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Non-stop flights between the UK and Australia are edging closer, but business trips Down Under still require plenty of preparation. Colin Ellson is your guide to travelling to, and doing business in, Australia and New Zealand
Australia & NZ
For a country noted for its machismo and most things male-orientated, Australia can display a surprisingly softer side to its nature. It comes in the shape of a café in the Melbourne inner suburb of Brunswick, which markets itself as an eatery “by women, for women.” Handsome Her has three house rules. These stipulate that women have priority seating and men pay an 18% surcharge to reflect “the gender pay gap”. The third rule states “respect goes both ways.” The café was pictured on social media worldwide, where its business concept was hotly debated: was this clever social responsibility or male discrimination? To be clear, the surcharge is optional, only applies
once every four weeks, and is donated to Elizabeth Morgan House, Victoria’s main refuge for Aboriginal women’s services. UK business visitors to Australia will find such establishments few and far between, and that pay equality is not a major item on the agenda. Rather, their focus will be on the outcome of talks between British, Australian and New Zealand ministers to determine the future terms of the UK doing business Down Under once it leaves the European Union. As with everything Brexit, discussions are not always what they seem. The Australian premier, Malcolm Turnbull, phoned Theresa May after the vote to leave Europe to float the idea of a free trade
agreement between the two countries. Then, in July this year, on a visit to Britain, he added that first he would conclude a deal with the EU. Confusingly, he added: “As Britain moves to completing its exit from the EU, we stand ready to enter into a free trade agreement with the UK as soon as Britain is able to do so. At the same time, we are looking forward to the early conclusion of a free trade agreement with the EU.” There are barriers, and Australia has a strong bargaining position. It has a strong economy, based on structural reform and a long commodity boom, and recently turned towards the Pacific for trading relations. The UK accounts for just 4% of Australia’s total trade.
PICTURED: Wellington, New Zealand Australia & New Zealand Time zone: Auckland, Wellington GMT+12hrs; Sydney, Melbourne, GMT+10 hrs; Perth GMT+8hrs Currency: New Zealand dollar £1=NZD1.77; Australian dollar £1=AUD1.64 Dialling code: Australia 00 61; New Zealand 00 64 Visas: UK citizens need an Electronic Travel Authority to enter Australia. Apply online. UK visitors can enter New Zealand for up to six months without a visa.
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28/09/2017 11:09