Scratch,
Typical joining pay for REX is equivelent to 14 000STG a year. Bases are Syd and Mel and whilst they are cheaper than London, cost of living would be about the same as, say, Newcastle or Liverpool. Top Whack for a long serving Captain about 32K.
So how many UK pilots would be lining up? There's a reason you hear so many flat vowels on London Centre!!