General Information and Information for Visitors to Australia

	Currency Decimal currency is used in Australia – units are dollars and cents. Current exchange rates can be obtained from your bank. All major credit cards are widely accepted in Australia. Visit www.xe.com for current exchange rates.
	Banks Normal banking hours are Monday to Thursday 9:30am-4:00pm and Fridays 9:30-5:00pm, excluding public holidays. 24 Hour Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) can be found throughout the City and Shopping Centres. There are four major banks in Australia which offer a full range of banking services including currency conversions and sales of travellers cheques including Commonwealth Bank, Westpac Bank, ANZ Bank and the National Australia Bank.
	Time Local Sydney time during July is – Greenwich Mean Time plus 11 hours.
	Climate In Sydney, July is a month of our Winter season and you can look forward to temperatures of approximately 20°C (67°F) during the daytime and 12°C (53°F) in the evening.
	Shopping Shops open from 0900 to 1730 during the week with late night shopping on Thursdays to 2100. On Saturdays and Sundays most shops are open between 0900 and 1600.
	Travel and health insurance The meeting does not provide insurance to delegates. We strongly recommend that you take out insurance policies to cover medical and travel expenses. If necessary, consult your travel agent.
	Wheelchair access or other mobility disability access during the meeting When you register, please notify the meeting secretariat of any mobility disabilities you have so that any venue access challenges can be addressed.
	Transport from the airport The meeting does not provide any transfers from the airport to Meeting Hotels. All delegates must make their own transport arrangements from the airport. The following are estimates only of travel from the airport to the central business district. • Taxi: $20 to $30 • Train Link to Central Station: $8 to $15 • Airport Shuttle: $10 to $15
	Public transport around Sydney Sydney’s public transport network allows easy travel around the city. Considerable savings on buses and harbour ferries can be obtained with the State Transit Travel pass. Taxis can either be booked by telephone or hailed from the street. There are frequent monorail and light rail services linking Darling Harbour with the city and a regular ferry service (15 minutes each trip) between Darling Harbour and Circular Quay (downtown).
	Taxes A Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10% applies to all consumer goods and is included in retail prices. All fees are quoted in Australian Dollars and are subject to GST.
	Tipping Tipping is not the general custom in Australia and service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants. However, you may tip hotel porters and food and drink waiters in restaurants (between 10% and 15% of the bill) for special service. At any time, tipping is at your discretion.
	Eating Out Restaurants and cafes offer varied menus, prices and décor. Local seafood delicacies are recommended and include Oysters, King Prawns, Lobster, Queensland Mud Crab, Balmain Bugs and Barramundi. These are delicious when accompanied by Australian wines, many of which have won major international awards.
	Mobile Phones Australia operates on a digital network.
	Things you cannot bring into Australia Australia has very strict importation laws and like most countries we place great emphasis on protecting our native fauna and flora from infectious diseases and other hazardous substances. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) provides quarantine inspection services for the arrival of international passengers, cargo, mail, animals and plants or their products into Australia, and inspection and certification for a range of animal and plant products exported from Australia. For more information regarding specifically what you are able to bring into Australia visit the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service website at www.aqis.gov.au
	No-Shows Delegates who confirm attendance and provide credit card details but do not advise of cancellation before the 30 day period of conference commencement will incur charges for the 'no-show' rate, as penalised by the hotel. This charge is calculated as the room rate per night multiplied by the dates booked and secured. Please ensure that accommodation dates are correct at time of booking.

The Appropriate Visa for Delegates

As a general rule, all visitors to Australia (other than citizens of New Zealand travelling on a New Zealand passport) require a visa to enter Australia. Overseas visitors seeking to attend, or participate in, a Congress or event in Australia should, in most cases, apply for a short stay business visitor visa (subclass 456). You must apply for your visa early (we suggest that you apply two months prior to your departure), to ensure that details are confirmed prior to your departure for the congress. Prior to registration, please check with your airline, travel agent or nearest Australian Consulate, as immigration laws are very strict. Information about this important requirement can also be found on the Australian Government website at http://www.immi.gov.au/business/iecn.htm.

Some participants will be able to obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). You can apply for an ETA via the Internet www.eta.immi.gov.au or through a travel agent, an airline office or a specialist service provider to arrange an ETA on your behalf.

ETA eligible countries:

* A Hong Kong Document of Identity (HKDI) cannot be used to apply for an ETA. Residents of Hong Kong require a citizen passport to apply for this visa.
**Holders of Taiwan passports can only be processed for an ETA if residing and applying in Taiwan.

Non-ETA countries: Non-ETA country delegates need to lodge a subclass '456' visa application at the nearest Australian Mission overseas. The application form (also number 456) can be downloaded from the website www.immi.gov.au.