baker
02-05-2004, 05:59 AM
I sometimes get email from other forum members asking about the industry in Perth, Western Australia. Since my replies are very similar, I thought that I would take the lazy way out and make a public reply.
I am on the fringe of the industry, having spent 25 years working for the national telco before being made redundant at the end of 1999. Most of my income comes from the IT sector, though I spend a lot of time keeping up with the HVAC area.
I have spent my entire life in Perth and have only ventured out of the country for a 3 month working stint in Kiel, Germany. As such, I am probably not the best person to make comments for those thinking of emigrating here, but I will give it a go.
There appears to be plenty of jobs for HVAC technicians here due to a lack of training and average pay. Australia got the economic rationalist disease in the early 1990s and the industry started to focus on short term profits rather than long term health. It is generally agreed that 1973 was the last time that a tradesman could raise a family as the sole breadwinner. Most families now need to have both mum and dad working. The exception is in the north west of the state. There is a huge amount of development work going on and wages are high. Most tend to blow this with big/new cars, big/new boats and regular overseas holidays. A disciplined person can set himself up for life. The downside is the climate - hot and humid for most of the year - thus a great need for HVAC.
Perth has a more temperate climate (36C DB and 24C WB summer design conditions) and has a population of 1.2M. The city is centred on a sandy coastal plain, bisected by the Swan River, with the Indian ocean on the west side and the Darling Ranges about 30 Km to the east. The average worker lives in a 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, double brick and tile house on about 600 sq m of land with 2 cars.
Australia has a high percentage of immigrants, with the non-british preferring the east coast cities, particularly Sydney. Perth has the highest percentage of British immigrants, and a good number of South Africans.
Perth is the world's most isolated city, but recent airline competition (Virgin) has made travel to the east a lot cheaper, although most prefer to take their holidays in Bali.
The British people I know who have come here love the lifestyle, weather and sea. However, like most places these days, marriage breakdowns are common, along with bankruptcies and suicide. Perth is the buglary and car theft capital of Australia.
This has just been a quick overview. If there are any areas that you would like addressed, please ask.
I am on the fringe of the industry, having spent 25 years working for the national telco before being made redundant at the end of 1999. Most of my income comes from the IT sector, though I spend a lot of time keeping up with the HVAC area.
I have spent my entire life in Perth and have only ventured out of the country for a 3 month working stint in Kiel, Germany. As such, I am probably not the best person to make comments for those thinking of emigrating here, but I will give it a go.
There appears to be plenty of jobs for HVAC technicians here due to a lack of training and average pay. Australia got the economic rationalist disease in the early 1990s and the industry started to focus on short term profits rather than long term health. It is generally agreed that 1973 was the last time that a tradesman could raise a family as the sole breadwinner. Most families now need to have both mum and dad working. The exception is in the north west of the state. There is a huge amount of development work going on and wages are high. Most tend to blow this with big/new cars, big/new boats and regular overseas holidays. A disciplined person can set himself up for life. The downside is the climate - hot and humid for most of the year - thus a great need for HVAC.
Perth has a more temperate climate (36C DB and 24C WB summer design conditions) and has a population of 1.2M. The city is centred on a sandy coastal plain, bisected by the Swan River, with the Indian ocean on the west side and the Darling Ranges about 30 Km to the east. The average worker lives in a 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, double brick and tile house on about 600 sq m of land with 2 cars.
Australia has a high percentage of immigrants, with the non-british preferring the east coast cities, particularly Sydney. Perth has the highest percentage of British immigrants, and a good number of South Africans.
Perth is the world's most isolated city, but recent airline competition (Virgin) has made travel to the east a lot cheaper, although most prefer to take their holidays in Bali.
The British people I know who have come here love the lifestyle, weather and sea. However, like most places these days, marriage breakdowns are common, along with bankruptcies and suicide. Perth is the buglary and car theft capital of Australia.
This has just been a quick overview. If there are any areas that you would like addressed, please ask.