agillick

I've just been assigned a case officer for my 487 visa so it looks like I may be getting it soon. I am currently living in Perth but the 487 visa requires me to move to a regional area for 2 years. My partner and I are trying to decide where to move to at the minute. We think we have narrowed it down to either Mandurah or Bunbury. I am an electrician and having looked at seek.com.au there seems to be more work in the Bunbury area so that may influence our decision. I am wondering if anyone here lives in either of these areas and what their opinions might be. I have visited both areas and reckon I could live in either.

eddie007

Mandurah. Opens up all of SOR perth for employment... May be regional but with the traino and the roads its commutable... So a bigger pond to throw your job seeking net into...

Like both... But would probably go mandurah coz its nearer to civilization

EvannTel

Not 100% sure but don't think you can work in Perth suburbs on a 487.

6041 to 6044, 6083 to 6084, 6121 to 6126 and 6200 to 6799.

Much of muchness the two IMO except as Edie says Mandurah is nearer to Perth if thats your thing. But Bunbury is closer to Margaret River etc if thats your thing too.

billymacker

only problem with mandurah is the mozzie's, shire not doing anything about them just fobbing people off.

Elmo2552

I agree that Mandurah has best of both worlds. Last stop on the train line and right on the freeway so only 45 min drive/train to Perth. Only an extra hours drive to Margaret River than Bunbury would be. Mossies are awful but getting better now the weathers cooler!
Easy commute to Freo etc too. Mandurah postcode is 6210 so u should be fine on the visa you have.

billymacker

nothing to do with cooler weather shire been out spraying the mossies for crab fest next weekend this is what i was told today

agillick

I agree that Mandurah has the benefit that it is closer to the city. Because of my visa I would not be able to work in the city so would need to work in the Mandurah area. Does anyone know what the work situation is like for trades in Mandurah?

EvannTel

Unemployemnt in Mandurah is typically worse than Bunbury but why not do some job searches and see. Maybe different for sparks.
Have you got your Aus ticket for sparks?

HelenTD

A few possible indicators:
Look for classified ads for electrical services in community newspapers - if there are lots of ads, you have lots of competition.

www.seek.com.au:
2 electrician jobs for Mandurah & Peel: would be worth looking into the Boddington one (keep an eye on Boddington jobs)
11 for Bunbury and South West

Home building approvals
http://www.homeloanfinder.com.au/hom...a-houses-down/
http://www.afehomeloans.com.au/2010/...a-houses-down/

There are more articles like these. More info on residential building work can be gleaned from the websites for the local authority concerned; you might also find info on major land developments for residential or commercial, but these might have a long lead-in time.

EvannTel

Damn beat me to it Mis Fast Fingers (or is that Turbo Digits?)

HelenTD

My keyboard's smoking hot.

lancastrian48

Mandurah...at least closer to Perth.....you would get bored of Bunbury eventually

agillick

I'm still kind of leaning towards Bunbury due to the fact that there is more work there. I have no interest in residential work and there doesn't seem to be much else around Mandurah.
We've also thought of moving to Geraldton but we've never been there so don't know what its like.

EvannTel

"Gems" who posts on here regularly is in Geraldton I think. Geraldton is growing up fast. I was there in Dec for a night, first time in 20+ years and was really impressed how much is has come along and the investment there. The same of course can be said for Bunbury, and Mandurah.
I'm not quite sure why there is such -ve responses to Bunbury. Some areas are "country bogan" make no mistake, but others are lovely and offer vastly more affordable standards of living than Perth or Mandurah. I has every thing you need day to day (unless you OH likes to shop for designer clothes every day). Its 2 hours to Perth, one hour to Margs, 10 mins to Ferguson Valley.
With the exception of the rail link and proximity to Perth, I don't see a vast difference day to day with Mandurah TBH.
It depends on what your outside interests are and we haven't really discussed those.

HelenTD

Bunbury has a train service too - one day it may even be improved http://www.transwa.wa.gov.au/Service...U/Default.aspx

If OP did choose Mandurah, then he could always travel to Bunbury if there's more work there. It would depend on whether you really, really preferred to live in Mandurah and do a long drive each day to the Bunbury area, or live somewhere close to Bunbury and have the best bits of the SW closer for work or play.

Perhaps the outside interests would swing the decision one way or another? Does your OH work and what does she do?