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Inquisitorlewis, yes the minimum wage is $15.51, no tipping included.

Before our dollar went bananas it sat for many years at about 60-65cUS to the Oz dollar, started rising in 2006.
By 2007 it was $0.85US to the OZ$
Now it is $1.04US to the Oz$

So only a few years ago the minimum wage would have been about $10.30US

Our GST is less than the UK VAT and about the same as the sales taxes in most US states and it replaced a 22% sales tax on gaming 'things'so there was a drop in price for alot of gaming items.

Transport palys a part.

As does GW price gouging.

If GW offered us prices at US levels I'd be perfeectly happy and would not be dropping hundreds of dollars on mass purchases at adepticon, but would instead be buying from my FLGS.

If we thought GW was selling us models at a fair price, they wouldn't have put the 'rest of the world'' embargo in place.

The WHFB tournament scene is really struggling since the start of 8th ed. A lot of the long time players and more competative types left for warmahordes (primarily a rules issue). But they are not being replaced by new gamers as WHFB is a very, very large outlay often over $1000 for a 2500pt army if bought retail.

To be fair to borders, the Australian book industry is restricted by legislation that requires overseas books to be reprinted in Australia, I assume to keep our publishing industry going, but has had the effect of artificially keeping prices high and putting retailers out of business.
There was a review of it, in which the govt decided to continue with the current laws only a few weeks before borders and their other bookstores in the RED group failed.
It should also be noted that borders in Oz was not owned by borders US that went bust at the same time. RED group had bought the name rights but worked on an almost identical model at the US.