Storm warning for Perth and south west

South west WA residents have been warned to brace for a destructive storm bringing gales of up to 125 kmh tomorrow morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the winds will come along with a cold front over the state’s south west. Residents between Jurien Bay and Albany would be worst affected.

The worst of the front is likely to hit Augusta just after midnight, and Perth by sunrise, bringing heavy rain and winds that could damage homes and make travel dangerous.

There would be “locally destructive gusts” of up to 125 kmh, the Bureau said.

Source  :  www.watoday.com.au

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Singapore Airlines promotional fares from London

London	Singapore	295 GBP
London	Bali (Denpasar)	319 GBP
London	Manila	319 GBP
London	Hong Kong	425 GBP
London	Bangkok	329 GBP
London	Kuala Lumpur	329 GBP
London	Perth	389 GBP
London	Adelaide	395 GBP
London	Brisbane	399 GBP
London	Melbourne	389 GBP
London	Sydney	399 GBP
London	Auckland	369 GBP
London	Christchurch	359 GBP

• Fares are inclusive of all taxes, surcharges and fees correct as of 12June09.
• No minimum stay, maximum stay 3 months to South East Asia destinations.
• No minimum stay, maximum stay 12 months to Australia and New Zealand destinations.
• Fares are subject to change without prior notice.
• Stopovers in Singapore permitted subject to additional taxes.
• Above fares valid for sale between 13June and 30June09.
• Above fares valid for travel between 1September to 09December09 and 16January to 31March 2010.
• Fuel surcharges, taxes and fees may differ due to exchange rate fluctuations.
• Fares are subject to availability.

Source  :  http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/local/UK/promo_fares/index.jsp

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Kimberley boat fire ‘not suspicious’

A fire that destroyed a 24m cruiser in the North-West on Wednesday night has been declared not suspicious by FESA.  

Kimberley Quest was gutted by fire while on a slipway in Broome, with damage estimated at $3 million.

FESA’s fire investigation officer Kim Maldon and police arson today ruled out arson but said the cause of the fire would remain undetermined.

A small amount of fuel and oil spilt onto the beach as a result of the blaze. It is understood volunteer firefighters and the Broome Port Authority kept the environmental impact to a minimum.

Operated by family business Pearl Sea Coastal Cruises, the vessel is one of two cruisers owned by the company, the other being the luxurious tourist vessel Kimberley Quest II cruising through the Kimberley.

Kimberley Quest was the company’s original tourist cruiser from 2000 until 2005 but is now used solely as a scientific research vessel.

Source www.thewest.com.au

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Australia doing well on jobs – Rudd

AUSTRALIA is still doing better than other major economies despite a jump in jobless figures, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says. 

The unemployment rate has risen to 5.7 per cent, after the total number of people in work fell by 1700, official May jobs data showed today.

 “Today we have seen an increase in unemployment to 5.7 per cent, returning to where it was in March this year, although employment remained fairly steady falling by 1700,” he told delegates at an Australian Industry Group lunch in Sydney.

He said the unemployment figures were indicative of how the financial crisis was affecting Australia.

“The global recession is continuing to have a direct impact on the Australian economy and Australian jobs,” Mr Rudd said.

“No one likes to see unemployment rise because of the global recession … (but) Australia’s unemployment rate remains lower than all other major advanced economies except Japan.”

He said the figures would have been far worse had it not been for the government’s stimulus packages.

“`Without our nation building plans, over 200,000 more Australians would be out of work,” he said.

Source www.news.com.au

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Migration Agents – Migrant numbers need to increase to support infrastructure projects

The Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) has warned the government that work on infrastructure projects will be difficult to accomplish following the decision to put  restrictions on the skilled migration program.

While the MIA welcomed the Australian immigration ministers decision to increase the number of humanitarian and family reunion Australian visas for the 2009/10 Migration Program, they were less than impressed with the decision to remove a number of trade-level occupations from the skilled occupation list.

“The MIA awaits with great interest to see how the Government proposes to administer the new job-readiness criteria for trade occupations. It’s hard to imagine a one-size-fits-all assessment system of employability,” said Maurene Horder, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia.

The Government reduced the Australian skilled migration program at the turn of 2009, when the recession was starting to take effect. The planning level for the remainder of the 2008-09 financial year was reduced from 133,500 to 115,000 skilled migration visas and the Critical Skills List (CSL) and priority processing order were both introduced so that the Government could target the skills it needed most.

As of the 01 July 2009, the Australian skilled migration planning levels will be further reduced to 108,100 visas, and the CSL and priority processing order will remain as guidelines for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s visa processing officers. This means that sponsored visas and independent visas with skills nominated in the health, engineering and IT sectors will constitute a major part of Australian visa approvals during the start of the next financial year.

Fortunately, the Australian skilled migration program remains flexible to the needs of the Australian economy. While states/territories and employers have been given greater power to target the skills they need, the Immigration Minister Chris Evans also has the ability to extend the planning levels for the Australian skilled migration program and amend the CSL so that certain nominated trades can have priority for processing, if the economy needs a boost in skilled workers.

Senator Evans said in a recent statement that the Government is committing itself to “a long-term planning framework for migration as a key component of the current reform agenda” and that their extension of the family migration scheme is testament to its perception of the importance of family.

“We are recognising the importance of family through this boost which will benefit Australians who seek to have their parents, partners or children join them to live here permanently,” Senator Evans added.

The family stream of the Australian migration program has had 2,500 places added to the Spouse and Fiancée Visa program, 1,000 places to the Parent Visa program, and 300 to the Child Visa program.

Source www.gettingdownunder.com

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Masterchef Australia

George Calombaris has been awarded more accolades for his work than most receive in a lifetime, and this exuberant chef is still just 30 years of age. 

George’s molecular gastronomy has seen him become a much talked about chef in the international cooking circuit.

In 2004, the Global Food and Wine Magazine voted George one of the Top 40 Chefs of Influence in the World. An internationally successful restaurateur, George owns three restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, Greece. His flagship Melbourne restaurant, The Press Club, was recently awarded The Age Good Food Guide ‘Best New Restaurant 2008’ with George named ‘Chef of the Year 2008’.

Fiery, passionate and outspoken, George does not mince his words and will push the contestants to grow, improve and strive for excellence in their cooking.

“MasterChef Australia is the first reality prime-time cooking show that not only depicts the highs and lows of the hospitality industry, but the passion that each person on the show has for food. It is real. Real food and real people. I am a living example for all the cooks on MasterChef Australia and I hope I can give them the full reality of what this hard but beautiful industry is all about. I am fair and understanding, but I will not accept rubbish.” – George Calombaris

www.masterchef.com.au

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WA Chelsea fans bleed blue and white

BLUE and white blood runs in their veins. They eat, breathe and sleep blue and white, and bleed blue and white blood.            

Who are they?

They are the Perth Chelsea Football Club Supporters Group, and they might be coming to a pub near you.

About 70 people, some from the northern suburbs, make up the blue and white army, a small but dedicated band of followers whose mission it is to support and celebrate, lose and lament with the team from their Perth base.

Their fearless leader, president Steve Van Doorn, from Butler, co-ordinates the group’s activity, which mainly consist of late-nights and early mornings in various pubs or supporters’ houses to catch live telecasts of each game in the October to March season.

“The northern suburbs have a strong contingent of more than 35 members who have been meeting regularly in Butler, Quinns, Kinross, Banksia Grove or Landsdale for the last six years,” he said.

Mr Van Doorn said the group ranged in age, from the four- and five-year-old children of members, to men and women in their 60s, some London ex-pats whose passion for the round ball game followed them across the ocean.

FA Cup fever has gripped the group, with a Chelsea versus Everton final on Saturday, May 30.

“It’s a 10pm kick-off, which is really an early night for us considering the telecasts of most games start about 2.45am here,” he said.

“One of our members wore a ‘The Who’ T-shirt to a game we won so now he can’t take it off until we’ve won the final – it’s just a superstition but he wears that shirt like a badge of pride.”

Source   www.inmycommunity.com.au

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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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Arthur Marshall selling his home in Mandaruh

FORMER politician and tennis ace Arthur Marshall is selling his Mandurah canal home to move back to the city. 

The one-time TV sports commentator and father of Channel 9 newsreader Dixie Marshall said his house of 10 years was “on the best block on the canal” because of its dual water views.

“From a canal’s point of view it is on what is called a T-junction. You look right, left and ahead and all you have are water views,” he said.

With an estuary to the west and the canal to the east, every room in the home has a water view.

Two studies, a bedroom and the open-plan lounge, dining and kitchen are on the ground floor.

Tall windows reach to the second storey, allowing breathtaking water views. A wide entertaining area leads to a private jetty.

There are three bedrooms upstairs, including the master with ensuite, walk-in robe and balcony overlooking the canal.

The other bedrooms have built-in robes and a shared main bathroom.

A lounge with a balcony makes it ideal for guests or a teenagers’ retreat.

“I asked the architect to make it feel like you were on a ship and when sitting in the lounge upstairs, it is just like it, with water everywhere,” Mr Marshall said.
The home has airconditioning, an alarm and double lock-up garage.

“One of the best things is the huge reserve next to the house,” Mr Marshall said. “Not only is it great to kick a footy with the grandkids and go for a walk, but it allows for plenty of visitor parking.”

72a Waterside Drive, Dudley Park
$1.95 million
Four-bedroom, two-bathroom canal home with water views, open-plan living area, upstairs lounge and private jetty.
Agent: Peter Lindsay 0429421942, Elders Real Estate Mandurah 95359111

www.news.com.au

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It’s Barnett the Builder

Job creation and capital works projects will form the cornerstone of this year’s state budget, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says. 

The WA government on Thursday will deliver its first budget since elected last year.

“It will be responsible and I think you will see it supports maintaining  jobs and supports the future development of this state,” Mr Barnett said on Wednesday.

“And you will see not only that, but a number of measures designed to maintain jobs, particularly in the small- to medium-size business sector.”

The government is under pressure to maintain a surplus after Mr Barnett’s commitment to deliver surpluses in the next two budgets.

While seeking to maintain the state’s AAA credit rating, the government is also facing demands from WA’s peak business lobby to deliver on an election promise to cut taxes by $250 million.

Mr Barnett said the state’s budget and finances would need some “rejigging” to match a $263 million federal government commitment in Wednesday’s federal budget to put the Perth rail line and bus station underground.

“Yes, we will have to have some rejigging of the state budget and finances because we originally sought 50/50 funding just to sink the rail line,” Mr Barnett said.

“The commonwealth’s taken up the point. It was an issue I discussed with the prime minister in Perth about three weeks ago and I just made the point to him quite informally that if we’re going to sink the rail line it would actually be commonsense to sink the bus station too …

“He’s obviously taken it on board so we’re going to make sure that happens.”

The federal government also pledged $339 million for a deepwater port at Oakajee, in the state’s midwest, which will boost iron ore exports in the region.

The WA government had already spent about $20 million on Oakajee and private proponents were now spending $100 million on the design of the deepwater port and rail line, he said. Continued…

www.watoday.com.au

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