Set-Up
Below is a collection of information that may assist a newly arriving Diplomat in Canberra set-up their residence and settle in to Canberra.
Settling-In
There are several organisations, that aim to assist spouses of diplomats settle in to Canberra. These include:
Women's International Club Incorporated
PO Box 5106
Kingston ACT 2604
WIC, Canberra has over 400 members of whom approximately half are Australian and the other half from overseas (mostly diplomats spouses).
WIC aims to foster friendship and mutual understanding between women of different nationalities through personal contact and friendship. It brings all members together in monthly meetings held at the Italo-Australian Club, Forrest, where entertainment is provided such as guest speakers or cultural presentations. In addition members may choose from over 50 activities in small groups, held mostly in the homes of members. WIC is non-political, non-sectarian, and does not support charities. An annual membership fee covers costs. There are now over 80 WICs throughout the world.
If you are interested in joining WIC, simply ask a friend who is a member to take you to a meeting as their guest, or contact the WIC office.
Pan-Pacific & South East Asia Women's Association (Australian Capital Territory) Incorporated
P0 Box 72
Mawson ACT 2607
Established in 1928 as The Pan Pacific Women’s Association, the Australian Association became a member in 1954 and in 1955 when women of South East Asia joined, the name was changed.
Pan Pacific's objectives are:
• To strengthen the bonds of peace by fostering friendship and better understanding among women in all areas of the Pacific and Southeast Asia
• To promote co-operation among women of these regions for the study and improvement of social, economic and cultural conditions.
Pan Pacific is an international women’s association that is a non-profit, non-political organisation with members in American Samoa, Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New-Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, USA.
Quarantine
Australia is distant from many parts of the world and we therefore have unique flora and fauna. We seek to protect our unique environment from imported diseases.
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is Australia's first line of defence, protecting our unique environment against exotic pests and diseases. AQIS inspects incoming luggage, cargo, mail, animals and plants and their products, and provide inspection and certification for a range of exports. Click here for the AQIS website.
Click here for information on importing cats and dogs into Australia
Housing Accommodation
The rental market in Canberra has its ups and downs and of course the rental level will vary on the suburb and size of house. Apartments are more readily available but are smaller than those found in the older cities of Europe and the Americas and like houses, tend to be unfurnished. Normally window treatments, floor-coverings and cooking equipment is included. Housing is constructed with family use in mind and mostly lack large representation space and are often deficient in separate dining facilities. Most diplomats endeavour to rent south of the lake to facilitate transport.
Most Embassies are located in Yarralumla or O'Malley.
The "inner south" areas of Canberra, where most diplomats live, include the suburbs of Yarralumla, Forest, Red Hill and Deakin in the inner executive housing areas. Kingston and Griffith are well-known diplomatic areas for apartments and are close to the dining-out and shopping areas of Manuka, Kingston and Griffith.
Slightly further away, many diplomats also chose to live in the suburbs of O'Malley, Isaacs and Garran.
Details of homes and apartments to rent or buy are shown at www.allhomes.com.au and a map is also available from the same website. The website also provides contact details of the real estate agent managing the property.
Diplomats need to ensure that their rental lease agreement contains a "diplomatic clause" which enables a diplomat who has been recalled to terminate the lease early.
Owners of rental properties require their real estate agents to inspect the property on a regular basis. These arrangements will be provided for in the rental lease agreement.
Purchase of housing (by non-citizens or non-permanent residents) is subject to consent of the Foreign Investment Review Board which stipulates that a purchased home must be lived in by the purchaser and sold when posted away from Australia. The Australian Government's Foreign Investment Review Board's website is at http://www.firb.gov.au/content/real_estate/real_estate.asp
The Real Estate Institute of the ACT is the professional association for property sales people, and the REI can also assist. www.reiact.com.au
Any complaints regarding landlords, tenancies or rental agreements should, in the first instance be referred to the Real Estate Institute. Should this not be successful, the ACT Government regulator is via the ACT Office of Fair Trading - http://www.ors.act.gov.au/FairTrading/index.html
Insurance
Insurance protection against theft, accident, or other loss is highly recommended.
Car insurance comes in two types. "Third party" insurance protects someone you injury in a car accident (in your car, another vehicle, or a pedestrian). Third part insurance is compulsory in Australia. In the ACT the sole insurer is NRMA Insurance. "Comprehensive" insurance covers damage done to your own vehicle or another vehicle. Most insurance companies offer comprehensive insurance.
Personal effects (jewellery, furniture, art, clothing, etc) household insurance (fire, storm, water damage etc), public liability (for someone suing who is injured on property you occupy, workers compensation insurance (for someone working on property you occupy - note some contractors and sub-contractors can also be affected) are all strongly recommended.
Insurance can be arranged through insurance brokers or, in some cases, direct with the insurance company. A listing of insurance brokers is on the Yellow Pages - www.yellowpages.com.au
Shopping
Shopping hours are unregulated in Canberra, However, many stores and most shopping centres are typically open:
Monday to Thursday 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Friday 9.00 am to 9.00 pm
Saturday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm
Sunday 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Public Holidays 10.00 to 4.00 pm
These are the major shopping areas in Canberra:-
Canberra Centre
City Walk
Canberra City
Ph: (02) 6247 5611
Westfield Woden (Woden Plaza)
Corrina Street
Woden
Ph: (02) 6281 1512
Westfield Belconnen
Benjamin Way
Belconnen
Ph: (02) 6251 4333
http://westfield.com/belconnen/
Hyperdome Tuggeranong
Anketell Street
Greenway
Ph: (02) 6293 1000
Fyshwick
With a large number of bulky goods and other retailers, but no major shopping centre.
Fyshwick Markets at 8 Dalby Street, Fyshwick, are well known for their fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, plants, bread, nuts and other produce. Hours: Thursday to Sunday 8.00 am to 5.30 pm.
Others
There are another series of shopping and restaurant areas which, in the inner south (where most diplomats live) are Manuka, Kingston and Yarralumla. There are also small "convenience" shopping areas, such as Red Hill and and Griffith.
Brand Depot, a factory outlet style of shopping has recently opened. It is located near Canberra Airport. Further details are available from: www.branddepot.com.au
DFO, another factory outlet style of shopping has recently opened. It is located in Fyshwick. Further details are available from: www.dfo.com.au/canberra
There is a Halal butcher shop at Mawson (Jabal Halal Markets) and one at Yarralumla (Yarralumla Halal Meats).
The major food supermarkets in Canberra are Woolworths www.woolworths.com.au and Coles www.coles.com.au. IGA www.iga.net.au and Friendly Grocer convenience stores are located at many of the small shopping areas and these are independently owned stores. Woolworths provides an on-line shopping and home delivery service www.homeshop.com.au
There is a Farmer's Market held on most Saturday mornings at Exhibition Park in Canberra. Farmers, who have grown their own produce, offer it for sale direct to the public. www.marketsonline.com.au/page27.html
You will find a good range of merchandise available in Canberra. Many of the national stores, chain stores and franchise businesses are in Canberra.
Some of the leading national stores are:-
David Jones (department store) at Canberra City and Woden. www.davidjones.com.au
Myer (department store) a5t Canberra City, Belconnen and Tuggeranong. www.myer.com.au
The Good Guys (discount electrical) at Tuggeranong and Fyshwick. www.thegoodguys.com.au
Harvey Norman (discount electrical, computer and household goods) at Woden and Fyshwick. www.harveynorman.com.au
Domayne (a more upmarket version of Harvey Norman) at Fyshwick. www.domayne.com.au
Service
The Australian level of service is usually less formal than in some countries. You will generally find the service to be friendly and helpful.
Consumer protection
There are strong national and state/territory laws protecting consumers. The national regulator is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - www.accc.gov.au - and click on the "consumer rights" section. The ACT regulator is the Office of Fair Trading - http://www.ors.act.gov.au/FairTrading/index.html Any complaints about business practices or goods should, in the first instance, be brought to the attention of the manager or owner of the business. If you are not able to resolve the issue with them, then contact the Office of Fair Trading.
Newspapers & Magazines
The following newspapers are widely available in Canberra. All can be purchased from your local newsagency, or home delivery can be arranged with your newsagency or by subscription (on-line subscriptions also available):-
Canberra Times
Canberra's local, quality daily newspaper with national coverage.
City News
Canberra's weekly free news magazine
Capital Magazine
A high quality magazine for those who are culturally aware and passionate about the arts in Australia. For those that appreciate the finer things in life – prestige homes and gardens, fashion, travel, fine dining.
The Australian
Australia's national, quality daily newspaper
Australian Financial Review
Australia's national business, economics and finance daily newspaper.
Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney (New South Wales) quality daily newspaper.
The Age
Melbourne (Victoria) quality daily newspaper.
BRW magazine
Australian's leading business magazine. Published fortnightly.
Time magazine
Pacific edition
Banking
You will need to open a cheque account (checking account) in Australia. The major banks in Australia all operate in Canberra.
Proof of identity is required in Australia for everyone opening an account with a financial institution. This is a "100 points" system. The following three documents will meet the 100 point requirement (1) passport (2) drivers licence with photo ID (3) a credit card from a financial institution. Other documents are also able to be used.
Under Australian law, a bank must deduct "withholding tax" from interest earned on all banking accounts - unless the customer provides that bank with the customer's Australian tax file number. Special arrangements apply for diplomats and you will need to show your Diplomatic status to the bank and ask them assist you in completing a form to relieve you from paying the withholding tax.
The major banks in Australia are:-
ANZ Bank (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Limited
National Bank of Australia Limited
Westpac Banking Corporation Limited
St George Bank
Telephone
Fixed-line telephones (and fax connections) often take several days to arrange connection. There are several providers of telephone services in Canberra. These include
Telstra
Transact
SingTel Optus
Vodafone
Mobile phone services are also available from the same companies listed above. The following mobile technologies are currently is use in Australia
3G - was first introduced into Australia in 2005 and is widely used around the world. .
NextG - is Telstra's new version of 3G. It offers even higher speed than 3G and is particular useful for data transmission, including email and video phone.
Note. Mobile phone agreements sometimes requires the customer to commit to a minimum period of contract. This is often 12 months or 2 years. Note that "diplomatic clauses" are not included, so you will need to consider the cost of breaking a contract in the event of you leaving Australia during the period of the contract.
Phone cards
Using a pre-paid Phone Cards may be a much less expensive way to telephone overseas from Australia. Often a Phone Card can reduce the cost of your calls by 75% to 95%. Phone Cards can be purchased from most Newsagents in Australia.
Phone Cards can also be purchased on-line from the following suppliers:
There is also a website that compares the prices available over more than 20 Phone Cards and also provides for on-line purchasing. The website is www.phonecardselector.com.au
Internet connections
There are a large number of providers of dial-up email connections in Canberra. These range from about $10 a month upwards (depending on speed and amount of data).
ADSL - at speeds of around 8 mbps - are available from a number of providers and are provided over existing telephone lines.
The only true broad-band cable provider in Canberra is:-
Transact
which offers speeds of up to 20 mbps and "always on" facilities which means using the internet does not stop telephone calls being received.
Cable TV
There are three providers of "cable" TV in Canberra.:-
Foxtel - www.foxtel.com.au - which provides some 100 channels by satellite dish. Six movie channels are are available plus Box Office which offers a fee-to-view range of new-release movies.
Transact - www.transact.com.au - which provides over 40 channels by cable. A very wide range of on-demand movies are also available on a fee-to-view basis.
Optus - www.optus.com.au - resells the Foxtel facility.
Cable TV usually requires the customer to commit to a minimum period of contract. This is often 12 months or 2 years. Note that "diplomatic clauses" are not included, so you will need to consider the cost of breaking a contract in the event of you leaving Australia during the period of the contract.
Bundle
Transact - www.transact.com.au - "bundles" broad-band, telephone and cable TV together in a cost-effective package.
Bundling usually requires the customer to commit to a minimum period of contract. This is often 12 months or 2 years. Note that "diplomatic clauses" are not included, so you will need to consider the cost of breaking a contract in the event of you leaving Australia during the period of the contract.
Taxis
Aerial Capital Group Ltd offers four levels of service in Canberra:
Canberra Cabs Ph 13 2227 is the basic level of service. This is the most cost-effective taxi service.
Elite Ph 132 227 is a mid-range level of service.
Silver Service Ph 133 100 is the top-of-the-range service. Silver Service offers guaranteed on-time pick-up
Elite Super Maxis. Ph (02) 6126 2844 for 11 seaters and larger
Chauffeur-driven cars
These chauffeur-driven vehicles provide a dedicated executive level of service. They are listed in the yellow Pages (see below) under "Hire Car Services - chauffeur-driven". The major companies include:-
Canberra Hire Cars Ph
02 6126 1577
Hughes Chauffeur-Driven
Cars
CBD Chauffeured Transport
Car Rentals
Car rentals are when you can rent a self-drive car for a day or more. They are listed in the yellow Pages (see below) under "Car Hire". The major companies include:-
Directories
The major online directories are:-
White Pages - www.whitepages.com.au This is a telephone "book" listed in alphabetical order, containing name, address and telephone number. There are two sections (1) business and government (2) residential. It is searchable online and is updated daily. Telephone subscribers can opt not to be listed and most Diplomatic residences are "un-listed". A paper version of the White Pages is published yearly.
Yellow Pages - www.yellowpages.com.au - This is a telephone "book" listing businesses and government by business category, containing name, address and telephone number. It is searchable online and is updated daily. A paper version of the Yellow Pages is published yearly.
Where is - www.whereis.com - is an online facility which enables the user to key in a street address and receive a map of the area. This map can be made larger or smaller online and can be printed out.
Street Directories are available from most petrol stations and newsagents.
Click on the buttons above left on the previous page for:
Staff or click here
Medical and Vets or click here
Cars or click here