# Lots of questions about Mackay Queensland



## Lexi (Dec 8, 2010)

I am new to the site so have many questions to ask! My husband has just accepted a job as a Civil Engineer in Mackay, Queensland. We currently live in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. We are going to apply for a 457 visa. We have a little boy who is 1 year old. Here goes:

My husband has been offered a salary of $60k and I dont intend to work as we would like to expand our family. How realsitic is it to think we could rent a decent property and buy a second hand car and have a good lifestyle with this income? I am worried about affording food and the standard of the property etc. 

Can anyone recommend any good areas with shopping centres etc so I can walk to them with my baby? I dont want to be isolated. My husbands place of work is in Sydney Street 4740, would this be a good area to look at for property? 

I will stop for now, but any information would be great.


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## Bepa (May 29, 2008)

Lexi,

Congratulations re coming to Mackay. Some people don’t like it here as it is not as busy as a real city, but we've been here for 2 years and love it.

To be honest, you are right to worry; 60k for a Civil Engineer is a little low. Mackay is home to a lot of mining families, as the Coal fields are 2/3hrs west of us. I would expect a salary of at least 80k, depending on experience. Who is your husband going to work for?

Prices have gone up because of this, but since we have been here they have stabilised. For houses have a look on Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au. 

Second hand cars are not cheap(Mackay Cars. or Used Cars - New Cars - Search New & Used Cars For Sale - carsales.com.au) - it worked out cheaper for me to fly to Brisbane, stay overnight and drive a vehicle back up.

Good areas for you to live so you are close to shopping centres would be Mount Pleasant, Rural View, and Planella. the town has a lot of nice areas intermingled with a lot of iffy ones; the up and coming areas (Blacks Beach, Eimeo, Shoal Point) but they are all a long way from the town centre, and the shops in general. Mackay has 3 main shopping areas - Canelands, Mount Pleasant and Northern Beaches Central. The town centre can be 'rough' but not on a UK rough scale. Where ever you go is going to be a trade off as in summer it gets up to 35 degrees and 90% humidity - walking is not fun. My money would be on finding somewhere in Mount Pleasant.

The post code for the whole of Mackay is 4740, not like UK where it stands for a street!

From our experiences, you will be arriving in June(ish), which will acclimatise you nicely (UK summer is about the same as our winter).

The place is quirky, a little bit ‘backwards’, very friendly, a great place for kids to grow up, no real chavs, and if you give it a chance you enjoy it.


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## Vikky&Matt (Feb 13, 2011)

Lexi said:


> I am new to the site so have many questions to ask! My husband has just accepted a job as a Civil Engineer in Mackay, Queensland. We currently live in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. We are going to apply for a 457 visa. We have a little boy who is 1 year old. Here goes:
> 
> My husband has been offered a salary of $60k and I dont intend to work as we would like to expand our family. How realsitic is it to think we could rent a decent property and buy a second hand car and have a good lifestyle with this income? I am worried about affording food and the standard of the property etc.
> 
> ...


My brother is a civil engineer in queensland - brisbane on AU$130000, your husbands salary is slave labour for a civil engineer. if i were you i would shop around once you get there as that salary is very low and will be difficult to live on for a family! I would also advise going for a PR visa instead of 457 which my brother ha done.

Best of luck!


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

Most Australians wouldn't even get out of bed for 60k and there are no cheap areas in Australia everything here costs money and lost of it.

Having said that you could do it for 6 months and then quit and easily find work in another area earning a lot more as you'll have proven Australian experience.


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## Lexi (Dec 8, 2010)

Thanks everyone, good job I am good with a tight budget. To be honest we are looking for a simple life for a while to try and relax a bit from all of the stress of the UK. 

My Husband only has 5 years experience in the industry so didnt really have any chance of requesting a higher salary plus it has taken us 2 years to get him a sponsor so we grabbed it with both hands. I think there are going to be plenty more options once we are there to apply for higher paid jobs. 

Hopefully money isnt everything, as long as I am in the sunshine with my little boy everyday instead of having to leave him in a nursery 5 days a week I will be happy mammy.


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## Vikky&Matt (Feb 13, 2011)

I do think you will get much higher once you are out there, 5ys experience is still a good bit so he deserves more, start looking once you get out there. he should easily be able to command $100k with his experience and in that industry. I dont understand why you didnt go for PR visa instead of 457 though, as Civil engineers are on the critical skills list and you would have got a PR visa without a sponsor fairly easily. it would have given you much less heart ache any you would have been out there a year ago...
Money isnt everything but from someone who has nothing, and lives off £60 a week as a couple in the Uk including bills, it sure does help and causes so much less stress!! Money makes life easier


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## LINDZI (Aug 12, 2007)

....

Hey Lexi 

I'm not sure you are in Mackay or not but if you need any information on Mackay i spent 4 years there and we came out on a 457 visa too.
I tried to see where i can send you a message but cannot lol


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

60k is next to nothing. You can't live off that kind of income in Australia. I know some civil engineers with less experience than your husband and earn 200k + here in Perth. People in your situation can't live off one income it's impossible. You like everyone else in your sitatution in thsi country will need to work it simply isn't possible to live off 1 income at 60k in Australia.

Do not underestimate the costs of Australia and the stress that involved living here with little money. Earning 60 here is like earning 15k sterling in the UK. Can you afford to do that?


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## oaks17 (Apr 18, 2011)

I just moved to Mackay and I'm a civil engineer. I make total $125K and with all the tax considerations of the 'Living away from home allowance' I'll bring home about 100K per year. I have one wife and two kids. It's gonna be tight for us, I can't imagine trying to make it at $60K. Even the crappy places are expensive here because of the mining. Good Luck to you. The weather and people are fantastic!


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