Geelong is Victoria's largest provincial city and is located one hour south west of the State capital Melbourne. Geelong is situated on the shores of Corio Bay and includes some of the best coastal beaches in Australia such as Ocean Grove, Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay.

The Geelong Colac Region has a population of 259,000 residents and incorporates the municipalities of City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire, Borough of Queenscliffe, Golden Plains Shire and Colac Otway Shire.

Geelong has a robust and diverse economy that has experienced strong growth for well over a decade. Over 13,000 business enterprises drive the local economy which includes major competitive strengths in areas such as knowledge and innovation, advanced manufacturing, health, tourism and food and horticulture.

When you are new to Geelong it can be overwhelming to find information about choosing a place to live, assessing education, finding employment, transport services and local facilities. To assist new residents, responses to a range of frequently asked questions on the Region is outlined below.

Suburbs and Facilities

What are the suburbs in Central Geelong?

Where can I find more information about the suburbs?

See the Suburb Guide (PDF-14KB)

• Distance: suburb - CBD
• Shopping: supermarket, bakery/grocery, bank, post office
• Dining: restaurant/ take away
• Public transport: train, bus
• Housing: median rental and property prices
• Education: day care/early learning centre, kindergarten, primary and secondary school
• Medical centers
• Church
• Recreation: park, sports

Housing

I am new to Geelong, how can I find a place to live?

Check www.realestate.com.au for available rental accommodation. Also visit individual real estate agencies for vacancies.

What are the main real estate agencies?

Check www.yellowpages.com.au for an extensive list of all real estate agencies in the Geelong region.

What do I need to consider in choosing a suburb?

Choose a suburb 

• close to the preferred school for your children
• with easy access to public transport if you do not have your own transport
• with easy access to grocery shopping if you do not have your own transport
• refer to the Suburb Guide (PDF-14KB)

What do I need to rent a place?

• Identity document
• Rental history
• Bank statement
• 2 references
• 4 week's refundable security bond
• 2 week's rent upfront

What is the process to rent accommodation?

• Visit (inspect) a property with the Property Manager
• Fill and hand in an application form with the necessary documents

Once you have secured a property:

• Sign a Residential Tenancy Agreement
• Pay the bond (ask for a copy of the Bond Lodgement Form) and the rent (ask for a receipt)
• Fill in the condition report
• Ask for an emergency phone number for urgent repairs
• Get connected to water, gas and electricity
• Water supply: Barwon Water www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au
• Electricity and gas supply: AGL www.agl.com.au, Origin www.originenergy.com.au
• Use www.yellowpages.com.au for a full list of suppliers
• Use the "connect now" service through your Property Manager

What do I need to consider before I sign my lease?

A lease is usually for 12 months, in some instances 6 months. When you are new to Geelong you are most likely to settle first before you start looking for work. Therefore it is advisable to look for a suburb with easy access to public transport and Central Geelong if you have not planned on buying a car.
Keep in mind that you should also look for work outside Geelong in regional Victoria. Once you have signed your lease there will be costs involved to break the lease.

Where can I find more information about rental information?

For more information about renting a home in Victoria, visit the website www.consumer.vic.gov.au (select in resource centre publications, renting). You can download a Guide for Tenants and Landlords.

School System

I am new to Geelong - which school should I enrol my child in?
As a parent you can choose between a public and a private school, which are divided into 3 systems: Government, Catholic and Independent.

Usually for a primary school it is suggested to choose a school close to home. For children from a migrant background with basic English, Bell Park North Primary School provides assistance with English classes.

To search for private and public schools in Victoria visit www.education.vic.gov.au/schoolsonline

What are the options?

* Optional

What is the difference between a public school and a private school?

The difference between a public and a private school is the fee structure. A public school is 'free' and does not have a fee structure, but you will be requested to make a payment or voluntary contribution by your child's school for:

• Personal educational items such a materials and services, for example text books and stationery
• Optional extra's for example class photographs and school magazines

Can I enroll my child to any school?

You can enroll your child to any school of preference but acceptance is dependant on a possible waiting list.

How to enroll?

You can enroll your child by contacting the Principal of the school of your choice. The Principal will go through the procedure with you.

What are the extra costs to expect?

Extra costs can include, but are not limited to, school uniforms, text books and stationery, trips, class photographs and school magazines.

My child does not speak, or speaks limited, English. What can I do?

Bell Park North Primary School (Barton Street, Bell Park, telephone 03 5278 3548) and North Geelong Secondary College (Separation Street, North Geelong, telephone 03 5278 9399) offer special language and teaching programs that ensure all students are offered equal access to the state educational curriculum.

Where can I find more information about Victorian Education?

The website of the Department of Education will give more information: www.education.vic.gov.au

Employment

I am new to Geelong, where do I find employment vacancies?

You will find vacancies in the newspaper, internet, private recruitment agencies, the Government's JobNetwork agencies and through word of mouth.

Which newspaper should I read for Geelong vacancies?

The Geelong Advertiser is the regional daily (except Sunday) newspaper and vacancies are advertised each Saturday and Wednesday.

If you miss an edition of the Saturday or Wednesday you can get a copy at the library. The vacancies in the Geelong Advertiser are also advertised on www.careerone.com.au

Be aware that if you apply for a vacancy through the newspaper or the internet that you will have many competitors with you applying for the same position. Make sure your application is outstanding and does not have any errors or misspelling.

Which website should I visit for Geelong vacancies?

www.seek.com.au
www.careerone.com.au

Which recruitment agencies should I contact matching my chosen field?

1. Private recruitment agencies:

• Marshmans www.marshmans.com.au
• Adecco www.adecco.com.au
• Mentor www.mentorprofessional.com.au
• AGB Group - Engineering www.agbgroup.com.au
• Skilled - Engineering www.skilled.com.au
• Online Personnel www.onlinepersonnel.com.au
• People @ Work www.peopleatwork.com.au
• Lakes International www.lakesinternational.com.au
• MEGT Recruit www.megt.com.au

2.  JobNetwork agencies:

• St Laurence www.stlaurence.org.au
• Direct Recruitment Pty Ltd www.directrecruitment.com.au
• Matchworks www.matchworks.com.au
• Tracy the Placement People www.tracys.com.au
• IPA Personnel Pty Ltd www.ipa.com.au
• G Force Staffing solutions www.g-force-recruitment.com.au
• Workskil Incorporated www.workskil.com.au
• Diversitat Youth www.diversitat.org.au
• MEGT www.megt.com.au

Note: SIR visa holders are not eligible for JobNetwork assistance. However, you do qualify for a JobNetwork member number that allows the use of facilities such as computer, internet, fax, phone and copier at the various JobNetwork agency offices.

Where can I find assistance to ensure my resume meets Australian Standard?

First of all you should start your search through the internet. Websites such as www.seek.com.au and www.careerone.com.au offer career advice including job hunting tips and resume and cover letter writing.

Land that job in Australia: the migrant's guide to the web from Tribus Lingua (www.tribuslingua.com.au) offers the whole range of job searching advice for newly arrived skilled migrants in Australia.

The City of Greater Geelong's Skilled Migration Officer can also offer advice on resume writing and interview techniques.

Transport

Public transport is available in Geelong but is limited in some areas.

Where can I find train stations in Geelong?

The V/Line Passenger Service train between Melbourne and Geelong stops at the following train stations in Geelong:

• South Geelong (not all services)
• Geelong
• North Geelong (not all services)
• North Shore (not all services)
• Corio (not all services)

Where can I find more information about train services and a time table?

For more information about the services and a train time table, visit the main station in Geelong or www.vline.com.au.

Where can I find more information about bus services and a time table?

Timetables can be purchased from individual bus companies and details can be found on their websites: www.mcharrys.com.au and www.kefford.com.au (www.gull.com.au airport service).

Also see which suburbs have bus services.

Where can I buy a car?

When planning on purchasing a car, there are three ways to find your car:

• Dealer: usually has one main brand in new cars. The section of used vehicles can be different brand types. A dealer usually has an on-site service centre and the car usually comes with a warranty.
• Car yard: sells all different types of cars and brands and does not have a service centre.
• Private sale: through the newspaper or internet.

What should I check before buying a car?

Before purchasing a car, you should check:

• The service history of a car and the roadworthy certificate
• VIP package through VicRoads: you can check if the car has been in an accident, written-off damaged, stolen, the number of times the car has been transferred, registration details (current, suspended, cancelled) or whether someone has a registered security interest over the vehicle.

What do I need to do when I have bought a car?

Once you have purchased your car you will need to make sure that you have:

• a current driver's license, either a Victorian driver's license or an International driver's license
• registered your car with VicRoads and taken the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance (this insurance covers the other car when you have been involved in an accident)

What should I consider when I have bought a car?

Optional is:

• Road side assistance with RACV
• Comprehensive insurance (this insurance covers your own car when you have been involved in an accident)

Where can I find more information?

For more information about registration, licenses, road rules and regulations check VicRoads on www.vicroads.com.au.

For more information about road side assistance check RACV on www.racv.com.au.