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 on the Internet or send a cheque by post. Direct Debit is 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 send a cheque by post, 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 send a cheque by post, 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 June 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.

Check the Real Estate pages for additional information on utilities.

Trading Hours In Western Australia

Banks
Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

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

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

Postal Services and Mail
Stamps: Internal domestic .45 cents, International from 85 cents.

Power Supply
Power supply is 240 volts AC, 50 Hz, using a three-pinned socket. Plug adaptors for 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 a messy way of doing things & it might be cheaper to sell your system 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 & 1 in th UK.

Telephones
The Australian telephone network is different to Europe therefore fax machines & telephones from the UK will not work.

Calling from Overseas
The prefix for dialing Australia from overseas is 00 61.
When dialing from overseas, you should drop the first 0 from the area code - e.g. 08 for Western, Southern & Northern Australia becomes 8.

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

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

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

From fixed landline phones, calling local numbers and numbers beginning with 13 are free & un-timed calls. 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 payphones are common all over the country. All phones will accept coins or a Telstra phone card. Phone cards are available at post offices, newsagents and convenience stores.

Prepaid Phone Cards
Can be used from both landlines and payphones. These are useful for making long distance & International calls, as it is generally cheaper. These are commonly 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.(1800)
Telstra PhoneAway card http://www.telstra.com.au/products/product.cfm?prod_id=2509

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 in Loot or The free adds. If you do bring the phone you can purchase a prepaid startup kit,with a new provider & number.

You can purchase mobile phones & sims at all major retail outlets, some offering better deals than others. If you decide to buy a contract phone then you will need a bank account that offers direct debit and all of the usual ID and credit history to activate the account.

Mobile & Prepaid Sim companies( check the links page as these products change daily)
Telstra - GSM and CDMA - prepaid and contract
Optus - GSM and CDMA - prepaid and contract
Vodafone - GSM - Contract only
Orange - CDMA- Contract only
Virgin - Prepaid Sim & Contract

Internet access
Libraries (WA)
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.

Computers
Laptops can be used with the internal modem, check with the manufacturer for international compliance. External USB modems do work worldwide however some internal older modems do not. You may have to purchase a USB one on arrival and configure it to work with a new service provider.

ISPs ( Internet Service Providers)
You can purchase monthly ISP CDs from Target, Big Ws, Post Office and other retailers, they all offer the same products but sometimes offer 2 for 1 deals. Iprimus from Target is the best deal I have found. Or you can pay a monthly contract from a fixed landline telephone provider with unlimited access and other international call rate discounts. These are cheaper depending on how long you need to be online. Check the links page for the latest deals.

Hotmail E-mail Account. It is worth setting up a roaming email address with Hotmail as it will enable you to access emails via Internet cafes or Library Internet Access Pie machines. This is useful for family & friends and other important contacts while you are relocating. Hotmail is a free service and you can register at the link below. Just follow the on screen instructions. http://www.hotmail.com/

Before You Leave

Photocopy all essential paperwork, visa, passport, birth certificates and insurance policies for safety. Some insurance companies will take your no- claims bonus into account when you apply for a new policy, either car or household.

You might think selling most or all of your treasured possessions is the right thing to do if the strength of your currency is good. The only draw back is that it will take a long time to replace these goods, even if they are available.

When You Arrive

Tax File Number

To gain employment you need a Tax File number, which will take 2-4 weeks. This application is made at the Tax or Centrelink office in your suburb. (Check links page) 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.(Check links page).Apply for child benefit as soon as you can as this can be helpful amount of money paid fortnightly.

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

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