Pollyana

Anywhere in Queensland can get storms. Flood insurance is hard to get in some areas, especially since the 2010-11 floods which impacted Brisbane as well as much of the rest of the State. Up north cyclone insurance can be hard to find and expensive.
For many in the south east the cost is no more than it would be back home, storms are part of life. Huge numbers of less well-off families across the State have no insurance though, they simply can't afford it in flood/cyclone areas.

Skyrocketing insurance premiums hit Queensland flood victims two years on

teza

I doubt anyone rebuilding (possibly) in Yarloop can afford the bushfire insurance ever again....

Bermudashorts

Well actually bushfire does not put the insurance up as much as flood risk would. If an area is prone to flooding, it is prone to flooding whenever there is heavy rainfall. A bushfire is much more random, losing property through a bushfire one year does not mean that same will happen next year if it is hot again. In fact one would have to be unbelievably unlucky to lose property through bushfire twice. Whereas if it rains heavily again, the flood prone areas will flood again.

Bushfire does not adversely affect premiums, this is not my opinion, I work closely with insurance actuaries setting prices, as does my OH. He looks at the catastrophes and I count the numbers..

cresta57

That's not quite true for all companies: I live right on top of a large hill, way out of any flood plain. Because my postcode is flagged as a flood prone area we have to pay a premium. If my house ever flooded the majority of S.E QLD would be under at least 50m of water so I guess unless the polar caps melt I'm quite safe from a flood event.
Our policy is up for renewal & this year I plan on making a few phone calls as the RACQ seems to be hiking up the price beyond reasonable affordability.

Bermudashorts

You are right that was a poor choice of words. I was responding to the question "what do people pay" and meant not really an answerable question as houses come in all different shapes and sizes and some people will have more valuables than others.

In Australia postcodes cover huge areas and the country is not well mapped in terms of geographical features - although that is getting better, a lot of investment in models particularly since the 2011 floods. If the insurer does not have a sophisticated pricing model though it can lead to high premiums for anyone in the vicinity of a flood plain, even if they personally are on some raised land. It sounds like RACQ do not have good models in this case.

Pollyana

Jeez, yes if your place goes under there's no hope for anyone!

Definitely shop around. RACQ don't look at individual areas enough but lump all of one postcode together (and they are a lousy company to work for but thats personal opinion )

cresta57

Anyway back on topic:
The OP asked about aged care. My wife [since she jumped ship & got a proper job] works in aged care. She'd worked in the same industry in the U.K until she was made redundant long story short, she worked in an old convent looking after elderly nuns, when the last one died the place closed down forever.
Over here when work tailed off in the building trade it was a no no both of us working together. No work for either of us made no sense so we did our C.V's and touted ourselves about the town. Deb had an NVQ 3 and was 2/3's of the way through her 4 when she was made redundant. She dropped a few copies off at the local nursing homes and secured an interview before she had been to all of them. A quick check of references and a police clearance check and she was offered a job.
BUT! Ain't there always a but? She was employed as a junior on a junior wage for 12 months while she applied for RPL on her U.K quals. Unless you find someone familiar with U.K quals you might not get a look in until you have RPL'd. During that time she also studied part time for her "cert 4" [the company paid for this] She's now a team leader and quite happy in her job. The wages are crap [$20 bucks an hour perm part time] compared to what we both earned tiling, enough to pay all our monthly household bills though.

So to sum up:
.Wages are award rate and low, circa $20 an hour
.To work in the industry you need police clearance $55 bucks every 3 years
.U.K quals are not recognised until you RPL them.
Also I should point out that the work is a lot more menial here. In the U.K Deb could do trachy care, peg feeds, stoma care & conveenes. Over here those tasks are all done by the RN's.