Living in Sydney, Australia
Sydney is consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world. There is a wide variety of things you can see and do in Sydney - from enjoying the weather at the famous Bondi Beach, enjoying great local food and wines at various festivals and markets, to admiring the many world heritage listed sites located just an hour from Sydney. Local shops and malls generally operates from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday; with extended trading hours on Thursday, from 9am to 9pm.
BIA is centrally located in the heart of Sydney shopping districts, restaurants and cafes. Our campus is only a short walk from Central Station where students can catch the train, bus, and light rail to get to/from college.
Weather
Sydney enjoys a sunny, Mediterranean-style climate all year round with more than 340 sunny days per year. Summers are warm to hot and winters are mild, with rainfall spread fairly evenly throughout the year. In summer (December – February), average maximum temperatures are around 26°C. It can also be humid at this time with an average humidity of 65 per cent. Average maximum temperatures in the winter months (June-August) are around 16°C. Sydney’s rainfall is highest between March and June.
Banking
Australia is quickly becoming a cash-less city where your everyday transactions are done electronically. There are four major banks operating in Australia with ATM facilities conveniently located at almost every corner of main shopping districts. Most shops in Australia do not accept cheques, but will accept payment made with major credit cards (VISA / MasterCards) and EFTPOS cards.
Banking
If you are hurt in an accident or need urgent medical attention in an emergency, you should call 000 and/or go straight to the Emergency Department of a hospital. As an international student studying in Australia, you are required to hold a valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) policy for the entire duration of your studies. OSHC is a form of insurance which assists international students meet the costs of medical and hospital care that they may need while in Australia. OSHC will also pay limited benefits for pharmaceuticals and ambulance services. Fore more information about what is covered in your OSHC, please contact your OSHC provider or visit the Department of Health website.
Learn more about Sydney
LIVING
This is the official Australian Government website for international students. Search for courses, institutions and scholarships, read about studying and living in Australia, watch stories from other students, and learn about Australian education. This website is managed by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade).
What’s on in Sydney
Discover the best events that Sydney has to offer. What’s On website is a service for local business and community groups provided by the City of Sydney, the local government authority for central Sydney and surrounds. It is curated by City of Sydney staff.
Transport of NSW
transportnsw.info provide you with the information you need to plan an efficient and successful trip on public transport in NSW anytime, anywhere on the website, apps, mobile website or Twitter. If you prefer you can phone 131 500 for trip planning information and automated information about service changes and trackwork.
Share Accommodation
Gumtree is a local classified ads and community site, designed to connect people who were either planning to move, or had just arrived, and needed help getting started with accommodation. Gumtree is now loved by its ever growing community all around the world.
Apartment Rental
Domain Group is one of Australia’s leading multi-platform property industry destinations. We provide residential, commercial and rural property marketing solutions and search tools, plus information for buyers, investors, sellers, renters and agents Australia wide.
WORKING
Gumtree is a local noticeboard that now spans 76 cities across 11 countries that connects not just new people arriving to a city but also the locals. It is the biggest websites for local community classifieds including Stuff for sale, Cars, flatshare, flat rentals and jobs.
Seek.com.au
Seek is an employment marketplaces that focused on facilitating the matching between jobseekers and employment opportunities, and helping hirers find candidates for advertised roles. There are over 375 million visits to our sites every month and have over 3 million job opportunities available at any given time.
GoVolunteer
GoVolunteer has a large range of volunteer roles including one off, short term and long term opportunities and many volunteer involving organisations can be flexible with times. They also make it easy for you to find a volunteer role that suits your interests, motivation, availability and location.
Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is the principal revenue collection agency of the Australian government. On ATO website you can access a range of information about tax and super. All information are available for individual, business and not for profit company.
Department of Fair Trading
NSW Fair Trading safeguards the rights of all consumers and advises business and traders on fair and ethical practice. They provide services directly to individuals and businesses to create a fair, safe and equitable marketplace.
GOVERNMENT LINKS
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection is responsible for immigration and customs border policy. On this website, you can find out more information about different types of visa, entering, living, working and leaving Australia.
Department of Education and Training
The Department of Education and Training is responsible for national policies and programmes that help Australians access quality and affordable early child care and childhood education, school education, higher education, vocational education and training, international education and research.
Australian Education International
The Department of Education and Training works with the education sector, other government agencies and ministries to ensure Australia is recognised as a regional and world leader in education and a partner of choice for international collaboration. The department provides leadership and coordination across government, delivering programs and policies, to support mobility and the global exchange of knowledge.
Overseas Student Ombudsman
In Australia, there is a Commonwealth Ombudsman as well as State and Territory ombudsman.The Commonwealth Ombudsman deals with complaints about Commonwealth Government departments and agencies, and is also the Ombudsman for overseas students, private health insurance, Immigration and others.