arkon

You would think not, but this just goes on and on. The simplest things here are made just so much harder than they need to be. Another problem is in the UK if you couldn't get what you needed at home, getting it from abroad was almost as easy. Here if I order something from abroad I'm bricking it wondering whether I'm going to get stung at customs, which is about 50% of the time.

arkon

This is exactly what I used to think before coming here and during the first year, just so much opportunity if you do it right and better than the locals, especially having a British work ethic, how can you fail.

Well I'll tell you how opportunity is all just an illusion here, whatever you try and do, at some point you are going to need an australian service to facilitate your venture, and here it becomes an up hill struggle to keep your standards and work ethic intact. How can I deliver something in a speedy fashion when everyone here conspires to f**k you up? Short of replacing your entire supply and delivery chain with your own enterprise and having an entirely non local workforce, I don't see how it's possible.

If labor win here at the next election and bin the new workplace reforms, I for one will have to seriously reconsider setting up shop here. It's just not worth it.

hoofie2002

Just out of curiosity, without giving your concept away, what do you need 0.05mm accuracy for ?

arkon

Without sounding daft, because this is what I was used to having, not that I really need more than 0.1mm. What kind of accuracy should I be aiming at to increase my chances of finding a bender that can do it here?

As you might know, doing it all by hand you are unlikely to even get that, well not repeatably anyway.

I have to say as the days drag on I am designing more and more of the acuracy and quality out of it, I'm sure soon enough it will be able to boldly sport a made in Australia badge.

Ozzidoc

The rules have probably changed, but it used to be that an item could be labelled "made in Australia" if it were finished there. eg One single, last button sewn onto a shirt.

arkon

I think it's still true, Also it means you pay less import duty on bit's rather than complete assemblies. Ironic isn't it, my item will most likely be made from 90% stuff sourced abroad, screwed together here and able to don the proudly made in Oz badge.

aston man

sorry arkon..

arkon

No problem, Not sure what your sorry for though

Todays funny is a pack of LED's I've just got with a big stamp on the packaging saying "Packaged in Australia". WTF does that mean? Is it really so
important to have that stamped on it? would the population not buy them otherwise? Or is is just some scam to avoid customs duty?

Today I needed a part that has no Australian distributors and is only available from the UK. the part costs £2 and they want £40 to post it here! It's VAT free that way, but should I post it to an address in the UK it's only a few quid to post, but I then get stung for VAT and the cost of posting it again to get here.

I'm thinking about a trip home to fill my suitcases with all I need, I think it might be cheaper to do that and I get a free holiday out of it!

Amazulu

The one that makes me laugh is 'proudly Australian owned'. In other words read: 'Yeah we're Aussie owned but we closed our factory in Australia, putting all our Aussie workers on the dole and moved production to China thereby saving ourselves millions - didn't drop our prices though so now we make even more'.

That's something to be really proud of.

arkon

Thing is the population falls for it. I'm British, and can make things using nearly all imported stuff and stamp it made in Australia, Australian owned (thanks to citizenship) and now if I put it in a box 'packaged in Australia. It's just a joke. At least the old buy british campaign you were actually buying british, even if it was a bit dodgy.

After todays fruitless attempts to find an item in the country I need, I'm now having serious second thoughts about the whole enterprise here. It just ain't worth it.

BadgeIsBack

Never met an Aussie who frankly cared what sticker was on the packet.
These schemes are thinked up by saddo chamber of commerce types.

Oakwood 2

John farnham made in England
Jimmy Barnes made in Scotland
Marsha Heinze made in USA
Costa zue made in Ussr
Joe buggner made in South Africa
Dinky Doughnuts of Penrith fame made in Canada
Play school Made in England
The Saturday show of pluck a duck fame made in NZ
OR WAS IT AUSTRALIA ???