / RGB / Aux Input on the TV. This is not ideal, and it might be cheaper to sell your UK TV and save on shipping.

Videotapes from Europe are compatible with this version of PAL and will play on Australian videos. The PAL-B/G system is incompatible with the NTSC system used in North America and Japan. However Australian domestic video recorders can play NTSC tapes. They may not duplicate or record. Australian DVDs are region 4 and encoded in PAL. If you buy DVD discs in Australia, check if your DVD player can play region 4 discs, and that your DVD player and TV can display PAL signals. Multi-region discs & systems are most reliable unlike the Sony PS2, which is region 4 in Australia and region 1 in the UK.

Telephones
The Australian telephone network is different to the UK and therefore fax machines & telephones from the UK will not work. The main telephone network throughout Australia is Telstra (similar to BT in the UK). Telephones and fax machines can be bought very cheap in Perth.

Calling from Overseas
The prefix for dialing Australia from overseas is 00 61 (often shown as +61).
When dialing from overseas, you should drop the first 0 from the area code - e.g. 08 for Perth becomes 8.

(00-61-8-Then your 8 digit Perth number.)

Australian STD (area) codes
(02) for NSW,
(03) for VIC and TAS,
(07) for QLD,
(08) for SA, WA and the NT

Emergency numbers
The number to dial for emergency services is 000. This is a free call.
From mobile phones 000 & 112 will also work.

Telephone call costs
From fixed landline phones, calling local numbers and numbers beginning with 1300 are about 25c per call no matter what the duration. These cost 40 cents from payphones.
1800 numbers are completely free.
Calls to 1900, long distance, and mobile phones are all timed calls, with varying costs .
All calls made from mobile phones are timed calls & incur costs.

Payphones
Telstra (BT equivalent) payphones are common all over the country. All phones will accept coins or a Telstra phone card. Some phones will accept credit cards. Phone cards are available at post offices, newsagents, petrol stations (servo’s) and convenience stores.

Prepaid Phone Cards
Can be used from both landlines and payphones. These are useful for making long distance & International calls, and are generally cheaper. These are available at newsagents, post offices, convenience stores and various other outlets. Many require you to dial a local number (e.g. 40 cents from a payphone, un-timed) to make your call. Some will offer a free local number, but add a surcharge to the cost of your call, meaning the money on your card runs out faster.
Telstra PhoneAway card http://www.telstra.com.au/callingcardshop/phoneaway.htm

Mobile Phones
Check with your phone specifications to see the operating frequency.
Phones from many GSM countries can be used in Australia. The most common GSM standard used is
900 MHz, but 1800 is also used. 1900 (used in the USA) is not used in Australia.
You will be able to sell the SIM or the whole contract in the UK. If you do bring the phone you can purchase a prepaid startup kit, with a new provider & number.

Internet access

Libraries
Libraries offer Internet access for free however they do require you to become a member, this is also free, and available to all. You must provide ID and evidence of your address to become a member. Emails are not allowed on the Library service but in the larger libraries they do have Internet access machines (PIE) allowing all the usual browsing & emails for a fee of $1 for 15 minutes.

Net cafes
Internet cafes are relatively common in built-up areas. They can generally be found in city and town centres.

Hot-spots
There are many wireless hot-spots around the Perth metro area - many restaurants, cafe's, hotels etc. usually provide wireless services

Computers
Computers and laptops brought over from the UK will work in Australia, the only difference being the plug at the end of your power cord! PC power cables can be bought from any computer shop for approximately $10 each.

Some newer modems (usually external) will work in Australia providing they have an RJ11 socket. Most new laptops are fitted with these sockets as standard. For your PC, new internal modems can be bought for as little as $15.


ISPs ( Internet Service Providers)
There are hundreds of ISP's Australia-wide and it can be difficult to choose the best for you! A good computer shop can give you all the advice you need, and can usually supply you with the required hardware and software to get you going. Although dialup services are still available, Cable, ADSL, ADSL2 and Wireless ADSL broadband services are now widely available in Australia at very competitive prices, and quite often work out cheaper than dialup accounts. Broadband speeds in Perth currently range from 256kbps (ADSL1) to 24mbps (ADSL2).

Internet E-mail Account
It is worth setting up a roaming email address such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo as it will enable you to access your e-mail from any computer that has an active Internet connection. This is particularly useful for family & friends and other important contacts while you are relocating, and most of these services also support the use of web-cams so you can keep in touch anywhere, anytime.

Before You Leave

Photocopy all essential paperwork, visa, passport, birth certificates and insurance policies for safety. Some insurance companies will take into account your no-claims bonus protection from the UK when you apply for a new policy in Australia, either car or household.
TIP: Get your UK Insurer to provide you with proof of no-claims before you leave - this will save a lot of hassle.

When You Arrive

Tax File Number (TFN)
To gain employment in Western Australia, it is compulsory to have a Tax File Number. This application is made at the Tax or Centrelink office in your suburb. You will need your Passport, Birth & Marriage Certificates and proof of address to complete the application form. Once you have received your Tax file number, parents will be eligible to apply for child benefit (Family tax credit).

To apply for child benefit you will need your Tax file number, your child's birth certificates, passports and proof of address. Centrelink will require you to complete an application form, which is available from their office and will take around 4 weeks to be assessed. Apply for child benefit as soon as you can as this can be a helpful amount of money paid fortnightly.

The Tax File centre is the Australian equivalent to the Inland Revenue office in the UK.

Centrelink is the government benefits centre, and holds general information on welfare issues.


Medicare
You should also apply for a Medicare Card as soon as you get to Perth. More information about Medicare can be obtained here