Register for electricity/gas (online)

Some providers:

AGL :
AGL - Competitive gas and electricity rates - Request an Energy Offer

Red Energy : Red Energy - Supplier of Electricity to Homes in Victoria, Australia
TRUenergy: Electricity, Energy, Electricity Company, Energy Company - TRUenergy

Set up regular payments for utilities: may have to pay a deposit as you don’t have credit (approx $80).

Advise removal company of new address

Get a landline installed and set up internet access in your rental.
(find out who owns the line first).

Check out Whirlpool - Australian Broadband News for Broadband deals

Skype

You can use Skype or another VOIP (Voice Over Internet Provider) phone that you can plug into your computer - free international calls. Use an appropriate website or program (skype or messenger) and plug the phone in and your away.

If you get trouble with delays it could be your broadband provider or the phone or the computer or anything in between so make sure everything is in tip top condition - try your neighbour/friend/work computer to see if you can isolate exactly what the problem is!

Also, now available is a corded phone - VOIP CORDLESS phones that can be used anywhere in the house.

An alternative is to use phone cards. We use this one Go Beyond Phone Card and Go Beyond Calling Card

Daybreak Phone Card - International Calling Cards with instant pin delivery

Transfer driving licence

Overseas drivers - licences : VicRoads
(In Victoria, UK driving licence will only be valid for 3 months after arrival). Turn up with lots of ID, including your proof of residence in Victoria (i.e. rental agreement) and passport, etc.

VicRoads
71 Hartnett Drive
Seaford, Victoria 3198

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday - 8:30am - 4:30pm,
Friday - 8:30am - 5:00pm unless otherwise stated

Telephone number for all customer service centres : 13 11 71
(operating hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm Mon - Fri, 8:30am to 2:00pm Sat)

Go to Medicare. (you can only apply 7-10 days after arrival). You will be given a small slip, this will do until your Medicare card comes though. Also when applying ask about Medicare Safety Net and apply for that too http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/...y-net-work.pdf

Register with Centrelink: Centrelink are the government agency who deal with jobseeking and social security payments. They will be able to help you looking for work, getting your skills achieved external to Aus recognised, and seeking suitable training courses

Invite your neighbours around for drinks and focus on making new friends for us and our children.


Get a local mobile phone/SIM card
You can either buy a whole brand new phone or buy a new SIM to use in your UK mobile phone. Either way, you will probably need to opt for Pay as You Go for the first few months until you can get a credit rating in Aus.

If you are using a UK phone we will need to make sure it is unblocked before you can use a new SIM in it.

To buy a phone or a SIM card just visit the retailer of our choice. Most of them will have a store in most major towns, and we can locate them by visiting their website. Here are the main players:

3 – Three - Home
AAPT – www.aapt.com.au/
Optus – Optus - Welcome to Optus.com.au
Telstra – Welcome to Telstra.com
Virgin – Home – Mobile phones, great rates, free voicemail in Oz. : that’s Virgin Mobile Australia
Vodafone – Vodafone Home

You will need an address to register our Pay as You Go, however a hotel address or temporary address seems to suffice.

Ask about offers as they don’t always advertise them.

For more info about Aussie mobile phones and to compare networks try these sites:

Apply for a tax file number: you will need to fill out form 4157, which is especially designed for permanent migrants and temporary visitors with work rights. This should be completed online wherever possible, but you can’t do it until you arrive in Australia, and you must have a street address (not a PO Box) where they can send your TFN any time in the next 28 days.

iar.ato.gov.au/iarweb/default.aspx?pid=4&sid=1&outcome=1

If you are unable to apply online you can download the form from here:

www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/nat4157.pdf

then post it to:
Australian Taxation Office
PO Box 9942
Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039

Buy a cheap scanner/printer: lots of paperwork involved in finding a rental (application forms have to be in asap).

Buying a car & getting car insurance

You will probably find that the Asian manufacturers are a lot more prevalent (and usually better value) than the European brands in Aus, and it often makes sense to choose them as the parts are a lot closer geographically should we have a problem.

You can often find success negotiating on price, whether we're buying privately or from a dealer.

To get an idea of prices check out the following links before we set out to buy, and as a comparison once you have a model in mind:

www.autotrader.com.au/
CarGuide.com.au - Let us make your new and used car search easy at Car Guide.
Used Cars - New Cars - Search New & Used Cars For Sale - carsales.com.au
Used Cars & New Cars for Sale | Car Sales | Car Reviews | drive.com.au
Red Book AU : Your site for New and Used vehicle prices

Victoria – RAC of Victoria RACT - Home

The vehicle should have a Safety Inspection Report (Pink Slip) – this verifies road worthiness. For more info visit the following link and select the authority for your region:

Registration & Licences - australia.gov.au

Once you have made the purchase you will need to transfer the registration (rego/green slip) to your name. You need to do this within 14 days of the purchase or you will pay a late fee. Standard rego is for 12 months, but if you buy a car it could be at any point through that period. For information on how to apply for the transfer visit the following:
How to register or transfer : VicRoads

If you are buying privately you can arrange for the motoring organisation in your area to check over the car for you before you buy for a small fee.

You will also be required to pay Goods & Service Tax (GST) on your vehicle purchase. GST works on a sliding scale so the more your car is worth the more the GST will be. Once you register the car you will receive a tax bill for it. The amount taxed will vary from state to state.

Some car dealerships:

Toyota Dealership, Camberwell (Cannon Toyota) 610 Camberwell Road, Camberwell 3124

Car City, 411-473 Moorondah Highway, Ringwood (car city, melbourne, dealer, used cars for sale, used car finance)

Booran Holden, Dandenong: Booran Holden - Dandenong's used cars for sale on drive.com.au Australia

Car Insurance

Registration (rego) includes a compulsory insurance, known as the Green Slip, to cover Injury to third parties. It covers the owner or driver of the motor vehicle in the event of an accident against any legal liability or obligation that they may have to anyone that they injure, it only covers personal injury and NOT damage to other property, cars etc. Most people take out insurance on top of this, similar to the cover they would have had in the UK.

Fully comprehensive insurance is usually cheaper than you would expect to pay for the same cover in the UK, and if you find the right company they will honour your UK no claims (make sure you brought evidence of it with you). You may not be required to produce evidence of your no claims to take out the insurance, but if you have an accident you are likely to be asked for it, so it is advisable to keep it on file.

AAMI - Car Insurance Australia - AAMI Car Insurance Quotes - CTP Insurance - AAMI
Budget Direct - Car Insurance Australia – Multi Award Winning Car Insurance and Online Quotes – Budget Direct
ING - ING Car Insurance
NRMA - NRMA Insurance - NRMA Motoring & Services
RACQ - rac.com.au/go/insurance/motor

Make sure we know the road rules

If buying a car from a dealership, they may sort out insurance for you

Now, go to Part 3!

Dolly