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Compelling Reasons for choosing Canberra

As well as the items covered in our comparison with Wiltshire there are a number of other compelling reasons for choosing Canberra:

1. Employment –

Da**** – I have worked in Quantity Surveying for over twenty years and can bring a wealth of experience to a future employer, as recognized through my skills assessment of 2122-11 Quantity Surveying by the AICS. The Canberra Construction Snapshot newsletter, released by the Chief Ministers Department keeps me informed of planned capital works and construction activities in Canberra and suggests a buoyant industry with a vibrant and diverse construction sector in the ACT.

We have repeatedly used the Canberra Times, www.seek.com.au, www.careerone.com.au, www.simplyhired.com.au, and www.indeed.com.au to research the local job markets and have repeatedly seen jobs that fit my skill set and career history. Canberra’s salaries are higher than the national average and I was pleased to see that wages were slightly higher than my existing salary within the UK. I am confident that I will be able to gain employment within Canberra.

De**** – now works from home as a private tutor, running a small tutoring agency, and teaching in local primary schools as a cover teacher. She will be hoping to find work on relocation to Canberra and has a number of skills to offer. She is a fully qualified and experienced primary school teacher and a qualified medical laboratory scientist. She also has an honors degree in environmental science and IT. Given the low unemployment rate in Canberra of circa 3%, we see no problems in Denise gaining employment to suit her skills and experience.

2. Lifestyle and Worklife Balance –

It is in this area that we feel there is the most to be gained by relocating to Canberra. Although there are many things we like within our home county of Wiltshire which compare favorably with Canberra; Canberra also offers us significant benefits over the UK:

• Climate – It is much warmer than the UK and our research shows that it has more sunshine than Sydney and Melbourne and certainly more than the UK. However, there are four distinct seasons: fresh winters, balmy autumns, breathtaking springs, and warm to hot summers. We both enjoy the variety that seasonal weather offers and a brisk walk on a crisp morning is as enjoyable as a warm stroll on a summer’s evening. Canberra will offer us all this.
• Work-life balance – Da**** has spent a number of years commuting long distances up to an hour’s drive from home, meaning an average daily commute of about two hours. This can often be longer due to poor road conditions, general congestion, traffic incidents, and roadworks. Given that Canberra is an ACT cluster and average commutes are 15 – 20 minutes, this offers a significant improvement in work-life balance.
• Arts, Culture, Sports and Leisure Facilities – We enjoy attending the theatre and cinema, listening to music events and watching sport. Canberra has much to offer with many cultural and leisure venues including the National Museum of Australia, the National Zoo, Lake Burley Griffin and the National Gallery, There are opportunities to watch the Brumbies, motorsport and other major events including Floriade and the Balloon Fiesta. There is also the bush on the doorstep, skiing to the west and the coast to the east. Not to mention the cosmopolitan nature of the city itself. We believe it to be the perfect environment to live in.

3. Property –

We have used www.realestate.com.au, www.domain.com.au, and www.allhomes.com.au, as well as the Canberra Times, to research the Canberra property market and have identified some regions where we would choose to live. We would prefer a more established area such as Farrer, Belconnen, Macquarie, Bruce, South Woden, or Aranda. Although these areas are more expensive than the newer, less established areas, we feel we can find a good quality, well-sized 3 or 4 bedrooms home with a good plot for around $***K - $***K. We believe we will have a deposit of $***K which will leave us with a mortgage of $***K – ***K.

In the early stages of our migration, we plan to rent a property which we understand maybe more of a challenge as there are fewer rental properties available than we expected.

4. Summary –

To summarise, we believe Canberra offers us compelling reasons to consider as the place to live within Australia. It is a wonderfully cosmopolitan city with great amenities, good job opportunities and is easy to get around. It has the perfect climate, beautiful scenery in and around the city, and friendly people who have a positive frame of mind. The future development of Canberra offers great long-term opportunities and we really hope for a positive response to our state sponsorship application so that we can begin to live our dream.