Questions for Canberra

[IngiLiebenberg]

Hi there,

I've posted some of these questions on another thread: Any advise - suggestions will be appreciated:

 

Background: We have a PR175 visa. Did validation-trip March 2013 (went to Perth and Melbourne... didn't plan on Canberra - but looks like the SAP Government jobs there are good and more long term). Plan is to relocate end of the year, with my husband going over first (October 2015) and then our 2 girls (aged 12 & 13) will fly over with me once year at school is finished and house packed up. Going to take a 20ft container with basic stuff & sentimental furniture, but no "white kitchen stuff"...

 

Q1) My husband will have to rent a furnished apartment once he knows where the job is (SAB ABAP programmer: HR, Webdynpro, FI, S.... I don't know it all :-)... But he will be looking at hourly contract (pays a bit better and will need the extra cash initially) If we want to look at what you can get for how much... what real estate websites do you recommend? (also for us just to price and browsing for homes... any suggestions?) 

Q2) For Schooling: Where are nice schools (know it is subjective answers... but if there are Pretorianers or Bloemfonteiners over there... maybe compare a suburb over there with one here?) Will look at housing around good schools preferably not toooo far from CBD? Maybe a better way would be to say where not to stay (and hopefully not offend anyone) - or PM me  

Q3) High School: Private or State? What are the costs of "normal" schools. At the moment my kids are in a small Christian Discipleship School (Hatfield Christian School, Pretoria) but I am not sure what route we will go in Oz. In Pretoria the English Government Schools weren't our first choice (exception of Girls High... but that is a looooong drive to school & they are still in primary school over here (Gr 6&7). Nervous about moving pre-teens - but that is what we are going to do. Couldn't go earlier and can't wait longer.

Q4) Any suggestions for club hockey: My girls are both very sporty and being in a small school currently - they do swimming, Hockey, Tennis, Athletics, Lyrical Dancing... almost everything... but I understand that schools sport is normally not that big and have read that clubs are an alternative: I know AGAIN: This depends on where you stay? But can you give me a few hockey clubs in Canberra (field Hockey : astro or indoor) - cause if they have to choose ONE... it will be hockey :-) I just want to do price checking :-)

Q5) Taxes... Any website you can recommend for calculating tax for contract workers (per hour) and do they still deduct Super - or do you pay that over yourself? I've read somewhere that people talk about retirement policies out of SUPA? How does this work for a contractor (not permanent employer) - with a PR

Q6) Medical Aid: Any suggestions for a Top-up? Think we will be visiting the Orthodontist maybe...? We are a Family of 4 : Rough estimation of descent Top-up cover?

Q7) Life Insurance, Income Protector & Retirement: Did you guys continue your SA Annuities? But going over at age45 it will have to be start adding seriously to our SA Rand pension plan. Did you guys continue your SA retirement plan? (being a contractor, my husband never had a company contributing... did it all ourselves); Also: Life Insurance... where do we start with quotes? Any suggestions please: And roughly: How much does say ever $500k life insurance work you out monthly if you start the policy at 46? And in SA my husband has an income protector (because as a contractor no sick leave and if something (hopefully NOTHING) seriously happens.

Q8) For browsing at car prices: Any suggestion on what websites? Did most of you buy the car cash? Better to first buy a cheap run-around and upgrade later? Or is it difficult to sell 2nd hand cars? I've heard that licencing is cheaper or more expensive for different makes (european)... And coming over with NO credit record? Do you have to buy cash? 

Q9) Very subjective again: But who did you move with? Is it worth to get 4 quotes? What insurance do you recommend for the container?

Q10) Did anyone store some of the NON essential stuff in SA? and with who? 

Q11) Sending money back to SA: Is it easy? Who to use? We will still have one property in SA, and maybe continue to pay the annuity and holiday club levies and the rates & taxes on the property... also the final months of the mobile phones...

 

That is what I can think of so far. ANY suggestions will be great! 

Thanks in advance

[RussellJ]

Q8. www.redbook.com.au or www.autotrader.com.au

www.realestate.com.au

 

Cant help with others though,  but I am sure somebody else will. 

[DavePE]

Hi IngiLiebenberg,

 

Can't answer any of your questions I'm afraid. I'm in the process of planning the move myself but your husband should speak to @SurferMan on the forum. He is the resident SAP expert on the forum and I'm sure would be able to give him great advise on the SAP market.  

 

[Kurkprop]

Q1) My husband will have to rent a furnished apartment once he knows where the job is (SAB ABAP programmer: HR, Webdynpro, FI, S.... I don't know it all :-)... But he will be looking at hourly contract (pays a bit better and will need the extra cash initially) If we want to look at what you can get for how much... what real estate websites do you recommend? (also for us just to price and browsing for homes... any suggestions?) 

 

best website for Canberra is www.allhomes.com.au Furnished properties here: http://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/search/rent-residential?page=1

 

Q2) For Schooling: Where are nice schools (know it is subjective answers... but if there are Pretorianers or Bloemfonteiners over there... maybe compare a suburb over there with one here?) Will look at housing around good schools preferably not toooo far from CBD? Maybe a better way would be to say where not to stay (and hopefully not offend anyone) - or PM me  

 

It is hard to answer this question.  You will have to visit schools in person to see if you like the vibe.  We live in Hackett in the inner North, close enough for my husband to cycle to town in about 20 minutes.  Takes me roughly the same amount of time to get to work in town by car in rush hour traffic.  My kids go to Majura primary school in Watson and they are very, very happy there.  We are zoned for Campbell High School (a public high school) but we have a few years before they get there so I can't tell you about that school from personal experience. Our neighbour's daughter went to Campbell High and was very happy there www.campbellhs.act.edu.au  She is now doing years 11 and 12 at Dickson College and has said that  she likes Dickson College.  I'm not that keen on the idea of Dickson College myself (as an ex-PHSG student I'm used to discipline and uniform rules being strictly enforced and I find it hard to get my head around seeing the Dickson College students walking around the local shopping centre at lunchtime in their very casual civvies but I think I am just an old fart and need to get over it!  I wouldn't send my kids to a religious school but if that is your preference Brindabella Christian School in Lyneham has a number of South African staff and students: bcc.act.edu.au  If you join Facebook groups 'Afrikaans in Canberra' and 'Triple C (Canberra Coffee Club)' you will get lots of opinions/ recommendations.

 

Q3) High School: Private or State? What are the costs of "normal" schools. At the moment my kids are in a small Christian Discipleship School (Hatfield Christian School, Pretoria) but I am not sure what route we will go in Oz. In Pretoria the English Government Schools weren't our first choice (exception of Girls High... but that is a looooong drive to school & they are still in primary school over here (Gr 6&7). Nervous about moving pre-teens - but that is what we are going to do. Couldn't go earlier and can't wait longer.

 

My kids go to a public school, which is more or less free (you pay a voluntary contribution of a couple of hundred dollars a year, vountary library fund, camp and excursion fees etc.  But no school fees as such.  Private school fees range from a few thousand a year for some of the Catholic schools to $20K+ depending on the school (eg Radford College, Canberra Grammar).

 

Q4) Any suggestions for club hockey: My girls are both very sporty and being in a small school currently - they do swimming, Hockey, Tennis, Athletics, Lyrical Dancing... almost everything... but I understand that schools sport is normally not that big and have read that clubs are an alternative: I know AGAIN: This depends on where you stay? But can you give me a few hockey clubs in Canberra (field Hockey : astro or indoor) - cause if they have to choose ONE... it will be hockey :-) I just want to do price checking :-)

 

For hockey have a look at hockeyact.org.au to get started.  My girls are soccer players and their soccer club is Majura Soccer club. One does gymnastics at Canberra City Gymnastics club.  The other one does ballet at Kim Harvey School of Dance.

 

Q5) Taxes... Any website you can recommend for calculating tax for contract workers (per hour) and do they still deduct Super - or do you pay that over yourself? I've read somewhere that people talk about retirement policies out of SUPA? How does this work for a contractor (not permanent employer) - with a PR

 

The Australian Taxation Office website would be a good start.  www.ato.gov.au.

 

Q6) Medical Aid: Any suggestions for a Top-up? Think we will be visiting the Orthodontist maybe...? We are a Family of 4 : Rough estimation of descent Top-up cover?

 

We are with BUPA.  Medibank Private and HCF are some other ones that you could compare.

 

Q8) For browsing at car prices: Any suggestion on what websites? Did most of you buy the car cash? Better to first buy a cheap run-around and upgrade later? Or is it difficult to sell 2nd hand cars? I've heard that licencing is cheaper or more expensive for different makes (european)... And coming over with NO credit record? Do you have to buy cash?

 

carsales.com.au is a good website to get a feel for prices

 

Canberra is an awesome city.  I have lived here since 2002 and love it here. Hope you and your family will be very happy here too   Happy to help if you have more questions.

[SurferMan]

Resident SAP dude in the house.

 

@IngiLiebenberg He must go the contract route. He should be able to get around $900-1400 a day as an SAP ABAP/Webdynpro specialist. Tell him to start getting in SAP HANA, it is a HUGE market.

 

Canberra is pumping with Government jobs. Dont go the hourly route, rather do the day rate thing. Make sure he does not underplay his hand. Force the agent to reveal the max price. He would need to have insurance also, PI/PL or he will have to take the agents insurance, which is usually 1% of his earnings, which is a rip off.

[Shellfish]

My husband is an SAP HR Technical consultant and for the past two years has worked in SuccessFactors as that's where SAP are moving strategically for HR. This would be the area to move for HR but that won't happen contracting (his advise, not mine )

Edited March 28, 2016 by Shellfish

[Biker]

SAP rates are not as high as they used to be. Maybe still good in Canberra, but certainly not heard of a lot of ABAPers that earn north of a $1000. 

There is a big company (no names) that churns programmers from overseas via 457's round faster than a bar swing door. And also there are many on the bench at the moment, so be prepared to have a lower rate. Something that is complete hogwash but sadly true, your first job will come with "you need Australian/Government" experience. 

Don't be averse to a perm job, remember, you can always resign!

[Nallan]

I think I posted previously about the influx of big Indian IT companies into Australia which has resulted in a drop in employment and rates - specifically in the SAP space, there is still demand in the Abap space and always demand for good programmers. I would say rates vary bet 550-700. There is no-one that I know who earns or has earned 900 ..I know quite a few Abapers but let us know if crack the 900...btw Abap with Webdynpro, Ui5, Javascript. .also Bpc is quite sought after.