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The Low-Down On Finding Work In Australia For Mechanical Engineering Graduates

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An extremely diverse field, mechanical engineering includes the design, management, construction, maintenance, organisation and operation of mechanical equipment and machinery. In the past five years, the demand for mechanical engineers has increased greatly and there has been a considerable growth in employment. The primary job of mechanical engineers is designing and building large-scale mechanical and industrial processing plants and facilities. Additionally, they take on administrative tasks such as ensuring the smooth and efficient running of programs and drawing up budgets. So, how can you find a mechanical engineering job in Australia? Let’s take a look.

Statistics show that mechanical engineers in Australia are able to find a job within four months of graduating. Moreover, the average starting salary of mechanical engineers in Australia is between $55000 and $60,000 per year. The states where mechanical engineering graduates find a job easily include Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. While finding a mechanical engineering job in Australia is not that difficult, you need to follow certain steps to guarantee employment and build a mechanical engineering career.

Contrary to the popular belief, being good at maths and science isn’t sufficient to find a job in mechanical engineering or build a career in it. If you are a recent mechanical engineering graduate then there are certain things you need to do to find a job and advance your career. Here are some tips you can follow to find a mechanical engineering job in Australia and take your career to the next level.

Look for graduate programs

Want to get your career off to a flying start? If yes then look for and try to get into a graduate training program. Offered by a number of companies today, mechanical engineering graduate programs are the perfect way to start your career. The duration of these programs is one to two years and you can apply for them by visiting job boards or attending university career expos. Also, a good resource for graduates is the Engineers Australia website.

Think outside of the box

While you went to university to study mechanical engineering, you should be ready and willing to take on job responsibilities that aren’t your forte. Knowledge of certain software and electronic components is an unstated prerequisite for landing a mechanical engineering job today. For this reason, you should find out about and learn the basics of disciplines related to mechanical engineering.

Stay in touch with your Alma matter

Your Alma matter i.e. the university you attended can help you to increase your networking reach and find a ‘decent-paying’ job. Therefore, keeping in touch with the faculty and staff at your university even after you graduate is important.

Finding a mechanical engineering job in Australia is easy but only if you follow the steps that guarantee employment. By following the aforementioned tips, you’ll be able to find a mechanical engineering job in Australia and take your career to the next level.

How Did the Markets React to the ECB’s Interest Rate Announcements, and Mario Draghi’s Press Conference?

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Sometimes, announcements from the ECB and the following press conference with bank president Mario Draghi can be interesting occasions that leave us with plenty to discuss – such as the time in April 2015 when a protestor attacked Draghi with glitter and confetti before he had a chance to make his comments. The interest rate announcement on the 19th of January in Frankfurt, however, was far less dramatic, both in terms of content and eventfulness.

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No Change in Interest Rates

As anticipated, the ECB has decided to keep interest rates as they are for the time being, reasoning that the desired effects of the current low rates were beginning to show. The refinancing or ‘refi’ rates are to stay at zero, and deposit rates will remain at -0.40%, This is not only what was expected from this announcement, but is expected to be the status quo for some time to come.

It was also announced that quantitative easing will be set to continue without any reduction in investment from the current rate.

Mario Draghi’s Dovish Stance

Draghi’s press conference did surprise some forex and indices trading analysts – with positive signs indicating a potential uplift in the inflation and growth in the Eurozone, some were wondering why quantitative easing is to continue at its current rate. The answer that was received was that core inflation isn’t showing a convincing enough upward trend to convince Draghi and the ECB that quantitative easing (a program of investment by the ECB into government bonds intended to bolster the Eurozone countries) should begin to be reduced at this time.

Draghi is known for his prudent, sensible and often – in trader terms – dovish style, and this was very much in evidence on this occasion. It is likely that Draghi intends to wait and see how things play out in the changing economic landscape that is being created by events like the UK leaving the single market, and Trump beginning to put his presidential plans into place.

The Market’s Reaction

In the time leading up to the announcement, the euro ramped up a little, before taking a bit of a dive after Draghi’s press conference. This indicates that some might have been hoping to see some more bullish tactics from Draghi, especially with regard to quantitative easing (interest rates not changing was already taken as a given). However, the days when announcements like these take place are always volatile ones for currency pairs that include the euro, and generally, there are no real knock on effects from this, with the euro seeing a bit of turbulence throughout the trade day but ending up pretty close to where it started.

Effectively, this has been an interesting time for the euro, but with Theresa May’s announcements about her plans for Brexit involving leaving the single market and Trump’s official inauguration, for once, this ECB announcement was probably one of the least impactful things to happen in the week’s trading!

Some analysts predict that QE will need to start being dialled back soon, and that now would have been better than later, however other than that, there was very little that could be read into this announcement and press conference other than that the ECB doesn’t seem keen to add any more complication into the global mix right now!

Australia vs. India Test Series: Preview and Predictions

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Australia, the reigning ODI champions are set to play India, the number one test team, in a test match that begins on Thursday, February 23 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, India. The match starting Friday is part of a four match test series that will be played between February 23 and March 29. Australia’s recent performances have been a bit of a mixed bag. They lost to New Zealand in a recently concluded ODI series but dismantled Pakistan in a one-day and a test series played in December and January. Recent games between the aforementioned teams point towards an Aussie win. Though, the last time the baggy greens played India, they were comprehensively beaten.

Talking about the home team, India has lost only one test series to Australia at home since 1967. The last time the Aussies managed to win a test series in India was way back in 2004-05. Since then, the two teams have played ten tests against each other on Indian soil. Of those 10 matches, India has won 8 while 2 matches have ended in draw. This clearly shows that India has the edge going into the series. Correctly predicting the winner of a cricket game is never easy. However, by considering bluebet tweets and the recent performances of the players involved in the aforementioned series, you can get a fair idea of who’s likely to win the test series between Australia and India.

The visitors are well led by the enigmatic and every buzzing Virat Kohli. Against Australia, the Indian skipper averages over 50 with the bat in both tests and ODIs so stopping him from running havoc would be a real challenge for the visitors. Apart from Kohli, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is a player the Australian team needs to be wary of. The number one bowler in test, Ashwin has always performed well against the Aussies.

The Australian team that will take the field on February 23 features many heavyweights including David Warner, Steven Smith, and Mitchell Starc. In Tests, Warner averages just under- 50 and has a phenomenal test strike rate of 80. Australia’s bowling ace, Starc is one of most lethal bowlers in the world. Starc has a test bowling average of 28 and has taken 143 test wickets. Additionally, he is a pretty handy batsman as he averages 24 and has a highest score of 99. Finally, we come to Steven Smith, the captain of the Australian team. An outstanding batsman, Smith has a test batting average of 60. In just 30 matches, the Aussie skipper has scored over 4500 runs.

The series between Australia and India that begins February 23 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is expected to be closely contested. Most experts are predicting an Indian win but nobody knows for sure what will happen. By considering the recent performances of the players involved in the game, you can also put forth your prediction. Who knows you might just win the lottery!

What You Need To Know About NBN

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The Federal Government of Australia has funded the project for the nationwide project known as The National Broadband Network, in order to offer and provide users (home and business) with a reliable and fast connection.

The Federal Government has committed to help in building a mixed technology network (aka multi-technology mix or MTM). This includes many houses being connected to a core network that use fibre optic cables. They would provide satellite internet options and fixed wireless network for those houses that are not physically connected to the NBN.

How to connect to NBN?

Connecting to NBN is totally free (including all the required equipment). Unless you are changing to a new NBN package, you really don’t have to do anything.

All over Australia there are many homes being connected to this network. In many cases its being done by laying fibre optic cables under the street, so don’t be surprised if your neighbourhood has work going on for it too.

It is necessary to note that, even though the connection to NBN is completely free and covers all the cost of installation, you will still have to pay for the monthly fee to your network provider for the packages you pick. You may also be required to pay for the installation of hardware. There are 7 kinds of NBN connections which are as follows.

  • FTTdp – Fibre to the Distribution Point
  • FTTP – Fibre to the Premises
  • FTTB – Fibre to the Basement
  • FTTN – Fibre to the node
  • HFC Cable
  • Fixed Wireless
  • Satellite

 

Why do people need NBN?

People have now started to realize the importance of connectivity through the internet. Almost everything these days is related to the internet whether it’s watching movies or shopping or anything else. The internet has changed the way we live and work. It’s a fast paced life now for everyone therefore a fast connection of NBN is really important. NBN is simply a method of future proofing the homes and business in Australia.

People at home or business owners require faster speed of connecting to the internet these days because of the different needs of people. Streaming videos, playing video games online, connecting to servers and databases all make it important. It is the era Netflix rather than cable TV, and there is huge shift to the way people use entertainment through other means than just TV.

Fast internet speed is ideal for people who conduct businesses, and need to connect internationally through video conferencing, or students doing distance learning and need to video dial in to a classroom. People running a business online also need a high internet speed because all of their work is online.

There are many NBN packages out there to choose from, so research and compare NBN plans.

Research concludes that due to the technological advances, thousands of new jobs and opportunities are created. This has been majorly credited to the benefit of the internet.

The Resurgence Of Gold Price Trends In Australia

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Last year, when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, the shock waves of this seminal event were felt all the way from the American to the Australian precious metals market.

Initially, the stocks fell steeply all across the board, only to rise up again much higher than before. However, political events notwithstanding, gold price trends in the Australian market are generally expected to remain highly positive in the long term due to many other reasons, such as low global interest rates and stock market fluctuations.

Most market pundits are still optimistic about gold. The funny thing about gold is that it tends to go up in both conditions – whether the markets are shakier, or when they are stable. Since gold is the most valuable thing we have, people like to buy it when they aren’t sure about other investments. The more uncertainty there is in the economic sector as a whole or the political situation in general, the more people would hoard up on gold as the ideal ‘safe bet’ for uncertain times.

On the other hand, brisk economic and industrial growth also portends a rosy outlook for the gold market since a vibrant economy means people would be spending more on gold jewellery as well as investing in the precious metal. This is why double digit gains for this metal are quite possible throughout this year as well as the next one. This is also why gold has almost always been a safe bet – even if the government around you falls and there is no more money, gold will retain its value.

In the light of President Trump’s highly controversial decision regarding immigration from many Muslim countries as well as his threats to pull out from many international economic treaties, there is a certain degree of uncertainty in the global financial environment that makes for a positive gold forecast in Australia.

We have before us the example of the Pound Sterling, when the UK decided to exit the European Union. That monumental decision sent the pound sterling crashing downwards in its worst ever one day loss since it had been floated. And as the British people lost confidence in their currency, they increasingly switched to gold in the UK. This had repercussions all over the world, as it led to a bullish gold market. As a matter of fact, the two momentous political events of 2016, i.e. Donald Trump’s ascension to the US presidency as well as ‘Brexit’ enabled gold prices to touch their highest point in 2016, thanks in large part to the volatility in the stock markets all over the world.

In addition to that, there is a small but steady increase of gold usage in the electronic industry, as it is an excellent conductor of electricity and does the job a whole lot better than most other metals.

In the light of the above we can safely state that gold prices are predicted to rise steadily over the coming few years.

Technology Game-Changers in Small Business Security

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Regardless of what business you are in, security probably plays a role in what you do.

Ideally all small businesses would have great security systems in place, but in the past factors such as cost, complexity and effectiveness have tended to force business owners to compromise on their security

So what were the problems, why do small business owners need to shift their thinking, and what are the benefits to small business owners from moving to modern cameras based, smartphone controlled security systems?

What business security used to look like

The most common security systems for business in Australia and internationally, has long been a monitored alarm. You have a range of sensors in and around your business premises, with a siren, flashing light and phone connection to the alarm company.

The down side for business owners were always ongoing monitoring fees, extra call out costs, and no way to easily tell false alarms from the real deal.

The other tool widely adopted by businesses was CCTV. Security cameras in strategic locations fed footage to a central location where it was recorded with the option to watch it live on attached TV screen.

While very useful from a business perspective, recordings from a surveillance camera system were often difficult to access when needed, and if you wanted to view the footage live, you needed a dedicated security person to do that. The missing link was the lack of any connection between your CCTV system and your security systems.

How security systems have changed

High powered smartphones, almost ubiquitous data connectivity and relatively cheap but high image quality IP cameras are the three key components that have made modern business security camera systems possible.

A product like CleverLoop uses these as the core of their system. It adds motion analysis algorithms to both indoor and outdoor security cameras, provides local and a cloud storage option for footage, and then pulls the whole thing together with a smart central hub. All this while also giving you you a powerful, but free, business security app for your phone to run it all from.

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For a business owner, the big benefits have been streamlining your security, reducing upfront and ongoing costs, and giving you the business owner or manager control over your own security.

Streamline your business security

With CleverLoop, one system handles all of your business security needs, and gives you complete control.

Record the feeds from any or all of your cameras direct to a hard drive and you’ve got a CCTV system, but better options for viewing footage.

Arm your cameras, either individually or the whole system, and your Base Station analyses the footage for movement, filtering out anything minor, and sending alerts of anything important that happens straight to your smartphone, complete with a snapshot of what caused the alert.

Adding cameras to your business security system gives you a massive advantage over traditional sensor based security, namely you can see what is happening. Add in clever learning algorithms and a range of fine-tuning options, and false alarms are a thing of the past.

Reducing business costs

In a like for like comparison, a CleverLoop system, fully installed, costs less than all of it’s serious competitors, and about the same as a modest traditional monitored alarm system. Where the savings really begin is the first day that you start using your CleverLoop business security system – with no ongoing fees.

Then the next layer of savings start happening. It could be retail shrinkage (otherwise known as shoplifting) or employee theft, of stock or cash, that is hurting your bottom line. Either way, a CleverLoop security system is a big part of your solution.

Simply having cameras in your business, and the stickers in your windows, acts as a deterrent. Having video footage literally at your fingertips gives you a powerful tool to deal with whatever sort of retail loss you are experiencing and help you protect your profits.

Putting you in control

With a CleverLoop working for you in your business, you are in control of every aspect of your security. Using an app on your smartphone as your main interface means your business security is always close at hand.

Grab your phone to live view the cameras covering your business, even when you are in a different city or country. Checking up on stock, staff, customers or just how business is going has never been easier.

Use your phone to switch recording to hard drive on and off for individual cameras, and to access the footage when you are on the premises.

And finally you can arm and disarm the camera system and receive alerts and video of significant activity wherever you are with a few clicks on your smartphone.

Ready to step up your business security?

So business security, particularly for small businesses, has gone through a significant shift in technology. Are you making the most of this disruption in the security sector to protect your business?

Funding the Future of Social Enterprise

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It’s a sad fact that the wealthiest 62 people in the world have as much combined wealth as the poorest 3,600,000,000. The image of a business tycoon lording over his employees, exploiting them for their financial game, is not a cartoon – it is a reality.

You can check your ranking here: The Global Rich List

Thankfully the business world is filling up with social entrepreneurs who are making it their mission to make the world a better place. That they can do this while still creating a viable and successful business is inspired. In fact, many business leaders are reaching out and providing investment and creating enterprises to help their fellow human beings lift themselves out of poverty both at home and abroad.

Poverty is Right at Your Doorstep

When you think about poverty, your mind might be brought to sub-Saharan Africa where millions are starving and homeless and sick. And for $1 a day you can help them through a charity of your choice.

Today, there are more than 2.7 billion people living on $2 a day or less, a number which is greater than the total population of the plant in 1950. And while world poverty levels are shrinking, there is still much we can do, we just don’t often know how.

Impact investor and social entrepreneur Mal Warwick and Paul Polak discuss in their book, The Business Solution to Poverty, that efforts to eradicate poverty have only rarely been directed at poor people or the challenges they face, with donations of food and aid being preferred by NGOs and governments as there’s never enough money available for foreign aid or philanthropy to expand successful programs. They believe, like many others that only the private sector has the resources to address the problem of poverty. But, you don’t need to go to Africa, or the Middle East to find people in need, there is pain and suffering right here in Australia.

In the Business of Helping People

Social enterprises are businesses that trade to intentionally tackle social problems, improve communities, provide people access to employment and training, or help the environment. Essentially, innovators taking a business-like approach to solving social problems

The Government entices social businesses through initiatives like the The Social Enterprise Development and Investment Fund (SEDIF) which provides funding to social enterprise. A total of 105 social enterprise projects have been funded to the total value of $73.6 million through the SEDIF.

Alternative finance entrepreneur Shaun McGowan of Lend Capital says – “social entrepreneurialism is the new breed of philanthropy and it is attracting Australia’s top entrepreneurial minds.”

The reason it is becoming such a trend is not only the benefits of helping someone in need; there are several synergies that companies look for when offering support to social entrepreneurs and social businesses:

· A natural fit with the brand; with

· Commercial viability to impress investors and customers; that

· Allows them to flex their creativity; and

· Innovate to create something worthwhile and profitable.

The Social Enterprise Awards

The Social Enterprise Awards are the only national awards for Australian social enterprise. Their aim is to both increase the awareness of social enterprises through their high profiled event.

The awards were established in 2013 and are run by Social Traders, one of Australia’s leading social enterprise organisations. Social Traders, help develop, open markets and provide appropriate capital to social enterprises. Through their social enterprise development products and industry leadership activities they aim to break the cycle of disadvantage and build resilience in Australian communities through social enterprise and create impactful change.

Business Ventures with Indigenous Traditions

It is a sad fact that indigenous people in Australia are the most disadvantaged especially in business ventures – it is not always easy… However, social entrepreneurs, The Tjanpi Desert Weavers (NT) were the winners of the 2016 Social Enterprise Award Women’s Impact Award. Tjanpi was formed in 1995 in Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY), to provide indigenous women in the community with culturally appropriate employment on their homelands to better provide for their families.

The NPY Lands are vast stretches of the outback, covering desert lands and is an area of extreme economic disadvantage and geographical isolation for Indigenous communities with very limited prospects for employment. The basket weaving tapped into the traditional natural fibre work the NPY women had long been practicing to create items for daily use and special cultural customs. They embraced the contemporary spin on this traditional practice, creating baskets, vessels and vibrant sculptures using grasses, fibres, feathers and other materials collected from the land. There are now 400 artists ranging in age from early 30s to women in their 70s, operating in 26 communities across 350,000 square kilometres of the NPY lands. Their work is bought and sold by the Tjanpi group and has been included in art exhibitions throughout the world.

The sector is one which is growing and will continue to grow. Organisations like Social Traders and Social Ventures both provide resources to social enterprises, bring focus to them and help business people invest in and create their own social enterprises.

Although eradicating poverty and bettering the world, is a daunting task, through enterprises like the Tjanpi Desert Weavers and others, lives are bettered, people are lifted out of poverty while they are respected and listened to. Which is all any of us want.

About the Author

Charlie Wilson is a freelance writer and small business journalist with a broad range of experience in the Australian start-up scene. Connect with him at Authorflair.com for more insights into Small Business and Entrepreneurialism.

2017 Rugby Union Betting in Australia You Don´t Want to Miss

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Australia is one of the top nations when it comes to rugby, not only in terms of dominion over all championships but also in fandom size and online betting data. Studies show that around 80% of the fan population has engage in some kind of online betting venture over the past few years. In fact, the is more betting going on in some Aussie cities than there is in Las Vegas, as sports gambling here is more legal and socially accepted than anywhere else in the world.

So if you are sports betting fan and new to the world of rugby, these are some of the most popular international and local leagues that you will want to bet on in 2017.

2017 Super Rugby Season

Super Rugby 2017 will renew its 22nd edition with 18 teams from Argentina, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Beginning the 23 of February and ending July 15, the competition is played between four regional conferences, the champions and runner-ups will play the final series in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final on August 5.

Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is an annual rugby union competition that involves 6 European national rugby teams: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England holds the present title having won the 2016 championship. The tournament began in 1910 with only three nations from the UK: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and has since expanded to a more of a Regional competition of Europe as a whole. Expansions to include more European teams has been in discussion.

England stands as the top winner with 27 titles in the history of the event.

Rugby World Cup

Similar to the soccer World Cup, the Rugby World Cup is a men´s rugby union (women have their own) tournament that happens every 4 years and is organized by World Rugby. It first began in 1987 co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand stand as the 2016 champions after defeating Australia in the 2015 event held in England.

The winners take the William Webb Ellis Cup, named after the inventor or rugby. New Zealand has won the tournament 3 times, Australia and South Africa have won it twice and England once. Japan will host the next event in 2019.

The British and Irish Lions Tour

The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team conformed between players of the any of the Home Union sides: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Test team tours every 4 years between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and the last test series was won 2-1 over Australia.

The next tour will happen this 2017 in New Zealand and begins the 3 of June.

Australia Rugby League

The Australian Rugby League governs all rugby leagues in Australia, from college rugby to professional. From men to women competitions you can bet all year around.

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU)

The ARU is the Australian rugby union that is played between 8 members, each representing their state and territory.

Latest Odds and Where to Bet on Rugby

William Hill is the most Aussie friendly site that offers Rugby Union betting options including International Rugby, Six Nations, Super Rugby and more. So claim today’s awesome promotion and begging betting on rugby!

How To Ride The Downturn In Real Estate Prices

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As a property investor, one of the biggest challenges you will come across is a downturn in real estate prices. You need to be prepared for that. Using an old cliché, what goes up must come down. The beauty of real estate is that you can ride a downturn if you know the strategies of dealing with it. You may have already that real estate is all about patience and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. The first lesson for meeting a downturn challenge is to lie low for the time being. The second lesson is that tough times do not last but tough people do.

When prices start falling, they are known to touch the bottom. Instead of getting bogged down by changing market conditions, treat a downturn as an opportunity to buy. Markets are also known to bounce back after they hit the bottom. I must repeat here that in real estate, the land price is what matters the most. The reality is that there is limited land available and the population keeps rising. Real estate will always be in demand. Even if things go worse and liquidity problems continue over long periods, the government is bound to intervene and take measures to correct it.

If you are already fully invested and find it difficult to sell, you can consider changing your investment plan. Start looking for tenants even if you do not have prior experience as a landlord. Rental income can change the entire scene for investors. In case you have taken a loan against the property, you are actually making someone else pay your mortgage. If it is your own money that you have used then you can consider rental income as a reduction in the price that you paid for acquiring the property.

The idea of finding tenants and recovering rents may appear to be a daunting task, particularly if you have never been a landlord before, but if you go about it methodically, you will find that it is not all that difficult. You may not have chosen to become a landlord but as a real estate investor you should be ready for it.

Proper education and extensive research is the key to success, there are numerous online resources such as www.soundproperty.com.au who have useful information and can also provide someone to speak with. It is also a protection against a downturn. If you have applied your mind while choosing locations and negotiated for a price below market value, a downturn will not hit you hard. Your protection lies in the fact that you ensured that your profit was factored into the purchase price. That gives you an opportunity to exit early, as soon as you see signs of a downturn approaching.

If you want to succeed in property investment, take a downturn in real estate prices as an opportunity to do things differently and not a threat. If you’re still confused about how to deal with a downturn in real estate prices, get in touch with property investment professionals who are ready to share their knowledge with the world.

Australia’s Top Cities for Construction – Melbourne vs. Sydney

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Melbourne and Sydney, in addition to being Australia’s most well-known and largest cities, are also world class destinations renowned for their beauty and lifestyles.

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The strong rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne is well documented with everything from sports teams to culture and even coffee being debated about whose is better.

The cities certainly each have much to offer. Sydney is often described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its stunning landmarks including: the Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Manly and Bondi Beaches and the Blue Mountains. With its many beaches and vibrant nightlife, Sydney is cosmopolitan and chic. The city is also Australia’s financial hub and home to a large array of international companies who use Australia as a base for their operations in the region.

Melbourne’s attractions are more subtle, and less glitzy. The city abounds in parks and gardens, leafy suburbs, bay beaches, and the Yarra River. Melbourne is home to an F1 Grand Prix, and The Australian Open Tennis Tournament. Throughout the city there are beautiful streets, cafes & coffee shops, and an array of restaurants and cuisines to rival any city anywhere. Melbourne also has a strong and vibrant business sector and continues to attract commercial and residential business and investment.

It has been said that the main difference between the cities is that Sydney has more to see and Melbourne has more to do.

In terms of population and growth, Sydney has 4.9 million residents, a 1.7% growth rate and has added 703,000 people over the past ten years, and is Australia’s largest city. Melbourne has a population of 4.6 million people, and with a growth rate of 2.1% and having added 832,000 people over the last ten years, is expected to surpass Sydney and become Australia’s largest city in a few decades.

Residential Construction in Melbourne and Sydney

With the influx of so many new residents, housing costs in both cities have risen substantially over the past decade, and builders are doing their best to meet demand for new housing. In both cities, their centers have become expensive and many new residents are flocking to their outer suburbs causing a boom in these areas.

For more urban Sydney, because of the high price of single family houses even in the outer areas, it is mainly apartments that are in high demand. While in Melbourne both apartments and single family housing is highly sought. The Australian Financial Review reports that there are 20,000 residential properties currently under construction in Melbourne, with more than 10,000 within the central business district. As is always the case with this type of demand, there are great opportunities for businesses like Lofts Quarries, that provide construction building materials including sand and soil.

Commercial Construction in Sydney and Melbourne

Because of the residential apartment building boom in both cities, there is a squeeze on the building of commercial projects at the moment. This is causing great concern as new residents flock to both cities and employment growth continues. There will certainly be a need for more office towers going forward, and there will be a battle for space to build. In Sydney there is even a plan to restrict residential apartment development in favour of commercial projects.

The residential and commercial construction booms in both Sydney and Melbourne are predicted to continue at least through 2017 and potentially much longer if population growth continues at its current pace.