Free Software

• No asset is offered
• The interest rate is usually higher
• It can sometimes be more difficult to be approved for an unsecured loan

5. Choose a fixed or variable interest rate
As with other types of loans, you’ll often have the choice between a fixed or variable interest rate for your business loan. A variable rate may suit you best if you’re confident you can repay the loan even if rates increase. A fixed interest rate may be more appropriate and help manage your cash flow better by providing certainty with your repayments.

6. Understand the fees and charges
Make sure you understand the true cost of any loan by comparing all the fees and charges. Some fees you may be charged include:

• Establishment or application fees
• Ongoing monthly fees
• Early repayment fees
• Exit fees
• Valuation fees (if you choose to secure your loan)

7. Get your paperwork ready
Preparing your business documents is an essential step that could help the lender make a decision sooner. Check out our guide to what information you’ll need to apply for a business loan.

8. Speak to an expert
A CommBank business banker can call you to discuss in more detail which business loans may suit you and answer any questions you may have.

commbank.com.au

Victoria Car Insurance - Why Victorian drivers need car insurance
From the bottlenecks of St Kilda Road, to the potholes of the Hamilton Highway, and the country roads that connect our regional centres, Victorians encounter a diverse range of driving experiences whenever they hit the road.

You might be a safe, responsible car owner with a great driving record – but it’s not just about you. Our ever-changing weather conditions, other motorists, and a range of factors like speed and road conditions, mean that accidents can – and do – happen.

Having great value car insurance in Victoria gives you peace of mind in the event of theft, damage or accidents – whether you drive country roads, city streets or both.

Real Insurance for real Victorian drivers

At Real Insurance, we understand that you want car insurance that offers value and protection that suits how you live and drive in Victoria.

Drivers living in Melbourne city or other large centres like Sunbury, Melton or Werribee are faced with increased traffic, on-street parking, and all the associated challenges that come with residing in a busy urban area. Your car might be parked for much of the week while you catch public transport, or you might take longer drives on the weekends.

If you live in a regional area like Geelong, Ballarat or Bendigo, you know that driving long distances is a fact of life. You could be driving on highways or dirt tracks as well as suburban streets. You might travel long distances each day, or just use your car for trips to the local shops or to visit family and friends.

No matter when or where you drive, we’ve got a car insurance product that offers great value and protection in the event of accidents, theft or damage to your vehicle.

Real Insurance Options

At Real Insurance, we offer a range of car insurance products from our award-winning Pay As You Drive Insurance, to our Comprehensive Car and our Third Party Property Fire & Theft or Third Party Damage Insurance.

Discover and compare car insurance products to learn how Real Car Insurance protects you in the event of an accident, theft or damage.

Even more protection

You can upgrade your car insurance to include any or all of these great optional extras for increased peace of mind:

Real Roadside AssistanceTM
Excess Free Windscreen Cover
10 or 20 Day Hire Car Cover
For full details including limits and exclusions of these benefits, please read our Product Disclosure Statement.

Got questions? Find answers with our helpful Car Insurance Q&A.

Why choose Real Insurance
Save up to 10% when you buy online1
Flexible payment options
24/7 claims lodgement and emergency assistance
We don’t have assessment centres, we use everyday repairers
Real Insurance is a multi-award winning insurance company
Get Real. Get a Quote
From Wodonga down to Warrnambool, and Mildura right through to the Mornington Peninsula, if you’re a driver in Victoria, we’ve got you covered. Get a real quote, real quick. Call us on 13 19 48 or get a fast car insurance quote online.

Lasik Victoria As dedicated Victoria LASIK providers, Dr. Joseph King takes great personal satisfaction in helping patients turn their less-than-perfect vision into clear eyesight. Read on to learn how LASIK eye surgery can help you realize your vision correction goals.
 

TRUST THE VICTORIA LASIK EXPERTS

Dr. King’s laser eye surgery Victoria offices feature the latest laser eye surgery technologies. Dr. King and his team use various diagnostic instruments (such as the advanced WaveScan platform) to detect even the smallest corneal irregularities. The end result of this thorough diagnostic workup is a 3-D map of the patient’s cornea. Just like a fingerprint, this map is unique to each individual. Drs. King and Ma use the 3-D corneal map to develop an extremely precise Victoria LASIK treatment plan designed to correct the patient’s nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

The team is pleased to offer one of the latest laser eye surgery procedures – the comprehensive iLASIK treatment. iLASIK is a highly individualized laser eye surgery procedure that combines WaveScan diagnostics, the VISX Star S4 excimer laser platform, and the IntraLase femtosecond laser for blade-free corneal flap creation. By skillfully using all of these technologies, Dr. King helps ensure that his Victoria LASIK patients permanently reduce or eliminate their dependence on corrective lenses.

COMPREHENSIVE PATIENT CARE

In addition to sophisticated laser treatments, Dr. Joseph King also offers comprehensive patient care. His Victoria LASIK medical team carefully prepares each patient for his or her procedure by explaining what will happen during surgery and what the recovery will be like. After the surgery is completed, the medical team remains in close contact with their patients to address any concerns and provide medical assistance, if needed.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING LASER EYE SURGERY?

Laser eye surgery with LASIK is designed to improve the vision of individuals that suffer from nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The most important advantage of having laser eye surgery is freedom from reliance on glasses and contact lenses. The results appear quickly and are long-lasting — few patients need additional treatment or “touch-ups” after LASIK. The recovery period is very short, and most patients return to work quickly after surgery.

King LASIK
201-3550 Saanich Road
Victoria, BC V8X1X2 Canada
(250) 360-2141

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR LASIK?

There are a few things you should do to prepare for LASIK:

Take out hard and soft contact lenses a few weeks prior and wear glasses in the meantime.
Continue to take your medications as normal, unless our doctor advises otherwise.
Plan to take two or three days off from work for surgery and your recovery.
Don’t wear any makeup, lotions, or creams on the day of surgery.
Make arrangements for someone to drive you to and from surgery and stay with you overnight.
Fill any prescriptions.
 

WHAT QUALITIES SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A LASIK SURGEON IN VICTORIA?

It’s essential that your LASIK surgeon has experience. Ideally, you want a surgeon that has performed tens of thousands of laser eye surgeries. There is no substitute for experience. Also, your surgeon should use advanced technology. The right technology enhances the precision and safety of treatment and patient outcomes. Finally, the surgeon you select should make you feel comfortable. For a positive experience, look for someone that makes you feel well-cared-for.

You can find a Victoria LASIK surgeon with all of these qualities (and more) at King LASIK. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to meet our surgical team.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AFTER LASIK?

You may feel a little groggy immediately after LASIK, and your vision may be blurry. You will not be able to drive yourself home from surgery, so you should arrange a ride ahead of time. Your eyes may feel mildly irritated for the rest of the day. Most people sleep as much as possible. When you wake up the day after surgery, you most likely will notice a substantial improvement in your vision, with results continuing to improve over the next few days.

IS LASIK SAFE?

LASIK has a very safe track record. Leading-edge technology is used to reduce the risks, which occur rarely. In the event of a complication, the problem generally appears quickly and can be addressed immediately. However, most patients do not need to worry about complications.

WHAT ARE SOME ACTIVITIES IN VICTORIA TO ENJOY AFTER LASIK?

You won’t run out of fun activities to enjoy in Victoria after your LASIK surgery. Walk around and see the sites on the Inner Harbour or Beacon Hill Park. Visit the Royal BC Museum or Craigdarroch Castle to brush up on your history. If you’re a marine animal lover, take a dolphin or whale-watching tour. A shopping enthusiast? Visit Government Street for a walk and some retail therapy. Vancouver Island Brewery is a wonderful spot to tour and find your next favorite craft brew.

Source : kinglasik.com

Victoria Golf Club Brisbane - The Victoria Park Golf Course will be permanently closed to create Brisbane's biggest public park in almost half a century.

The plan was welcomed by Brisbane's opposition Labor councillors, who argued they had been calling for a rethink of golf courses for at least a year.
On Sunday, Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the council-owned inner-city golf course would be transformed into a 45-hectare park.

"When you think of some of [the] great parklands across the globe, Central Park in New York City, Lumpini Park in Bangkok and Hyde Park in London come to mind for their hundreds of trees, free attractions and for offering people a green sanctuary within a busy capital city.

"About 26 hectares of this council land is currently used as a pay and play public golf course, which over recent years has seen a decline in patronage and a reduction in revenue."

Labor councillor Kara Cook said the transformation was a good idea but called for the park to be delivered on time and on budget.

"We've been calling for a rethink on golf courses across the city for at least the last 12 months," she said.

" ... The LNP have said that the ALP was waging a war on golfers. If that was a war, this [closing Victoria Park Golf Course] has got to be armageddon."

In June 2018, Cr Cook questioned a $17 million commitment to the Cannon Hill Community Links Golf Course, which she said Labor would instead spend on lifestyle and community services that would benefit "all of Brisbane".

"Council already owns two golf courses and the cost to ratepayers is enormous compared to the few who benefit from them," she said last year.

In response, councillor Matthew Bourke accused Cr Cook of "declaring war on golf and golf lovers across this city".

"The 257,000 people who go to our public golf courses, apparently, is a small number," he said.

"We see significant usage of our golf courses and ... we will continue our investment into those spaces."

Council has allocated $1 million in 2019-20 for community consultation and design for the new park, with work due to begin in 2021.

"Other successful parklands across Brisbane have pop-up cinemas, different types of markets, community events and include revolutionary play areas for all ages," Cr Schrinner said.

"These are all options we will explore with the community."

Cr Schrinner said the council would work with the current tenants on the project to ensure the function centre, wedding venue, putt putt course and driving range were part of the new parkland.

When completed, the new park will be more than double the size of the City Botanic Gardens.

The council also owns the St Lucia Golf Links.  The new public golf course at Cannon Hill is due for completion by the end of 2021.

Source : brisbanetimes.com.au

Situated just two kilometres from Brisbane's Central Business District, Victoria Park Golf Complex is an inner city sanctuary and home to truly amazing experiences. Facilities include:

Putt Putt

Victoria Park's 18-hole mini golf Putt Putt course is jam-packed full of fun and is like no other you’ve experienced before. Open morning until night every day.

Driving Range

Victoria Park's all-weather, two level Driving Range includes 53 hitting bays and a grass hitting tee and target greens. It’s fully licensed, is open morning until night every day.

Golf Learning Centre

Victoria Park's Golf Learning Centre features seven coaching bays equipped with the latest technology.

Kid's Playground

Victoria Park's Playground hosts equipment for kids aged 3 to 12 including a slide, climbing ropes, farm tractor, rock climbing wall and imaginative play areas.

Restaurant Dining

The Victoria Park Bistro offers stunning views of the Brisbane city skyline, free on-site parking, and a seasonal menu which showcases local flavours.

Special Events

Victoria Park also features an award-winning function venue. Their eight function spaces offer an impressive wow factor with views of the spectacular Brisbane city skyline and Victoria Park Parklands.

Source: queensland.com

Victoria Golf Club Membership Fees - Golf Australia chief executive officer Stephen Pitt said private clubs were looking at how they could make membership more attractive and ''less painful'' financially.

''Clubs are looking at working out payment plans for people to join so they're not slugged upfront,'' Mr Pitt said. ''They're also looking at trying to attract players aged from 18 to 30.''

The Victoria Golf Club, home to this year's Australian Open, has halved its $10,000 joining fee for players aged up to 30. The concession rate previously applied to golfers aged 25 or under. The club's general manager, Peter Stackpole, said most other private clubs were doing the same.

Commonwealth Golf Club general manager Peter Parks said many members had transferred to restricted memberships to save money and spend more time with their families.

''They said if you're like me and you're 40 and you've got three kids under the age of five, it's hard to get your regular game in so something's got to give. You've got to put golf on hold.''

Falling membership at the Long Island Country Club in Frankston saw its board drop the $2000 entrance fee.

General manager David Smith said the club's amnesty on the entrance fee from September to the end of next month had resulted in 150 new members.

One golfer to take advantage of the offer, Mike Ward, 71, from Mornington, said he signed up after seeing an advertisement in his local paper.

''I was very happy. It's a real good deal to get the chance to play on what is a championship course and not have to pay any entrance fee,'' Mr Ward, a retired boilermaker and welder, said.

Kingston Heath Golf Club general manager Gregg Chapple said he had heard that some clubs were having challenging times but his club had a waiting list of three to four years.

''We certainly haven't felt what others have felt but I suppose when you've got the momentum of having the world's greatest golfer coming to play at your place, you become somewhat shielded,'' Mr Chapple said. Tiger Woods won the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath in November.

Metropolitan Golf Club general manager Allan Shorland said the financial crisis had affected the number of new members signing up but he claimed his club still enjoyed ''healthy demand'' for memberships.

Royal Melbourne Golf Club's Christian Tanner said the club, which has a $10,000 joining fee and an annual $3500 membership fee, had managed to maintain its numbers because of its prestige.

Women's Golf Victoria chief executive Bronwen Young said she thought the drop in female members of private clubs was as much to do with generational trends as finance.

''The younger generations are not clubby-type people and don't see the value in belonging to one club and playing only one course regularly,'' she said.

According to the Ausgolf website, private clubs are institutions that are ''valued and jealously guarded by their members in much the same way as one protects the family home''.

The Huntingdale Golf Club, for example, claims to have a 12 to 15-month waiting list, with a requirement that applicants know at least four members to gain entry.

The club has, however, recently introduced a sponsorship program to try to boost numbers whereby an applicant who does not know a member can be interviewed by the club president and captain to determine their suitability.

Paying to play
 

What it costs to play at Melbourne's most exclusive courses:

■ Commonwealth: Entrance fee - not disclosed. Waiting list: 1-2 years.

■ Huntingdale: Entrance fee - $10,000. Waiting list: 12-15 months.

■ Kingston Heath: Entrance fee - not disclosed. Waiting list: 3-4 years.

■ Metropolitan: Entrance fee - $5000. Waiting list: open.

■ Royal Melbourne: Entrance fee - $10,000. Waiting list: 10 years plus.

■ Victoria: Entrance fee - $10,000. Waiting list: undisclosed.

Source : watoday.com.au

The Victoria Golf Club
Course Opened – 1927
Designer – William Meader, Oscar Damman, Dr Alister MacKenzie

Melbourne businessman William Meader is considered the forefather of Victorian golf, having helped establish the state’s Golf Association in 1902 and founding the Victoria Golf Club at Fishermen’s Bend the following year. Meader was later the driving force behind the move to Cheltenham and in 1923, with club captain Oscar Damman, laid out the current course. Construction was hampered however by bad weather and problems with site access but the delay proved a blessing as it allowed travelling architect Dr Alister MacKenzie to advise on the bunkering of the unfinished course.

Clearly impressed MacKenzie told the club that ‘little more is required to make this a magnificent golf course’ and then proceeded to add finishing touches to the existing routing by mapping bunkers and suggesting a few green changes.

Perfectly situated in the heart of the Melbourne Sandbelt and across the road from Royal Melbourne, the layout these three men created is outstanding with a collection of fine holes falling beautifully across the naturally undulating terrain. Fairways are forgiving yet place a premium on preferred driving lines while the green sites are brilliantly contoured and original. The style of design together with the shape of MacKenzie’s bold bunkering, the slope of the land and use of native vegetation is somewhat reminiscent of Royal Melbourne albeit on a slightly smaller scale.

The central and southern sections of the site are the highlight particularly holes 9 through 13, which take the golfer on an absorbing journey through the most interesting undulation on the course. The long 9th is a classic Sandbelt par five running across the tumbling hills while the wonderful short 10th, described by MacKenzie in 1926 as ‘a fine drive and pitch adventure’, features a dipping, sweeping fairway and sublime green site.

Falling away toward the southwestern corner of the property, the charming 12th finishes little more than a wedge from Royal Melbourne and is followed by the best par four on the course, which heads blind over a rise and then into an elevated green from a down-sloping fairway.

Many believe Victoria’s greatest weakness is the configuration of holes as each nine closes with back to back par five’s. Despite being an unusual arrangement the 9th and 17th are both world class while the famous short 18th provides a stirring finish with many matches decided on its enormous front to back sloping green. Like most holes at Victoria gaping MacKenzie sand traps strategically line the approach to the green and dominate the vista from the top of the fairway.

Although some down play MacKenzie’s influence at Victoria, it is impossible to deny that his superb bunkers define the character of the course. Identifying a weakness in the Australian game MacKenzie actually boasted during his visit that his scheme of bunkering would help raise the standard of golf by ‘stimulating the scratch man to improve his game’. This prophecy was most famously realised at Victoria, which began producing champion golfers almost the moment he departed.

During the 1980’s one such member, five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson, was responsible for one of the only significant course changes when he raised the green on the driveable 1st hole. More recently the club sought to regenerate the layout after years of slow deterioration by employing local architect Michael Clayton to oversee the renovation of the original bunkering. Referring back to an old black and white aerial shot of the course taken shortly after the 1927 opening, Clayton expertly and faithfully restored the famous MacKenzie hazards to their former glory.

Careful to preserve the subtlety and integrity of the original design some minor tweaking also took place in preparation for the 2002 Australian Open. A number of holes 5, 9, 17 and 18 were lengthened and alterations made to strengthen the par five finishing holes. The bunkering and mounding around the 17th green was reworked significantly while the 18th tee was extended, the landing area tightened and greenside bunkers enhanced. These modern changes were relatively minor and have been generally well received.

Long regarded as one of our elite courses Victoria today exists as a tribute to the hard-working pioneers who laid the clubs foundations, and the divine contribution of Dr MacKenzie who helped shape a very good golf club into a truly great one.

Source: ausgolf.com.au