Cost of living (Brisbane)

Nadine

Hello mga pips!

I am new to this forum and am slated to join a hospital service sa Brisbane. Ang tentative joining ko ay Feb 2013, although I'm still waiting for my visa pa. [-O<

Ask ko lang po a few things about moving there. I'm hoping may mga Brisbane pinoys dito who can give inputs.

1. ano po yung best place/suburb to stay in Brisbane? Preferably near South Brisbane. Yung malapit sa area na yan, kasi I have on-call work po kasi eh.

2. may idea po ba kayo how much per week ang unit or apartment? Maganda po sana 2-BR, pero if sobrang mahal, ok na rin kahit 1-BR lang. Ako lang naman po mag-stay pero I have my mom and siblings visiting often.

3. Safe po ba ang area?

4. I have heard of the floods of Brisbane? How bad is it po ba?

Andami ko po tanong, pag-pasensiyahan niyo na! Thanks ng madami!! 8->

TotoyOZresident

Hello mga pips!

I am new to this forum and am slated to join a hospital service sa Brisbane. Ang tentative joining ko ay Feb 2013, although I'm still waiting for my visa pa. [-O<

Ask ko lang po a few things about moving there. I'm hoping may mga Brisbane pinoys dito who can give inputs.

1. ano po yung best place/suburb to stay in Brisbane? Preferably near South Brisbane. Yung malapit sa area na yan, kasi I have on-call work po kasi eh.

2. may idea po ba kayo how much per week ang unit or apartment? Maganda po sana 2-BR, pero if sobrang mahal, ok na rin kahit 1-BR lang. Ako lang naman po mag-stay pero I have my mom and siblings visiting often.

3. Safe po ba ang area?

4. I have heard of the floods of Brisbane? How bad is it po ba?

Andami ko po tanong, pag-pasensiyahan niyo na! Thanks ng madami!! 8->

sagot ko sa number 2. hwag ka muna mag rent ng sariling one or two bedroom house. Mag shared accommodation ka muna or mag room rent ka muna pansamantala. Its not practical kung mag isa ka lang kasi kung mag rent ka ng bedroom house mostly unfurnished means you have to buy furniture like sofa, bed at iba pang appliances. baka dun lang mapunta ang sahod mo unless kung malaki agad ang salary mo. 457 visa is a working visa and temporary visa under pro visionary ka muna in 3 months that's the process then permanent employee kana. 4 years saglit lang yun baka in that year mag decide ka na lumipat ng ibang company or state or mag asawa kana. Ang iprioritize mo muna yung work experience mo sa oz going to permanent resident visa at matuto din mag drive at bumili ng used car para makapunta ka kung saan saan para magkaroon ng friend at ng di ka malungkot. friendly advise lang naman base on my life experience in ozie as working visa and single noon. Oha.. ayus. cheers

021607

hi @nadine,

1. We live in the South side, and still renting. For safety reasons and as advised by my co-workers, we might buy the house in the North. Rough daw kasi dito sa South. But hindi pa naman namin ramdam because we just got here last March. I work in the city and travel to and from work by train. Hubby takes me to and from the train station

2. Agree with @totoyozresident. Perhaps it would be practical for your to get a shared accommodation initially, and take it from there.

3. I believe Australia is safe in general.

4. Hindi daw lahat ang binaha last time. It's rained a number of times since we got here, but it has not flooded. Fingers crossed!

Hope you enjoy Brisbane, just like us!

Nadine

@totoyozresident: salamat po for the honest input! I don't mind sharing a flat. Worry ko lang talaga if I can actually find someone to share it with. In my first month, I still have relocation allowance pa. After that, I am really on my own na. I guess if wala talaga ako makilala I can be comfy to share a home with, mapipilitan nako mag rent mag-isa.

And you're right, I do have a long way to go. I don't wanna buy furnitures also, I really don't. Hindi nga ako sigurado if I wanna stay in Brisbane in the long haul. Kasi there's a bigger hospital opening somewhere in the Gold Coast.

Pwede ko gamitin yung driver's license ko from Pinas right? I mean, I have international driving permit eh. So ngayon, need ko lang matutunan mag drive sa right? :-j . Actually, wala ako choice in terms of transportation. I have on-call duties. I don't think it will be safe for me to take public transport at 10 in the evening!!

Nadine

@021607: mahal po ba ang rental niyong mag-asawa? I hope you don't mind me asking. Also, what does "rough" mean? Hehe, sorry at medyo slow ako sa terms na ganyan. Haven't been to Oz yet. So, the northern part is safer? Yun po ba?

Mam, where in the city do you work? I am assuming here you don't work nights? I've had friends advice me about transport. Not very safe daw for me to travel mag-isa at night. Also, sabi nila, wala na daw train sa gabi.

Nababasa ko lang din naman about floods, fingers crossed definitely!

Maraming salamat! :-h

TotoyOZresident

@totoyozresident: salamat po for the honest input! I don't mind sharing a flat. Worry ko lang talaga if I can actually find someone to share it with. In my first month, I still have relocation allowance pa. After that, I am really on my own na. I guess if wala talaga ako makilala I can be comfy to share a home with, mapipilitan nako mag rent mag-isa.

And you're right, I do have a long way to go. I don't wanna buy furnitures also, I really don't. Hindi nga ako sigurado if I wanna stay in Brisbane in the long haul. Kasi there's a bigger hospital opening somewhere in the Gold Coast.

Pwede ko gamitin yung driver's license ko from Pinas right? I mean, I have international driving permit eh. So ngayon, need ko lang matutunan mag drive sa right? :-j . Actually, wala ako choice in terms of transportation. I have on-call duties. I don't think it will be safe for me to take public transport at 10 in the evening!!

Ang galing mo naman Nadine, Nurse ka pala cheers... I think the best wag flat kung di yung bahay ang hanapin mo as in shared house kapag kasi flat baka ang liit ng kitchen at space. At isa pa kung may land lady nakatira dun sa lugar mas maganda para naman may nagbabantay sa lugar nyo at para mapagsabihan yung pasaway na housemate mo kung mayrun para nabibigyan ng disiplina . Just remember 457 is a temporary visa mag stay ka muna sa employer mo after two years ask them kung puede insponsor ka for permanent resident visa kung hindi pumayag puede ikaw naman ang mag apply na sarili mo. for the mean time Isipin mo kung paano ka makakakuha ng permanent resident visa. Staka kana lumipat kapag Permanent resident kana at wala ng restriction sa visa mo. Friendly advise lang naman. cheers.

Nadine

@totoyozresident: thanks! thanks! sobrang daming input ko na galing sa inyo and I'm really grateful. There is really no other way for me to get perm residency but through exams. 18 months to 2 years, I am giving myself to pass clinical exams and then, apply to convert license ko to "unrestricted". Kumbaga, if I have unrestricted license, I have unrestricted stay na rin. Matatawag ko pa lahat ng santo sa langit to pass! [-O< . Ay, di po ako nurse. Pedia po ako dito satin.

@021607: thank you for your note. As in, naghahalong excitement and takot ngayon. Buti nga nakita ko tong website na to. Mdami ako nakukuhang info and input from fellow pinoys. Godbless!

021607

@Nadine - Hi again!

We are renting a new townhouse inside a nice complex in the South side, $355/week. Yes, I work during the day, so the trian is very convenient. I work in the CBD. My husband works at night and takes the car to and fro. Correct, I do not think train service is available during unholy hours. Also, I reckon it is safest to drive if you have to work at night

Rough, meaning may mga loud young people at the train stations, or crime rate is higher than it is in the North side. But ang crime rate dito is nothing compared to anywhere in the Philippines. So "rough" is not really scary.

Nadine

I see. I think I understand now. Oo nga, medyo expensive nga. Hay naku, andami kelangan isipin! 8->

When you say north, is it north of CBD? So yung South, like Annerley, Greenslopes etc? Tama po kayo, I think. Mas gugustuhin ko yata yung medyo malapit sa work area.

TotoyOZresident

I see. I think I understand now. Oo nga, medyo expensive nga. Hay naku, andami kelangan isipin! 8->

When you say north, is it north of CBD? So yung South, like Annerley, Greenslopes etc? Tama po kayo, I think. Mas gugustuhin ko yata yung medyo malapit sa work area.

yup its better to look for accommodation close to your work.

Nadine

I though so too. @totoyozresident

Nadine

@021607, Mam, meron lang ako gustong itanong. Andami ko natanggap na papeles from the employer and nakakalula. And isa dun is about superannuation. Medyo nakakalito kasi wala naman to satin. Sa pagkakaintindi ko, may employer contribution at meron din part ng salary ko mapupunta for retirement purposes? Tama po ba? So, ano po yung salary packaging? Eto yung medyo mahirap kong maintindihan.

Salamat ho!

021607

@Nadine -

Hi Nadine,

Superannuation is your savings towards what you would get as pension payments when you retire. If you salary quote says “$50,000 PLUS super 9%”, then that means you will be taking home $50,000 less tax and $4,500 will be remitted by your employer to your superannuation fund. On the other hand, if your salary quotes, “$50,000 INCLUDING super 9%”, you will take home $45,500 and your employer remits $4,500 to your superannuation fund. In addition, you have the OPTION to contribute more than what your contract stipulates. I know some people who do this. So on top of the whatever percentage of their income goes to their super, they remit so and so dollars to increase their “savings”.

Hope this helps.

021607

Hi @jaero, I think tama ito. I have friends working in an Aged Care Facility and may ganitong scheme yung employer nila. So only a certain % of their salary may be cashed out. A fixed portion can only be spent using a card which can cover bills, meals, etc. The good thing is that the non-cash one is non-taxable. So you end up getting a better value for your money. But this all depends on whether or not you have a lot of fixed costs to cover. If wala ka namang masyadong bills na dapat bayaran, having cash gives you more flexibility. 

Nadine

@jaero: the hospital is a public hospital. So, I do have option for salary packaging?

Ok, medyo complicated to! So, yung contribution ko for superannuation for example, 2% of my salary (yun ang nakalagay dito na minimum contribution for superannuation), is AFTER salary packaging? Tama po ba? Another question lang po: Advantageous ang salary packaging kasi lesser amount of the salary is taxed? Tama kaya etong line of thinking ko?

Sorry kung medyo makulit, it really is an alien concept! Salamat po sa explanation!

@21607: Mam, non-cash? Pero magagamit right? Can it be used with rental, utility bills, shopping (hehe)? I'm assuming hindi magagamit pang-remit sa Pinas? Parang ang siste pala, they won't tax you for a certain amount but you have to use it onshore? b-(

May followup question lang din ako. Medyo malaki yung 2% kasi for superannuation, is this also taxed separately?

Nadine

@jaero: parang mandatory contribution ko to eh. Minimum of 2% of my annual. Yung employer contribution is actually 12.75%. Nakasulat sa contract ko mandatory na may super ako.

Kung tama nga intindi ko nito. I'm just wondering if taxed din ang contribution?

Nadine

@jaero: parang mandatory contribution ko to eh. Minimum of 2% of my annual. Yung employer contribution is actually 12.75%. Nakasulat sa contract ko mandatory na may super ako.

Kung tama nga intindi ko nito. I'm just wondering if taxed din ang contribution?

Nadine

Ay sorry @jaero, double post pala.

I see. Thanks sa link ha. Will go through all these! Sumasakit ulo ko kaka-analyze! Hina ko pa naman sa mga ganito.

Ay, automatic pala 5% ang super contribution ko. Sorry mali. Kaya 12.75% ang employer. Nalalakihan ako nitong 5% sa totoo lang. I wonder if pwede bawasan?? Taxed din kaya eto? Malamang taxed din kasi lahat na lang taxed!

Uy, salamat po ha for your input.

Nadine

And the plot thickens... (hehe!)

So may concessional vs non-concessional pa? Ok, I think I need to read up some more. I have a pretty good idea na. Although I'm still a bit blurry on some points. Complex ang system nila. Isa pang point I need to decide is what type of investment I want my super to go into. Bahala na nga lang!!!

Actually, wala pa visa ko pero pinapasagot na mga forms sakin!

I'll post specific questions na lang ulit pag nakapagbasa na. Salamat po ulit sa mga info niyo! Laking tulong po talaga. ;;)

Nadine

You're right. Dapat new thread. Ok, will do. I think, parang complicated kasi ang super and kailangan ng madami input.

LokiJr

Non concessional contribution means you are adding after tax money to your super. Hindi siya taxed at 15% kasi sa net income mo manggagaling yung contribution.

The advantage to putting non concessional into your super is it adds to the "tax-free" component of your retirement fund....this become useful (1) when you die - because your beneficiaries will receive more (kasi may non taxable)...and (2) when you wish to prematurely withdraw your funds

Nadine

@LokiJr: Sir, let's see if I have this correct. Hina ko po sa ganito, pasensya na.

So, kunyari I will contribute 5% of my after-tax salary, wala na tax dun sa super? Actually, medyo natataasan ako sa 5%, itatanong ko pa to. Baka pwede babaan??

Sir, I have read dito sa leaflet that " YOU CAN ELECT TO SALARY SACRIFICE YOUR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS RATHER THAN PAY THEM FROM AFTER TAX SALARY. THE DIFFERENCE IS WHAT YOU SAVE BY MAKING CONTRIBUTION BY SALARY SACRIFICE".

Dito po talaga ako medyo nawawala.

LokiJr

Hehe...actually magulo ang superannuation so let's just keep it simple for the meantime...

Sa ngayon isipin mo na lang may dalawang klase ng contribution....yung pre-taxed (concessional) at after-tax (non-concessional).

Ang concessional 15% lang ang tax sa contributions samantalang ang non-concessional wala nang tax kasi ginagamit mong pera dun ay net income mo na (which is taxed at your marginal tax rate).

CONCESSIONAL ...may dalawang klase na popular sa Australia...
(1) Super Guarantee - yan yung 9% ng base salary mo na pinapasok ng employer mo sa super...bawal yun babaan, at hindi mo puwede sabihin sa employer na iencash na lang yun ...nasa batas na kelangan ibigay yan as super...kung ang salary mo ay $100k...$100k ang magiging suweldo mo PLUS $9,000 going to super

(2) Salary Sacrifice - optional to at nasa sa iyo yan kung gagawa ka nito o hindi...basically binabawas mo ang salary mo para mas may mailalagay ka sa super...in effect, bababa ang tax payable at net income mo, pero tataas ang super balance mo.

NON CONCESSIONAL has many uses...but to simplify the discussion let's leave it at that )
Tulad ng salary sacrifice, optional ito at nasa sa iyo kung gagawin mo to o hindi.

So to answer your question, yes, puwede mo babaan ang after tax contribution mo (or puwedeng huwag ka mag non concessional at all)...

LokiJr

My work involves a lot of superannuation so our general advice to first time migrants is to keep it simple. Start with the usual super guarantee and understand the mechanics of superannuation before branching out to the other varieties

Just so you know, ang super hindi yan parang bank account....fund managers actually invest a bulk of the super funds in stocks and property units so if you are not familiar with these asset classes...keep it simple muna

021607

@LokiJr - Hi! Agree with your advice. I am still on my 1st year here in Australia. And I just maintain my 9% basic super. Basta natuwa lang ako when my salary quoted PLUS super and not INCLUDING super. Yung salary sacrifice and other additional contributions, siguro sa susunod na. Kasi pag new migrant, maraming start-up cost na kailangan harapin – like furniture, appliances, car and my bags! Hahaha!

LokiJr

@021607 oo haha, hindi basta basta na-wwithdraw ang pera sa super (katakot takot na penalty fees babayaran mo kung sakali)...so basic necessities muna

Nadine

@LokiJr: Priceless info Sir! Something I will never figure out mag-isa!!

Ok, keep it simple. Got it. )

So, would you then advice that I just go for Concessional for now? Ang intindi ko, and correct me if I'm wrong, based on my contract, automatic nila deduct 5% of my pretax salary for super. Yun kasi talaga nakasulat and I'm really required. At may corresponding 12.75% employer share to na over and above my annual. Eto yung concessional tama po ba? Eto yung standard?

Etong 5% na to, pwede ko bang bawasan to? Talaga yun at yun ang concern eh no? Hehe, ang laki kasi ng 5%!! Although if I decrease my contribution, the employer will also decrease theirs, right? It seems logical actually.

Sige, hindi ko na muna isipin ang salary sacrifice. Or kung ano pa mang dagdag. Later na lang pag kuhang-kuhang ko na sistema. And tama yung mga sinabi nila. Andami nga gastos when settling in.

Sa lahat ng mga nag-input, @021607, @jaero, @LokiJr, salamat po! I am much obliged!

Nadine

@021607: Lisud sobra! I don't know how I passed promise! Compared to Phil boards, murag 5x mas lisud tingali I think. But the hardest part is STILL finding a job (as usual).

Will PM u later ha, kay murag off topic, hehe. Maybe makahatag ko tidbits of info sa imo friend. Ug mangayo pud ko advice for my friend na nurse pud.

Congrats on your coming bundle of joy! Later!

LokiJr

@Nadine you should ask your employer what that 5% contribution is called exactly...marami rin kasing "after tax contribution" variants so I'm not sure kung puwede babaan o mawala...but generally lahat ng after tax contributions optional yan...

Iba po ang concept ng SSS sa super a. It's not a matter of 'you contribute something' and 'the employer matches it'..sa Australia batas talaga sa kanila na magbibigay ang employer kahit wala kang ilagay sa super nang kusa.

lock_code2004

interesting discussion.. this should be a separate thread .. para maintindihan din ng iba..

so @LokiJr, pwedeng walang i-contribute ang employee, at mandatory ang minimum 9% from employer?

LokiJr

@lock_code2004 yep! Kahit wala kang ipasok na sarili mong pera kusang lalago yan kasi mandatory yung super guarantee. In fact, by 2020, gagawin na ngang 12% ng base salary ang super guarantee so plus pa yun sa ating magttrabaho dun.

Hehe si admin na bahala maghiwalay ng thread na to sa isa pa :P