Win a holiday for four to Australia

We’re partnering with Tourism Western Australia to give someone the prize of a lifetime.

Come to the Down Under Live! show at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on the 19th and 20th September and you and 3 friends could be jetting off to Australia! Visit relatives, see the sights, or simply relax and enjoy the sunshine – the choice will be yours.

The fabulous prize includes flights, accommodation a range of tours, some spending money and tasty treats too. All up, it’s worth around A$24,000!

For more details on the prize and the show, visit the website – www.downunderlive.co.uk

Source  :  www.australiamagazine.co.uk

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3 Malaysians nabbed in Perth for A$90,000 fake credit card purchases

THREE Malaysian tourists have been charged for allegedly purchasing more than $90,000 (about RM255,000) worth of jewellery and electrical goods with fake credit cards across Perth.

The two women, aged 21 and 26, and a 31-year-old man, had apparently travelled from the eastern states of Australia to Perth earlier this month and made the  purchases at various shopping centre stores using altered credit cards and false identification. 

Australian news agencies reported that police major fraud squad detectives apprehended the trio following a probe into the use of the counterfeit cards after shop owners alerted them. They are due to appear in the Perth Magistrate’s Court today.

Detective first class constable Rulan Carr from the Police Fraud Squad told ABC News that the suspects  were  traced to the Perth Airport where they were about to board a plane on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old woman was first to be arrested and was in possession of a suitcase allegedly containing a large quantity of jewellery and laptop computers, estimated worth more than $90,000.

The two others were found by police, also at the airport, and taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in the scam.

Debit cards and other documentary evidence were also discovered.

“The items were seized and the persons were charged with various fraud offences,” said Carr. “Investigations are still continuing into those items.”

Further charges are expected to be laid against the three.

Source  :  http://www.mmail.com.my/content/3-malaysians-nabbed-perth-a90000-fake-credit-card-purchases

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First-homebuyers urged to take mortgage help on board

An innovative house and land finance package developed in Perth could help more first-homebuyers to secure a home loan reduce their loan repayments. 
  
Based on a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home using part of the home as a rental, therfore allowing first-homebuyers  to afford a buy, part of the home is sealed off from the rest, creating a rentable one-bedroom, one-bathroom home.
  
The rent is taken into account when assessing borrowing capacity and surplus income can be used for bigger mortgage repayments.
  
Housing Edge director Dennis Ward-Fay said the new approach would bring home ownership within the reach of many more first-homebuyers.    
  
“Every application has to be assessed on its own merits but as an example the top four banks would require a couple borrowing for a house and land package valued at $380,000 to be earning an average salary of $63,275. The same couple applying for a Housing Edge loan would require a combined salary of only $56,510.
  
“The home can easily be converted back to a standard four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at a later date if the owners wish,” he said.
 
Homeowners are advised to use a property manager to handle the rent collection and tenancy details.

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Don’t give up on taking your skills to Australia!

Yes, certainly, owing to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), skilled migration numbers will be slashed in Australia’s budget year of 2009/2010.

The government says this measure has been taken make sure that Australian workers get preference for jobs in a period that threatens higher unemployment. Paradoxically, recent figures indicate that Aussie unemployment has actually diminished.

Still, most gurus are still predicting up to 8% unemployment during the next twelve months. But this does not mean skilled workers and professionals who see Australia as a desirable place to relocate should give up and submit to the tough conditions in their current countries.

While the government has already trimmed the number of skilled workers to be granted visas into Australia next financial year there are still 115,000 of those visas up for grabs. For the time being, occupations in the tourism, clerical and agricultural industries have been removed from the 457 visa program.

Furthermore, a higher level of ability in English language have been set. This measure has been taken to make sure that the 457 program provides the skilled workers that Australia needs most and who readily can be integrated into workplaces.

www.liveinaustralia.com

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Teenage boy,17, charged over Hills arson-spree

POLICE have charged a 17-year-old boy – a former volunteer firefighter – after a spate of more than 20 deliberately lit fires in the Perth Hills this week.

The teenager has been charged with four counts of arson after he was arrested by detectives from the arson squad this afternoon.

Police say they expect more charges to be laid over the outstanding fires in the Shire of Mundaring on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The arrest comes after a six-month operation between FESA, the Department of Environment and Conservation and the police arson squad targeting arsonists in the Perth foothills

Detective Sergeant David Gorton said police had focused their attention on the teenager since mid-March.

“We will allege that this young man lit two fires (Wednesday) – one in Hovea and one in Parkerville – in the space of about 15 minutes,” Det-Sgt Gorton said.

“The previous charges relate to February this year in Glen Forrest and then March in Parkerville again.”

It is understood the teenager was a volunteer firefighter when he allegedly lit the Glen Forrest and first Parkerville fires, but he resigned from the position two weeks ago.

“No property was damaged in relation to these fires however, some of the fires were lit in close proximity to houses so there was always a danger that given a wind direction change or other circumstances that property could have been damaged,” he said.

“Certainly there was the potential for property and lives to be lost in relation to what he was doing.”
The teenager has also been charged with five counts of making malicious phone calls to 000 earlier this year.

The maximum penalty for bushfire arson convictions is a $250,000 fine and/or 14 years in jail.

www.news.com.au

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Real estate, settlement agents convicted of bribery

Prominent real estate agent Michael McKenna and a Dianella settlement agent are among those who have been sentenced following an investigation into the bribing of Landgate officers.

Between them, four men were convicted of nine counts of bribery and fined $65,000.  

In the District Court in Perth yesterday, Judge Kevin Sleight heard settlement agent Gordon Andrew Poulton, 66, committed two counts of bribery by placing $1000 of gift vouchers into two envelopes and addressing them to Landgate supervisors.

Judge Sleight called Poulton’s efforts “abhorrent to our system” and fined him $10,000.

McKenna received a $20,000 fine and 12 month community based order, including 80 hours of community service work, after being convicted of three counts of bribery, while another man, whose name was suppressed, was fined $10,000 for one count of bribery.

Ian Croasdale, a former Landgate officer and self-confessed impersonator of television star Kenny, was earlier fined $25,000 and received a sentence for accepting three $500 bribes.

Croasdale was a qualified cartographer who had been employed by Landgate for 31 years until the Corruption and Crime Commission brought the bribery allegations.

www.watoday.com.au

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