Number of Visits
921
Early Bird Deadline
0
Days to go till Conference
067
GENERAL INFORMATION
Banks
Banks in Australia are open from 0930 to 1600 Monday to Thursday and 0930 to 1730 on Friday. Selected banks are open on Saturday; however, all banks are closed on Sunday.
Business Hours
General office and post offices are open from 0900 to 1700 Monday to Friday.
Climate
May is part of Sydney’s autumn season and temperatures on average will be 15 ° C
(59 ° F) during the day and 22 ° C (72 ° F) during the evenings.
Currency
Australian currency is decimal with units being dollars and cents. All major credit cards are accepted throughout Australia.
The exchange rates as at December 2009 are: AUD1 = € 0.62 = US$0.90 = £ 0.55. Exchange rates can also be viewed through the following link: http://www.xe.com
Dress Code
The dress code for the Welcome Drinks and throughout the Conference will be business casual.
Duty Free
Australia has a duty free quota per person of 2.25 litres of alcohol, 250 cigarettes and dutiable goods up to the value of AUD900. Duty Free stores are located at International Airports and throughout Sydney’s central business district.
Electricity
Australian electricity supply is 240 volts, 50Hz. Appliance connection is via a flat 3-pin plug of unique design to Australia. Most hotels provide 110-volt outlets for shavers; however, adaptors can be purchased for 110v appliances as well as adaptors for 220v appliances with differing plug types.
Goods and Services tax (GST) and Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)
On 1 July 2000, Australia introduced a new taxation system incorporating the Goods and Services Tax (GST). All prices quoted are inclusive of the 10% GST, unless otherwise specified.
The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) enables you to claim a refund, subject to certain conditions, of the GST and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) that you pay on goods and services in Australia.
To claim a refund, you must:
- Spend AUD300 (GST Inclusive) or more in one store and get a single tax invoice
- Buy goods no more than 30 days before departure
- Wear or carry the goods on board the aircraft or ship and present them along with your original tax invoice, passport and international boarding pass to a Customs Officer at a TRS facilty.
- Claims at airports are only available up to 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your flight
The refund only applies to goods you take with you as hand luggage or wear on the aircraft when you leave Australia. It does not apply to goods or services consumed or partly consumed within Australia, such as wine, chocolates or perfume. However, unlike other tourist shopping schemes, most of the goods, such as clothing and cameras, can be used within Australia prior to your departure.
The TRS is open to all overseas visitors and Australian residents.
The GST refund is calculated by dividing the total amount of the purchase by 11. The WET refund is 14.5% of the price paid for wine. For example, if you buy goods for a GST inclusive price of AUD660, you will receive a refund of AUD60. If the AUD660 is made up of a camera (AUD460) and wine (AUD200), you will receive a total refund of AUD89 (total GST refund of AUD60 plus AUD29 WET refund on the wine).
Insurance
It is strongly recommended that at the time you register for the Conference and book your travel you take out an insurance policy. The policy should include loss of fees/deposit through cancellation of your participation in the Conference, or through cancellation of the Conference, loss of international/domestic air fares through cancellation for any reason, loss of tour monies through cancellation for any reason (including airline or related services strikes within Australia), failure to utilise tours or pre booked arrangements due to airline delay, Force Majeure or any other reason, medical expenses (including sickness and accident cover), loss or damage to personal property, additional expenses and repatriation should travel arrangements have to be altered.
The Conference Managers cannot take any responsibility for any participant failing to arrange their own insurance. This insurance is to be purchased in your country of origin.
Language
English is spoken throughout Australia and will be the official language for the Conference.
Local Time
Local time in Sydney during May is Greenwich Mean Time plus 11 hours.
Mobile Phones
Analogue mobile phones will not work in Australia as it operates on a digital network. Mobile phones can be hired from telecommunication outlets in the central business district if required.
Parking
Parking can be found at the Wilson’s parking station diagonally opposite the building. Further details can be found on http://www.wilsonparking.com.au/go/wilson-car-parks/nsw/goulburn-street-parking-station
Privacy
Australia has strict privacy laws which are designed to protect the right of the individual to privacy of their information. The Conference Secretariat complies with this legislation and any information collected in respect of proposed participation in any aspect of the Conference will only be used for the purposes of planning and conducting the Conference.
Provision will be made on the Conference registration form for delegates to elect whether they wish for their details to be included in a "Delegate List" of attendees.
Transport
Public Transport
Sydney’s public transport system allows easy travel for delegates between their hotel and the Conference venue or around Sydney’s central business district. Delegates can secure savings on travel throughout the city by purchasing a Day Tripper pass which allows travel on train, bus or ferry from AUD15.00.
The Sydney Masonic Centre is located in the Sydney CBD and located these Distances from Transport & Attractions
| FROM | DISTANCE | TIME | BY |
| Airport | 8kms | 15mins | Train/Bus/Car |
| Central Station | 500m | 9mins | Walk |
| Darling Harbour | 800m | 8mins | Monorail/Walk |
| Chinatown | 300m | 5mins | Monorail/Walk |
| Museum Station | 50m | 2mins | Walk |
Quarantine
Australia is free from many plant and animal diseases prevalent in other countries. Very strict quarantine rules apply to the import of animals and plants, which cannot be brought into the country without prior application. Animal and plant products are also restricted.
For more information, please read the "Information for International Travelers" on the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) website at www.affa.gov.au.
Restaurants
The City of Sydney offers numerous cafes and restaurants, offering a diversity of eating experiences for all tastes and budgets. To find restaurants in Sydney CBD please visit www.eatability.com.au and put Sydney CBD in the suburb search on the left hand side of the page.
Shopping
Shops are open from 0900 to 0530 Monday to Friday with late night shopping until 2100 on Thursday evenings. Shops are open from 0900 to 1700 on Saturdays and from 1000 to 1600 on Sundays. The closest shopping centre to SMC is World Square Shopping Centre. World Square covers an entire city block bounded by George, Liverpool, Pitt and Goulburn Streets. Located conveniently between Central and Town Hall Stations, and has a range of ladies and men’s clothing stores, specialty stores, foods stores, cafes, restaurants and a Coles supermarket.
Tipping
Tipping is not standard practice in Australia but is welcomed when the service exceeds expectation. It is recommended to tip 5 - 10% in bars, cafes and restaurants.
Passport and Visa Information - Please Read
All travellers to Australia, other than New Zealand, require a valid entry Visa prior to travel to Australia. Delegates should, in most cases, apply for a short stay business visitor visa (subclass 456).
Some delegates will be eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) via the internet www.eta.immi.gov.au. These include delegates from the following countries:
eVisitor
| Andorra | Hungary | Poland |
| Austria | Ireland | Portugal |
| Belgium | Ireland | Romania |
| Bulgaria | Italy | San Marino |
| Cyprus | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Czech Republic | Liechtenstein | Slovenia |
| Denmark | Lithuania | Spain |
| Estonia | Luxembourg | Sweden |
| Finland | Malta | Switzerland |
| France | Monaco | United Kingdom |
| Germany | Netherlands | Vatican City |
| Greece | Norway |
* You can apply online free of charge at: http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/.
Subclass 977 - Business (Short Validity) ETA (Electronic Travel Authority)
For passport holders from one of these ETA-eligible countries:
| Andorra | Portugal | San Marino* |
| Ireland | Belgium | Italy |
| Singapore* | Brunei* | Japan* |
| South Korea* | Canada* | Liechtenstein |
| Spain | Denmark | Luxembourg |
| Sweden | Finland | Malaysia* |
| France | Malta | Taiwan passport holders resident and applying in Taipei* |
| Monaco | British Citizen UK | Greece |
| Netherlands | USA* | Hong Kong (SAR)* |
| Norway | Vatican City |
You can apply at participating airlines, travel agents or an Australian visa office overseas: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas/index.htm
*You can apply online at: http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/. A service charge of AUD$20 applies.
For a full information sheet please click here
If you require a letter of invitation for visa purposes, you must first register and pay to attend the Conference and indicate on the registration form that you will require a letter of invitation. Please note that registration for the Conference does not guarantee a visa as each visa applicant will still be required to meet normal Entry Requirements before a visa can be granted.
The Conference Secretariat is unable to assist with processing or obtaining visa applications, other than verifying your intention to attend the Conference. Visas are granted at the discretion of the Australian Embassy.
Please ensure that you allow 8-12 weeks for your visa application to be processed.
Further information on passport and visa requirements can be obtained from www.immi.gov.au