Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Hi,

I've just accepted a job offer based in Perth. I work for an international recruitment company and will be leading a team in the Oil & Gas market in WA.

I'm excited and nervous about moving in equal amounts! I currently live in Brighton with my girlfriend and whilst I love the culture and nightlife here, the opportunity to move to Australia (which I've been to and love) is too tempting to turn down.

Anway, on to those questions:

1. Does anyone know how the Oil & Gas industry is doing in Australia generally, and WA specifically? (any links to websites or other advice would be brilliant)

2. What is considered 'proof of relationship' for my visa application? My GF has lived with me for 6 months, but isn't on any bills or anything. We've been together 3 years, but don't have any specific proof. I'm worried this will be a problem with her getting on my visa. Any suggestions?

3. If my girlfriend does get over on my visa (457) are there any restrictions on her working over there?

4. My only concern about Perth is that it seems a bit 'quiet' on the nightlife front. We love going out at the weekends and having a few beers during the week. Are there nightclubs/late bars in Perth? Is there much of a nightlife/club scene/live music scene in Perth?

5. Any other advice on moving to Perth would be great.

Thank you very much for your help.

Stu

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

First of all, congrats on the visa.

I worked for a firm called Clough Limited. Have a look at their website. You could also look at Rio Tinto and chevron. There is another but the name isn't coming to me at the mo!

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

oooh, and we were hugely busy, especially with Gorgon.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Hi and welcome

Firstly the oil and gas industry here is huge and growing by the day. You wont have problems obtaining positions but will struggle to find candidates as does industry in WA.
The 457 requires you to prove you have lived together for at least 6 months. There are a range of ways of doing this and they will accept things like photos of you both, statements from friends and family and any proof she may have of her address.
Once she is here there are no restrictions on her working.
Not really into the club scene a lot, but Perth does have them and seem to be mainly in the Northbridge area of the city. It wont be as good as Brighton and can be a bit rough - The area and its clubs are infamous for fights and gangs. But plenty of the guys at work go regular. But there is no escaping the fact that Perth is a little dull. It is known localy as Dullsville
What Perth lacks in a night life scene though it does have alternatives. There is a big beach culture and myself and most people i know love spending the summer days at the beach. For me, there is no beating a day at the beach with a board followed by a bbq with a couple of friends on the night. It has a lot of outdoor stuff on offer outside Perth such as heading north to swim with whale sharks and camping in the bush to Margeret River with some fun / drunken tours around the wineries.
Perth is expensive to live and to have the lifestyle you have now you will need a salary in dollars not of twice but closer to three times what you earn at the moment.
Perth is isolated and there is no getting away from that. We are closer to Singapore than we are to the other Australian cities and that is a negative. It is expensive and difficult to get away.
Come with a open mind and you will enjoy it.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Perth has a pretty good live music scene, with a fair few venues.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

1. They are doing brilliantly, WA is one of the mining capitals of the world it seems, the minning industry is the reason the whole global economic crisis thing mostly didnt impact aus like it did the rest of the world

2. we used council tax, electricty, gas bills things like that for this

3. unsure
4. I have heard people say its quiet but personally I am always very busy!. There are lots of pubs all over, there are night clubs in the city and in freemantle and nights out in the city are very similier to other places in the world just a little less rowdy. Although saying that northbridge is a bit of a rowdy area as it has a strip of bars close together so its gotten a bit of a bad rep these days.
The only quiet downside of perth I find is the shops opening hours, they are often closed at the most inconvieniant times.

Good luck

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

:confused:

I don't agree with this at all. Options that I have looked at/booked recently:
London return on Air Asia - $720
Hong Kong return on Air Asia/Jetstar - $375
Tokyo return on Air Asia - $400
Singapore return on Tiger - $200
Melbourne OW on Tiger - $100 (I actually had this for $50 when they first started this route)
Sydney OW on Jetstar - $100

Difficult? How can any of this be difficult?

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

What dates were you looking at to get those prices?

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Crap. Yeah in "theory" you can get cheap prices to the moon. But the reality is Perth is isolated mand so its going to cost$$$ to get anywhere.
I work with guys who commute to work from Melbourne, Brisi and Sydney and cant get them prices.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Went to London in July for that fare.
Going to Hong Kong and Macau next Easter school holiday for that fare
Japan Fare was available this week. I nearly booked it but have too many trips planned as it is.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

See post 10. Sure, to get the really cheap fares requires a bit of planning and early booking. But all those fares I've quoted have been available when I've looked.

I'm hardcore when it comes to trying to get cheap airfares/holidays.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Depending which expert you want to agree with then Perth is going to be the Saudi of the oil and gas industry for the next 50 years and everybody can fill there boots.

Or demand will fall and with all the other countries coming onstream with LNg and CSG then we are all in the shit around 2017.Russia in particular building some stuff that dwarfs the NW Shelf.There will be a vast oversupply.Take your pick which expert you want to agree with

Perth is quiet but you are 5=6 hrs away from 2 large airport hubs in Singapore and Bangkok.from there the world is your oyster.

Can't help with the live music,when I got here INXS were playing the pubs and doing a good job.

Australia is isolated,not just Perth,as Bob Hawke said,we have a very central position,12 hrs away from ewverywhere.

Geordie downunder

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Amazing this Perth is isolated thing.Perth is very close to Asia,the east coast is a long way from anywhere,unless of course you want go to UN ZUD,which is well worth having a look at.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Music wise U2 and Bonjovi are both playing in perth in the next few months

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

A person who is used to the Brighton scene and vibe won't be impressed with U2 and Bonjovi coming to town. Big stadium over priced sell outs is not what Brighton is about. The OP will find Perth lacking in all respects unless he gets into the boating, fishing, surfing, camping scene and then he'll be in his element.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

just to reiterate Fremantle has a good music scene, and you can get a lot of live music around town- the fun is going out and finding your fav venues.
Woodside, FMC Technologies, GE (Vetco Grey), Haliburton, Atka Solutions are all in the oil and gas industry in one way or another and are all in Perth and surrounds

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Hi there
The oil and gas is booming here and is a good industry to be in, interesting websites to check out are bhp petroleum, Woodside and Chevron. I was in the oil and gas industry here for 12 years. From your message I take it that you will be based in Perth, if you are going to be moved to the North West of WA make sure that your Company gets you good accommodation that they pay for. Accommodation in North West is hard to come by and very expensive.
Sorry cannot help you with Visa for GF.
Nightlife, Northbridge is the main area, but in the early hours can get a bit rough or so I am told. There is also some good places in Leederville, Fremantle and Subiaco.
I hope everything goes well.
All the best.
stken
PS Are you by any chance a Saint's supporter? :)

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Hi, yes, the oil & gas industry here is a major source of employment (my OH works in it, my BIL also does and I have previously). As a couple without kids, you would probably be better off living in suburbs closer to the CBD, as middle and outer suburbs are more spread out and have less pubs, bars and nightlife. As others have said, Leederville, Subiaco, Fremantle and Northbridge are the main nightlife spots, but there are more small bars setting up rather than the big barns that a lot of WA pubs resemble. Also look at suburbs like North Perth, Highgate, Mt Hawthorn, Wembley, Claremont, Cottesloe and Nedlands. These suburbs tend to have the more traditional 'high street' design, closer to the CBD (cheaper taxi fares) and have better pubic transport. These suburbs are more likely to have a buzz, but in no way can life in Perth be compared to Brighton (I still miss the South Downs every day, more than M&S, Boots, Sainsbury's, etc).

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

1. Does anyone know how the Oil & Gas industry is doing in Australia generally, and WA specifically? (any links to websites or other advice would be brilliant)

What company will you be working for? I work for Aker Solutions. The Oil & Gas Industry is still relatively small by UK/US standards but is growing fast. With some huge jobs coming up over the next 2-3 years in WA, dont have any worries about job for the future.

4. My only concern about Perth is that it seems a bit 'quiet' on the nightlife front. We love going out at the weekends and having a few beers during the week. Are there nightclubs/late bars in Perth? Is there much of a nightlife/club scene/live music scene in Perth?

Perth is still quiet by UK standards (I think anyway) but there are places to go an see. However dont expect it to be like UK, if you want that then its better to go to Melboune, Sydney etc. Perth tends to be more of a family orientated city

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

The O+G sector is going to go apeshit in the next 20 years no doubt.

In terms of life here there are some good things but long term coming from the outer rings of London you'll probably get bored. Perth does have a cool little music scene but realistically its nothing compared to any major Uk city. Cool bars exist here but very little in terms of nightlife. Infact the Government hasn't granted a nightclub licence in ages.

There is no ducking over to Paris or Prague if you want a holiday it's a 4-20hr trip depending on where you want to go.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Thank you to everyone for your advice and assistance. It's really appreciated.

Yes, I am - was particularly delighted to see the 2-0 win today. Up the Saints!

[QUOTE=bhaven;8877031]1. Does anyone know how the Oil & Gas industry is doing in Australia generally, and WA specifically? (any links to websites or other advice would be brilliant)

What company will you be working for? I work for Aker Solutions. The Oil & Gas Industry is still relatively small by UK/US standards but is growing fast. With some huge jobs coming up over the next 2-3 years in WA, dont have any worries about job for the future.

I work for Hays. At present I'm in Construction & Property - which we're by far the biggest in the UK at doing. How are Hays perceived in Oil & Gas recruitment in Oz?

I'm not expecting Perth to be like Brighton, which has a unique 'vibe' compared to anywhere I've ever been. What I've been assuming though is that with Perth having at least 6 times the population I am assuming it's going to have at least some nightlife?

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Unfortunately, just because a place has 6 times the population, it does not equate to 6 times the nightlife, shopping, choice, public transport and probably a hundred other things. The demographics are very different. If you read other threads on BE, you will find lots of people saying how Perth is great for families and probably retirees, but not huge amounts of praise from those in their 20s.

I can't help with discussions on nightlife, as I live the life of a suburban mum:zzz: and it's a long time since I've seen the inside of a nightclub:D. All I have seen is news on TV about some incident or another in a Perth nightspot - a man punching another man (often into a coma or death), woman or man taking a glass and smashing it into another's face, security guard attacking someone, etc, etc. These incidents might be a small number in the general scheme of things, but are worrying.

There are busy, interesting, demanding jobs and lifestyles out there, but perhaps not why a lot of people live in Perth. It's more a place where people have a slower pace of life. Loads of people get into cycling, jogging, beaches, learning to surf, sailing, fishing, etc. Have a look in the Meet Ups section, as there have been a few threads by people in their 20s, who might be able to tell you how they've found the nightlife.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

[QUOTE=saintstu;8892074]Thank you to everyone for your advice and assistance. It's really appreciated.



Yes, I am - was particularly delighted to see the 2-0 win today. Up the Saints!

Perth is great for making money and having a relaxed lifestyle. If you like going out doing different things going to cool clubs and bars etc then this city is not for you.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

I've dealt with Hays Engineering here in Perth as both a candidate and as someone looking to hire, and to be honest with you I was not impressed. They came across as just a bunch of salesmen in sharp suits and had very poor knowledge of what clients/candidates want. I'm sure they are profitable - as are most agencies - as they do very little for a lot of money. I reckon their office parties/after hours are fun as there are a lot of hot young saleswomen working there.

In Perth, like the UK, there are a few good agencies (4-5 tops) that are any good and the rest are crap. From what I've seen I would put Hays in the crap bracket.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Totally has hays Perth written all over that statement.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Have you dealt with them? I've found most enginering employment agencies in Perth to be rubbish. To balance that out though, it's the same in the UK.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

I've always thought Hays in Perth were only good for secretarial and admin jobs. Any professional looking would normally avoid them like the plague.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Agree. There are some agencies out there that know what they are doing when in comes to engineering/project jobs - but not many.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Not that there would be any professional secretaries or admin people. :rolleyes:

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Yup in 2008 when I returned from London I went through Hays for the first 4 months.

Rubbish but similar to British ones. Infact the my agent just got back from the UK about the same time I got back lol.

Re: Hello - moving to Perth and have some assorted questions
 

Perth actually has a very good live music scene . It doesn't have the sheer amount of pubs that the uk has but there are many good venues in the city and outer suburbs . I have played many of these as a musician myself and was impressed with the standard too - mutli - clutural bands offering offering worldwide appeal .

It seems Perth is starting to be included in more band world tours now , we saw Stevie wonder and Robbie Williams , something we just wouldn't have had the motivation to do in the UK having to get into London . Although the Burswood stadium , where they seem to house a lot of these bands has the worst acoustics .