Localities

Australia

The land of opportunity

Australia is the most culturally diverse country in the region and one of the most multinational on earth with nearly one-quarter of the population born overseas. Australian’s are multilingual and culturally sensitive with more than 854 000 fluent in a major Asian language and 1.3 million fluent in a major European tongue (apart from English). People from around 200 countries have migrated to Australia. The diverse composition of our population contributes greatly to the dynamic, innovative and inclusive nature of Australian society. A cultural respect, which gives all Australians, subject to the law, the right to express their own culture and beliefs and obliges them to accept the right of others to do the same.

Australia’s annual real GDP has been growing by an average of 3.4 per cent since 1998. Australia has had one of the strongest economies in the world in recent years, growing at an average annual rate of 4 per cent since 1990. GDP in 2004 was projected to reach $835 billion. Australia’s economic growth is coupled with low inflation. Australia’s inflation rate has been stable over the past decade, and inflation in 2003–04 was just 2.4 per cent. An important factor contributing to Australia’s ability to maintain low inflation with high growth has been the economy’s productivity performance. Since 1990, Australia’s productivity has been growing at an average annual rate of over 2.3 per cent. This has been one of the fastest-growing productivity rates in the OECD—above the average of 1.8 per cent.

Australia's position within the Asia-Pacific region allows Asian markets to be serviced quickly and cost-effectively. Australia's financial services industry is enhanced by Australia's strategic proximity to huge emerging markets in Asia, such as China, and a favourable time zone that straddles the close of business in the United States and the opening of European markets. Businesses located in Australia have state of the art access to the region, North America and Europe via an extensive network of cables and satellites. Australia's strategic location between the European and American time zones, allows business with markets in both hemispheres to use Australia as a base to ensure workflow continuity.

Your lifestyle in Australia promotes good health and wellbeing however should you get sick the universal system of health insurance, Medicare, was introduced in 1984. It is funded, in part, through a taxation levy of 1.5 per cent of income. Under Medicare, all permanent Australian residents are entitled to free public hospital care when choosing to be public patients.

“My family have come to visit me in Australia and they liked the beaches and soon my sister will be moving here too.”