Why Australia is a desirable country to live for Asians

Diah Rani Handayani
3 min readMay 4, 2023

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Photo by Joey Csunyo on Unsplash

I’m Asian and have been living in Australia (by marriage) for three years now. As a person who always curious about places and their people, I took my time to watch and learn what makes this country is so desirable for my other Asian comrades.

A good fair-work policy

If you were born and raised in an Asian country, you would notice that wages differ in each province and region where you live. That’s why most Asian countries have issues with people trying to get jobs in big cities because you will earn more significant money compared to the countryside.

But not in Australia.

Photo by Weyne Yew on Unsplash

Whether you work as a barista in the bustling Melbourne CBD or at a pub/cafe in Alice Springs, you will get the same wages thanks to their good remuneration package (or award, as they call it here).

Photo by Ondrej Machart on Unsplash

Most of the time, everyone treats everyone else equally.

The famous term “you can be anything you want” applies in Australia. In this country, if you want to work as an electrician, a make-up artist, or a plumber, you can do it regardless of gender. As a woman, Australia allows me to choose what type of work suits my background, interest, and flexibility.

Equality is not a big agenda in most Asian countries. In some countries, race and religion determine whether you can work in a particular profession. Let alone equal career chances; we are still fighting over equal pay today.

It’s a big tax cut, but it’s worth it (kind of).

It’s not a secret that Australia’s income tax on wages is high. I like to compare it with the benefits you get as a citizen, resident, or visa holder. Good universal healthcare, subsidies for disability support, a good age pension scheme, good public infrastructure, etc.

While we don’t pay hefty taxes in most Asian countries, we don’t see the benefit of paying low taxes either. Corruptions in all types, are thriving in Asian countries.

Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash

It’s a bit of my experience after living in Australia for three years, and living here has downsides too. I also know many Asian countries are evolving to become better over the years. But I cannot blame the Asians who want to live and work here. It’s quite a good bargain!

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Diah Rani Handayani
Diah Rani Handayani

Written by Diah Rani Handayani

Indonesian woman living and sharing life stories from the land down under. Contact me on email rany.budi@gmail.com or Instagram @minombrerany

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