Electrician Moving to Brisbane ?

P.B

P.B

P.B

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2 Apr 2015
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Hey everyone, looking for some advise. For a couple years now I have been looking to move down under, I now have the savings and means to do so (13,500). I have narrowed it down to north of Brisbane.

I have my JIB CSCS gold card and have been self employed for the last 9 years, Also pretty good at my job and have a turn over off around 45k. No gf no kids, But have a mortgage here which I will keep and rent whilst I'm away, in case I decided to come back. So I'm looking to know a few things after reading up.

Work

1. As long as I have my gold JIB card the TRA will accept my qualifications and allow me to work or will i need any additional training?

2. I'll need a working visa for £350 is there anything else i will need ?

3. What happens after my visa runs out ?

4. I see there tax system works the same for the employed with the super being there version of National insurance. But how does it work if i want to be self employed ?

5. How much would I realistically be looking at earning and how much will i come out with after stoppages ?

6. Ill need an Australian bank account to keep my money separate from that from over seas?

Living

1. Looking at places to rent they seem to be between $250-$350 per week depending on quality ect.

2. What other things do I need to pay for ie council tax, tv license, home insurance do they need any of them ?

3.How much would gas and electric be ?

Driving

1.I understand you dont need insurance unless you want to go fully comp as its part of the 'REGO' you pay

2. do they have things like MOTs

3. Is there any other expenditures apart from REGO and fuel ?

4. Hopefully if i decide to stay there I would like to import a car from the uk an e46 M3 how would this work and how much roughly would it cost ?

5. is there a limit on how many cars you could import ?

General Living

1. What other cost of living are there ?

2. What is the cost of food like ?

3. Electrical goods are they similar prices to what you expect here ?


Cant think of any more questions atm but thank you for you time reading this.
 
How are you going to become a profit turning self employed sparky in under a year in a foreign country?

That is a pipe dream that could get you in deep **** financially.
 
FurryLemon said:
How are you going to become a profit turning self employed sparky in under a year in a foreign country?

That is a pipe dream that could get you in deep **** financially.
Click to expand...

He has the balls to go there and try. If it doesn't work out he'll come back, hence he doesn't want to sell his property. The worse that'll happen is he'll lose a chunk of money if this doesn't work out. But who cares? The experiences he would have gained would make him a far better man.
 
FurryLemon said:
How are you going to become a profit turning self employed sparky in under a year in a foreign country?

That is a pipe dream that could get you in deep **** financially.
Click to expand...

the same way I did, and I done it in 2 months, take home £4K+/month

if your trade is in demand, and you are a guy who is willing to graft, the work and contacts will come very quickly,

My advise to you would be dont doubt someones dream, just because you yourself think it would be near impossible to achieve, you only disclose your own weaknesses.
 
5. How much would I realistically be looking at earning and how much will i come out with after stoppages ?

Making a few assumptions as to your competency given how well you are doing in the UK, i'd say 100K AUD. Please don't hold me to that Lol.

6. Ill need an Australian bank account to keep my money separate from that from over seas?

Yep, HSBC operate in both countries, if you want to get it sorted early. NAB is a good bank over here if not :-)

Living

1. Looking at places to rent they seem to be between $250-$350 per week depending on quality ect.

2. What other things do I need to pay for ie council tax, tv license, home insurance do they need any of them ?
Home insurance is up to you obviously if renting, no TV license, no council tax as such.. watch for 'rates' if renting flats/apartments.

3.How much would gas and electric be ?
Same as UK really.

Driving

1.I understand you dont need insurance unless you want to go fully comp as its part of the 'REGO' you pay
Still get third party insurance, NRMA are good and have nice online support so you dont have to waste time on the phone etc when it comes to renewing

2. do they have things like MOTs
Thats the rego I guess

3. Is there any other expenditures apart from REGO and fuel ?
I would still get third party insurance, other than that no..

4. Hopefully if i decide to stay there I would like to import a car from the uk an e46 M3 how would this work and how much roughly would it cost ?
I would sell it in the UK

5. is there a limit on how many cars you could import ?
I think its 1 but I have only 1% of an idea as to what i am talking about

General Living

1. What other cost of living are there ?
Big ones here for me are accomodation & food. Everything else is the same. Brisbane is better for both than Sydney as well.

2. What is the cost of food like ?
Higher than UK but still cheap options if you are on a budget. Things like Beef start at $12/KG for chuck (good only for a slow cooker) and get up to $47/KG for a super high quality cut. Fruit & veg is very mixed based on whats in season. Season means a lot.

3. Electrical goods are they similar prices to what you expect here ?
Yep.

Cant think of any more questions atm but thank you for you time reading this.[/QUOTE]

Np :D
 
Bro in law works in OZ, he does the electrical maintenance in the mines in the north somewhere.
I know he had to do some kind of retraining, works 3 weeks on/off flights paid to site and back.
 
Being a sparky or any kind of tradie in Australia is pretty much a license to print money!

Im not sure if its been mentioned, but you cant legally do even home DIY on electrical items without needing an electrical ticket. This includes fitting ceiling fans and moving/replacing powerpoints.
Im no expert, but i dont see the Austalian electrical code and regs being all that much different from the UK, only our wall plugs dont have fuses in them :)

Edit

Ill have a go at answering some of the questions you listed above when i get home, though i have no experiences with life in Melb, only sunny Darwin
 
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I am no expert as I am not an electrician but I am sure I have seen on various forums that electricians, builders, carpenters etc. have to get their UK qualifications converted to Australian ones. I am guessing you have looked into this already and probably are more up to speed but just passing on my understanding from what I have read.

Good Luck :)
 
Unluckyalf said:
Being a sparky or any kind of tradie in Australia is pretty much a license to print money!

Im not sure if its been mentioned, but you cant legally do even home DIY on electrical items without needing an electrical ticket. This includes fitting ceiling fans and moving/replacing powerpoints.
Im no expert, but i dont see the Austalian electrical code and regs being all that much different from the UK, only our wall plugs dont have fuses in them :)

Edit

Ill have a go at answering some of the questions you listed above when i get home, though i have no experiences with life in Melb, only sunny Darwin
Click to expand...

Is he sparky or a house basher though? A few lads have gone over from our place and found contracts before they go :p
 
Rego isn't quite like MOT. Rego includes compulsory third party insurance and is basically just tax (as it's based on how many cylinders are in your vehicle) and maintenance of the roads etc.

MOT is the same as the safety check, when you sell a vehicle - but only has to be done in the selling scenario.

OP: I don;t know too much about Brisbane, as I live on the Sunshine coast (about an hour north of there)... but from what I can gather, around the North lakes is a pretty cool area to live. That being said, the Sunny coast is the best place on earth to live :) (but that's just personal preference :D ) Plenty of work here for sparkies I think - the building industry is pretty busy round these parts.


To answer a few questions more directly:

Living

1. Looking at places to rent they seem to be between $250-$350 per week depending on quality ect. : Yea, seems about right.

2. What other things do I need to pay for ie council tax, tv license, home insurance do they need any of them ? "Council tax" is the responsibility of the home owner. I have home insurance, but I own the house... so it's kinda needed :) TV license... no idea actually, think I'll need to try find out! :D

3.How much would gas and electric be ? Gas = very little if any. Electricity, well it's on par with the UK I think... maybe a touch less.

Driving

1.I understand you dont need insurance unless you want to go fully comp as its part of the 'REGO' you pay As said above, you can get third party .. about 20 bucks a month

2. do they have things like MOTs No - as above

3. Is there any other expenditures apart from REGO and fuel ? No

4. Hopefully if i decide to stay there I would like to import a car from the uk an e46 M3 how would this work and how much roughly would it cost ? There's a thread on pomsinoz.com on whether importing a car is worthwhile... I'd suggest having a look there.

5. is there a limit on how many cars you could import ? As above

General Living

1. What other cost of living are there ? As much or as little as you want it to be. Not a great answer, but true nontheless.

2. What is the cost of food like ? As much or as little as you want it to be - I get away with less than 250 a week, for a family of 4, but I have the wife shop at Aldi (which is actually pretty bloody good here)

3. Electrical goods are they similar prices to what you expect here ? Same as the UK


... Random showing off, of my office about 10 mins from my house
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHA7naEgwDd/?taken-by=waxyfeet
 
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Work
2. I'll need a working visa for £350 is there anything else i will need ?

Not too sure on the Visa front as so much has changed in the 10 years that i have been here

3. What happens after my visa runs out ?

This will depend on the Visa. I came over on a 457 Skilled migration visa with was for 4 years. Towards the end of 4 years i applied for Permanent Residency and a year after that i applied for Citizenship. Different Visas will have different conditions. It might be worth seeking some professional help on this.

5. How much would I realistically be looking at earning and how much will i come out with after stoppages ?

Remember that Australia is a relatively high tax country. 32% on earnings between $37k and $80 and 37% for $80k to $180k
I dont think $90-$100k would be unrealistic for a hardworking Electrician.
Here is a link to a pay calculator which will give you a rough idea on how much tax/super you will pay http://www.paycalculator.com.au/
Though this is more aimed at employees rather than self employed. Im not sure what extra overheads self employed people have. My advice would be to maybe join a business short term to help find your feet.
Also worth bearing in mind that most people get paid fortnightly. This may be different in the big smokes of course.
One good bit of news, come end of tax year (End of June) you can look at reclaiming the tax of things bought for business use, the ATO even cover the costs of washing work clothes, driving your own car for work purposes. Its not that uncommon to get $1000 or more back from the tax man. Its a nice little windfall instead of getting your tax code modified each year.

6. Ill need an Australian bank account to keep my money separate from that from over seas?

You will need an Australian account as you need to link your Tax File Number to it (Like an NI number) so that you pay the correct amount of tax. You can apply for a TFN prior to coming to Australia but i dont think you can open a bank account without one.

Living

2. What other things do I need to pay for ie council tax, tv license, home insurance do they need any of them ?

When renting, rates are paid by the homeowner, as are water and sewerage bills. No council tax as such and there is no such thing as a tv license. Home insurance is optional when renting (the building is covered by the owner). Renter pays the electricity bill.

3.How much would gas and electric be ?

Cant help you here. I live in the tropics, so any figure i give wouldnt be comparable. Gas however doesnt seem to be piped to the home but is instead in the form of big gas bottles plumbed into the house

Driving

1.I understand you dont need insurance unless you want to go fully comp as its part of the 'REGO' you pay

This is important. Rego covers third party injury insurance only. It wont cover any repairs to yours or any vehicle/building/sign that you hit. Definitely recommend taking out some form of proper insurance

2. do they have things like MOTs

Yes, every few years when you renew your Rego, you are required to go over the pits. This can be done at the MVR testing station or at authorised Rego inspection stations.

3. Is there any other expenditures apart from REGO and fuel ?

Driving license needs to be renewed regularity. Max you can get is 5 years, but you can buy in increments. After 10 years you need to have your photo updated also. Rego and fuel is pretty much it. Hence how 18yr olds are driving round in V8 Utes.

4. Hopefully if i decide to stay there I would like to import a car from the uk an e46 M3 how would this work and how much roughly would it cost ?

Unless its a cherished possession i really wouldn't bother with the hassle and expense. Like with anything you import, it has to be spotless. BioSecurity generally have a field day on people moving from overseas. Any sign of mud/seeds etc then it will need to be professionally cleaned at your expense.
5. is there a limit on how many cars you could import ?

General Living

1. What other cost of living are there ?

Much the same as the UK i would imagine

2. What is the cost of food like ?

Its expensive. Especially things like alcohol, fizzy drinks like coke, pretty much everything you eat will be more expensive here. But i only have that information 2nd hand as my housemate went back to Cardiff last year for a holiday and he didnt stop going on about how cheap alcohol was :)

3. Electrical goods are they similar prices to what you expect here ?

There has been a recent free trade agreement with both China and Japan that has brought the prices down on goods such as TVs. How they compare to the UK im not sure as i am a bit out of touch. I bought a Panasonic 50 inch 3D tv at Christmas for around 750 sterling.
 
My local sparky suddenly went off the radar recently when I tried contacting him.

He emailed me and turns out he emigrated to the land of kangaroos and big knives.

I was gutted because he was one of those guys who went above and beyond the required level of work.

If this guy did it, (and he is a very smart guy) then there certainly must be demand for this trade and wish you nothing but the very best on your travels OP.
 
I believe electrical goods tend to be generally more expensive over there. I dont know how much by now but a few years ago, PC parts were considerably more expensive.
 
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