Friendly facilities

It is important to understand and accept the international cultural mix at the core of any truly creative economy. Basic infrastructure must be able to function in such a way as to encourage and support the integration of ethnically diverse people into local society.

Specifically, certain facilities and services must be made available to working and visiting foreigners;

  1. Apartments and low cost short term accommodation is essential. Efforts must be made to encourage private sector landlords to accept non-national tenants.
  2. Mobile phones are vital. Are they easy to obtain for non-nationals? Is there a simple ‘pay as you go’ facility?
  3. Banking. How easy is it for someone to open a bank account and start trading as a freelance creative supplier?
  4. Visas. Can a creative person obtain a work permit? Are they limited to short stays on visitor visas that do not allow work to be carried out? Are immigration policies open to an influx of the non-nationals needed to stimulate the creative economy?
  5. Car Hire. Many companies may say they hire to visitors – but do they really?
  6. Multi-lingual administration. Do City Hall and the Local Authorities have information and statutory forms in the major languages?
  7. Business rules and entrepreneurial support. The creative economy is based on small start up companies – how easy is it for them to start up and comply with local regulations?
  8. Available investment funds. Are Venture Capital companies in the area? Are local banks amenable to lending to creative companies?

location specific comments; Sapporo, Melbourne

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