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Working in Australia

28 replies [Last post]
Thu, 2007-02-15 07:25
Peter Casson
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Dear All,

I am seriously considering emigration to Perth in Western Australia. I was wondering whether anybody could give me advice on whether my planning skills would be desirable to companies in that area.

I notice that most of the jobs are for Petro-chemical / Oil & Gas Works and Mining, which are areas I don’t have experience in, but I am of the opinion that planning is planning. My experience is detailed below.

- I have always worked in engineering since serving a motor vehicle apprenticeship straight from school in 1979. A brief overview of my planning experience is:

8 years railway signalling project planning using P3.
1 year pharmaceuticals project planning, implementing and using P3. (Maintenance, Refurbishment and new build).
3 years power generation & nuclear sector project planning using P3e.
I can also use MSP and am proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office Suite. -

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on this as it is crucial to whether I take the process of emigration any further.

Thanks

Pete
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Replies

Mon, 2007-03-12 05:39
#1
Gwen Blair
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If you look at oil & gas Nic Sutton requires two planners for perth WA today.
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Mon, 2007-03-12 05:23
#2
Peter Casson
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I see your point Chris but not all the early British/European settlers in Australia were prisoners, some were migrants.

As I understand it POHM was the name given to newly arrived and current prisoners in Australia, who were British. And I take it that as prisoners they were still British citizens and not Australian. If they stayed on after their sentence was over I suppose they would then become Australian citizens.
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Mon, 2007-03-12 05:11
#3
Chris Oggham
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Sorry if I’m a bit slow, but in that case wouldn’t POHM or POM refer to the Australians rather than the British?
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Thu, 2007-03-08 05:04
#4
Clive Randall
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yes Prisoner Of Her/His Majesty does strike a chord

Still lost the number 1 slot at cricket
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Thu, 2007-03-08 04:38
#5
Chris Oggham
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Clive,

I thought Australians left Australia because they’d heard this really ridiculous story about water falling from the sky and any country that could come up with something that unbelievable had to be worth a look. As for POM, wasn’t it originally POHM?

Chris Oggham
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Thu, 2007-03-08 02:20
#6
Clive Randall
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Charlie
Nobody seems to have answered your question
Why do Australians leave Australia, why are the English called Poms etc
Guess Australians leave Australia for the same reasons and Philipinos, Green grass
As to POMs many explanations but none I would consider as being racist
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Fri, 2007-02-23 12:28
#7
Karen Cook
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Pete

A intermediate planner i worked with emigrated to Brisbane in 2003. He sold his house, spend a month travelling around OZ and then rented with 3 girls in Brisbane before even looking for work. He got a job with a planning consultanty 5 minutes walk from his house, he is on more money than he was on in London and with the proceeds of his house sale here, he bought land and paid a builder to build a brand new build. His whole family emigrate to different parts of Australia and he loves it there. They are desepratly in need of all construction professionals in OZ as well as in Dubai. Having a background in construction virtually guarantees you work out there at the mo. i hope this helps.
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Fri, 2007-02-23 05:29
#8
Peter Casson
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Gwen,

I’ve sent you a PM, I hope you don’t mind.

Regards

Pete
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Fri, 2007-02-23 04:10
#9
Gwen Blair
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Its a parallel activity. You get the job first, the employing Company/Agent applies for and arranges the Visa.
You have to follow it up within so many days of arriving there. Decent Companies will give you a 2/3 week gratis accommodation and a really decent Agent arranges to meet you off the plan and take you there.
Jist dee it!

PS There are many strange and wonderful creatures in Oz but stranger and more curious ones come off the planes.
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Wed, 2007-02-21 12:26
#10
Mark Chapman
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No one has mentioned "Visas" and more importantly "working visa"! Do you find job first or get visa first?

I was running on the beach road in Cottesloe (Perth district) and a lime green snake came across the road and right in front of me on the pavement. I found out later it was something like the 5th most deadliest snake in the world! I told the workmen who were having lunch 30m away and they packed up quickly!!!! :-)
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Wed, 2007-02-21 07:19
#11
Sam Nichols
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The only bad thing about being here is the ATO. I think I will head overseas to avoid those nasty leaches. Plenty of work though I have never seen it so good here.

Aussies got their pants pulled down badly by the Kiwis in the cricket just recently, if they do not improve their bowling they will not have a hope of winning the world cup.
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Tue, 2007-02-20 03:42
#12
Gwen Blair
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I will say this again. Oz is shouting for Planners. O & G, Construction, Fly in fly out in the interior.
Great life style, great people, great wine, great weather, great sailing. Pay your tax, keep all your living receipts (Rent, utlities, car if you can justify it, dental and medical bills) and exit before your 2 years are up. Get NI and whopping big tax rebate.
If you buy a home you lose. If you stay more than 2 years you lose.
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Mon, 2007-02-19 11:08
#13
Peter Casson
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Yep - that should stir ’em up
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Mon, 2007-02-19 10:45
#14
James Griffiths
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Peter - thank you for your explanation.

Before I say this, I’m just gonna duck under my desk:

I suppose that it needs a hard-nosed authority in order to extract the debts from a bunch of "criminals".

James.
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Mon, 2007-02-19 10:40
#15
Peter Casson
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James,

Ato, Australian Taxation Office. A nasty beast by all accounts, but not as nasty as the Inland Revenue and it’s master The Treasury.

From what I can make out the ATO will attack you head on, whereas the IR and Treasury will sneak up on you in all sorts of crafty ways and bleed you dry in even more devious ways. I think they have brain-storming sessions to come up with new methods and then implement them without consultation.

Either way they both answer to a higher power that will lie through it’s smiling teeth and insist that it doesn’t know what you’re talking about.

Pete
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Mon, 2007-02-19 08:58
#16
Charleston-Joseph...
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Hello Again,

Also I saw, see a lot of Australian leaving the place Australia.

They are here in the Middle East, Irag, KSA, UAE, etc., etc.,

cheers,

Charlie
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Mon, 2007-02-19 06:15
#17
Charleston-Joseph...
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Hello Beautiful Aussie,

The oz call the brits (or englishmen) POM!!!! Man, this is racist???

Are ATO also the same as the ABU.

Please, rise up to the occassion and deny racism in the "Wizard of the OZ".

By the way, why live and work in Aurtralia when at the end of the day, your house will be burn down, specially during the month of December


charlie
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Mon, 2007-02-19 05:35
#18
Peter Casson
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Thanks for the info guys.

I don’t know where you got the idea that I was sitting on the fence, I would have thought "I don’t like cricket or soccer" was pretty clear cut. One is boring and the other is played by Prima Donna’s, I’ll let you decide which one is which.

"Standing up for one’s team no matter how bad they are is the Australian way", you seem to be forgetting that I’m a Pom - I’ve fitted in already and I haven’t even set foot on the sandy beeches yet. Johnny Wilkinson a bit of a sore point is he?

As for following a recognised sport, isn’t Aussie Rules Football a recognised sport then? The stadiums seem to be pretty full when it’s shown on TV over here, unless it’s all done with camera trickery, you just can’t tell these days.

"Motor sport not in the Australian lexicon". The Melbourne F1 GP seems quite popular, as does the Australian round of the World Rally Championship. I believe your own V8 championship is another popular series and that Australia is rightly proud of the Bathurst circuit. The CAMS website has lots of info about motor sport in Australia. Barbagallo Raceway, Wanneroo is just north of Perth and there are numerous clubs who organise race events. I quite like the sound of the No Limits Car Club, sounds like fun to me.

If I do make this move I shall definitely have to watch out for those drop bears and Ato’s. They must be so fierce and scary because not even Steve Irwin, (respect where it’s due), featured them on his shows, or had any in his zoo. It’s no wonder there’s a skills shortage if all Aussies do is spend the whole year worrying about Atos.

By the way, this morning the weather was cold and damp with a mist that penetrated to the bone. Now, 09:50, it is grey and overcast. I thought you might appreciate another Pom talking about the weather.

Cheers

Pete
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Mon, 2007-02-19 05:05
#19
James Griffiths
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Forgive my ignorance - but what is an Ato (Australian Tawny Owl - Awfully Tetchy Ostritch - Aussies T*t Obsession)

Please enlighten me.

James.
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Sun, 2007-02-18 22:59
#20
Chris Radecki
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Peter, I know that you are in a state of denial with the cricket and the soccer, but you have to stand up for your team no matter how bad they are - it is the Australian way.

Excuses like " a minor slump" " not our best team" " saving ourselves for the world cup/next season" come to mind.

Maybe these are not good excuse for the Poms ( dont mention the Ashes or the Soccer World Cup & I mean who follows Rugby - bloody Wilkinson)

You cannot come to Australia and not follow a recognised sport. Motor sports is not in the australian lexicon.

You must stick up for the English cricket team no matter how bad they are (and even when everyone else has deserted them). You have to defend the England Socccer team no matter how many penalty goals they miss. You cannot sit on the fence and say that you dont follow those sports - it is a sign of weakness to an Australian.

Be proud to be a Pom. You can do it. And don’t ever get upset when you get called a Pom.

The planning is the easy part (not sure about Meekatharra in the middle of summer though).

And if you get here, beware the Ato.
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Sun, 2007-02-18 22:46
#21
Chris Radecki
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The worst animal of the lot of them is a beasty called an Ato. Worse than any of the above - worse even than drop bears. Once they get their claws into you, you are a goner.

The Australian population asa whole fear them, and spend the whole year planning ways to stay away from them.

I think Gwen had a run in with this beasty when she was over here. She hated them.

Do not believe them when they tell you to come here. They just want another unsuspecting victim. Iraq is a much, much safer option.
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Sun, 2007-02-18 20:51
#22
Brennan Westworth
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Hi Pete,

Dont let em scare you off... planners are in massive demand in Perth at the moment and the old supply v demand rules are working well for planners over here at the moment.

By the look of your CV you should have no problem finding work over here.

when you get close to a date, send me a PM and I can help you find a job.

Cheers,
Brennan

oh... you guys forgot about the stingrays... anything that could kill Steve Irwin is definately to be feared in my opinion.

and then there are the drop bears... but thats another story.
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Sun, 2007-02-18 09:49
#23
Peter Casson
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Hi Charlie,

I’m not sure what you’re getting at there.

Regards

Pete
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Sun, 2007-02-18 06:33
#24
Charleston-Joseph...
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Hello Peter,

Be careful!!!

A friend of mine got scared upon arrival "HOW ARE YOU TO DIE"

My friend said "I dont want to die"

Cheers,

Charlie
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Fri, 2007-02-16 04:43
#25
Chris Oggham
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Hi Chris,

In your catalogue of reasons not to go to Australia you left out the blue-ringed octopus. No known antidote to its venom which can kill and adult human in a few minutes.

Lovely

Chris Oggham
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Fri, 2007-02-16 03:46
#26
Peter Casson
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Thanks Michael and Chris, that’s what I was hoping to hear. In answer to some of Chris’s comments:

I don’t like cricket, and a team of sports men or women do not represent me in any way shape or form.

I don’t like football (soccer) and as above.

I like aussie rules and watch it whenever it is shown over here.

I prefer motor sports to field sports.

I like cold beer.

People are different wherever you go.

People don’t speak the same language in this country either. (By that I mean regional accents and foibles).

It’s hot - I have talked to Australians in the UK and they have told me that the temperatures in the UK don’t even come close to those in Oz. They have also told me that they would rather have the high temperatures in Australia than suffer the humidity of a British summer. My wife, who has spent time in Australia, says the same thing.

It’s windy - It’s often windy in the UK, very windy at times.

It doesn’t rain - It rains a lot in the UK, even more than it’s windy, and it’s bliss when it doesn’t, exept when it’s humid.

It also gets cold in the UK, mainly due to the wind and the rain, and being so far north.

Snakes, spiders and sharks - They are a definite unknown.

Pete
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Fri, 2007-02-16 01:06
#27
Chris Radecki
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Don’t do it.

the English cricket team lost the Ashes 5-0, the weather is hot, Perth is too windy, the beer is too cold, Australians hate Poms, Poms hate being called Poms, Perth drivers drive too slow (or cant drive at all), housing is expensive, housing is not available, the English cricket team lost the Ashes 5-0, schools are full, shops are not open all the time, the food is different, the water is different, the air is different, football is played with an oval ball, football is called soccer, football is not shown on tellie, the beaches have sand, the English cricket team lost the Ashes 5-0, it is a long way home, you work up bush on 4&1, the wife wants to go home "’cause it’s a long way from Mum", the wife wants to divorce you, working at Karratha or Port Hedland is hot, the English cricket team lost the Ashes 5-0, you will get called a Pom, you hate being called a Pom, you will get sunburnt (and people will laugh at you), the pubs are not the same as home, the people are not the same as home, they don’t speak the same language, the English cricket team lost the Ashes 5-0, money is not the same, theer are snakes, there are redbacks spiders, there are sharks, it does not rain.

If you are willing to accept all of the above plus more ......
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Thu, 2007-02-15 23:40
#28
Michael Hunter
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Hello Peter

You would not have any difficulty in finding work in Perth.

I’ll send contact details to you direct.
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