Australia, Western Australia - Overview:
As the largest state in Australia, Western Australia covers around one third of the country's total landmass and is bordered to the east by the Northern Territory and South Australia, and its coastline is bounded by the Indian Ocean. Of the eight states or territories, Western Australia has the second lowest population density after the Northern Territory, with just fewer than 10% of Australia's total population of just over 20 million.

The state capital, Perth, is located close to the southwestern corner of the country, and of the state's two million inhabitants, Perth is home to approximately 70%. The city started life as the Swan River Colony in 1829, which grew to become Perth as we know it today.

Economy:
In a speech to the Western Australian Government in May 2006, the Hon. Eric Ripper MLA stated ‘Since 2000-01, Western Australia's economy has grown from $75 billion to $123 billion'.

The Western Australian economy benefits greatly from the many natural resources found in the state and around its shores. Gas, oil and minerals are among the chief exports. According to the Western Australian Governments Department of Industry and Resources, ‘Western Australia (WA) is the country's premier petroleum producer accounting for approximately 57 per cent of national crude oil and condensate production and 54 per cent of natural gas production'. Metals such as iron, nickel and gold are mined in the region as well as alumina, and since China has been building up its own infrastructure at an increasing pace, Western Australia has seen a boom in its exports of such commodities. The traditional staples of many economies agriculture, forestry and fishing, still play a significant role in state's economy. A current area of growth in the agricultural sector is that of organic produce, of which Western Australia has 8% of the country's certified operators according to the Department of Agriculture and Food. A major problem for the farming community is the Australian plague locust, with outbreaks taking place at irregular intervals.

Over the last ten years or so Western Australia has seen dramatic increase in tourism, so much so that the Western Australian Government has relaxed the strict regulations on shop trading hours in selected tourist areas of Perth.

As the capital of the state, Perth is the major administration centre for businesses and the industries of the region and also an important import/export hub: according to the Freemantle ports authority, the total value of trade through Fremantle Ports in 2004-05 was $18.1 billion.

Workforce:
The 2001 census carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the total workforce for Perth Urban Centre to be 582,656. Within Perth there are four public universities: Curtin University of Technology, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia. The University of Western Australia is recognised as one of Australia's foremost institutes for research. While Perth's universities supply some of the most highly educated workers in Australia, the region is experiencing a skills shortage due to the rapid improvements to its infrastructure.

Infrastructure:
A large proportion of Western Australia's infrastructure is geared to the mining, refining and transporting of the state's natural resources. There are two distinct regions where mines and deposits are found, the first and largest stretches around 800 kilometres to the east of Perth and around 900 kilometres north to south at its widest point. The second area is to the north of the state located around Pilbara, which also includes many offshore oil and gas platforms.

There are around 25 seaports along Western Australia's coastline; the nearest to Perth is Fremantle, which over the period between 1995 and 2005 saw an average annual increase in the throughput of containers in excess of 9%. With the distance to Sydney being about 3,285 kilometres, almost all interstate trade is conducted by sea. There is a direct rail link, the Indian Pacific, from Perth to Adelaide and Sydney but trains only run twice a week.

The chief airport for Western Australia is Perth International Airport; with the aircraft currently flying the furthest non-stop flights are to South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Japan. However it is hoped the introduction of the Airbus A380 will allow for direct flights to and from Europe and the USA. The airport's annual report in the period 2005/06 shows passenger numbers have increased by 7% over the previous year, standing at 7.1 million. There are three terminals at the airport; Terminal 1 handles international traffic and Terminals 2 & 3 deal with domestic flights. Access to the airport from Perth city centre is relatively easy with shuttle buses, taxis or hired car. The shuttle buses cost A$12 from Terminals 2 & 3 and A$15 from Terminal 1, taxis cost A$26 and A$33 respectively with a journey time of approximately 30 minutes.

Roads and railways connect the major centres of habitation, which are mostly close to the coastline, travelling inland and especially to the outback, where roads tend to be no more than dirt tracks. Travel into the interior is often only possible with four-wheel drive vehicles with enough provisions to survive possible breakdowns, which can sometimes be hundreds of kilometres from the nearest settlement or town. The alternative way into the outback is to fly, which is probably the safest way to reach remote areas.

Travel around Perth is achieved relatively easily, buses, trains and ferries are operated Tansperth, which is controlled by the Department of Transport. In 2007, a new extension to the train system is due to open, the ‘New MetroRail', the extension will connect the city centre with Mandurah around 60 kilometres to the south.

Quality of Life:
In Mercer's Quality of Living Survey 2006, Perth is ranked 21st out of 144 cities from around the world with a score of 104.5. This is just behind the country's largest city Sydney, which is in 9th place on 106.5 points, and Melbourne in 17th place on 105 points. Perth is also ranked as one of the least expensive cities in the world in Mercer's Cost of Living Survey 2006, which measures the comparative cost of over 200 items such as housing, food, clothing, and household goods, together with transportation and entertainment. The city was placed in 93rd position, well below Sydney, which was placed 19th.

Perth, geographically and by distance, is one of the world's remotest regional capitals within its own country, but this doesn't mean it is culturally remote from the rest of the world. The city is considered to be one of the best cities to live in the world, as the above figures indicate. The city is home to many people from a number of countries, which combined with fresh local produce; means the many diverse cuisines are just as authentic as in their country of origin. One drawback with dining out in Perth is that restaurants usually stop serving at around 10pm. The weather in Perth makes it an ideal place for outdoor activities and even in the hottest time of year, a sea breeze known as the Fremantle Doctor cools the city in the afternoons.

The city and surrounding areas are great for families as there are so many places to visit that are of interest both young and old. Examples are the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA), where you can swim with sharks or the Caversham Wildlife Park.

Business Costs:
According to a report published by the commercial real estate services firm, CB Richard Ellis, in 2005, the total average occupation cost for offices in Perth is $22.32 USD per square foot per annum: this is well below the average cost of $40.45 USD in Sydney and is also lower than other Australian cities such as Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne.