Western Australia – don’t become California

Coat of arms of Western Australia

How do I put this…..Western Australia, your hubris will kill you.

Not only is government at fault but business is as well.

West Australians seem to enjoy bragging how expensive things are in their state as if it is a badge of success. Their trade off is the nice weather, surf and beaches. Luckily, you can be broke and still be able to enjoy them.

Landlords in Karratha are charging extraordinary rent for ordinary homes in a town that is 1,500 km from Perth. In fact some small houses, cost over $5,000 per month to rent which is the same as renting a 2 bedroom apartment in Lower Manhattan or a 4 bedroom 150 sq. metre fully furnished condo in Singapore.

The cost of living in Western Australia remains much higher than in other parts of Australia, especially when it comes to food & fuel.

Beyond our state border, a recent Deutsche Bank survey has found that Australia, as a whole is one of the most expensive countries to live in.

Yes, I know that there are benefits to living in Australia, but the rising costs of the basic necessities is a concern. Don’t get me started on paying $10.50 for a pint of beer in a pub!

There shouldn’t be a “premium” to pay for almost everything, simply for living in Western Australia.

I’ll let you in, on a small secret, not everybody in W.A. earns $190,000 per year to operate an oil rig.

The risk that Western Australia has is that people can start to leave the state just as easily as they came here.