MAJOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
- substantial educational infrastructure
- significant natural resources
- easy access to major markets for burgeoning manufacturing industry
- wide array of natural features to attract tourists.
INDUSTRIES Traditional agricultural industries of dairy farming, beef cattle and forestry are supplemented by extensive manufacturing and tourism sectors.
Tourism and conferences Tourism is an important part of the region's economy. Visitors spent over A$2.2 billion on the Mid North Coast in 2007.
Along with its natural attractions and sporting and entertainment facilities, the region offers a wide range of accommodation options for visitors. The Mid North Coast is also popular for business travellers with large modern facilities available for conferences.
In addition to traditional tourism operations, the Mid North Coast is starting to develop niche markets in areas such as arts and crafts, ecotourism and adventure-style holidays, with training and education themes for city-based professionals.
Agriculture
The economy of the Mid North Coast has a solid, yet diverse, agricultural base including dairy, beef cattle, fruit, aquaculture and herbs.
Emerging industries include organic production, hydroponic vegetables and cut flowers.
Produce from the region is exported nationally and internationally.
Manufacturing Along with the production of value-added timber and meat products, regional centres such as Taree, Kempsey, Macksville and Coffs Harbour produce automotive parts, vehicle bodies, steel products, rail and transport equipment and pyrotechnics. In addition, a strong composites and boat building industry add value to the Hastings and Taree areas.
INFRASTRUCTURE Transport The Pacific Highway, together with modern rail-freight facilities and air links in Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Taree, put the Mid North Coast in an ideal position to access both national and international markets.
Regular air services to Sydney operate from Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Taree, while 40 to 50 super coaches stop in Coffs Harbour every day.
Coffs Harbour's all-weather harbour and marina regularly cater for large yachts and fishing boats. Extra port and shipping facilities at Yamba (to the north in the neighbouring region of
Northern Rivers), together with effective links to the Brisbane and Newcastle port systems, assist the region's international transport capability.
Communications The Mid North Coast communication services are expanding rapidly to include:
- internet, wireless and broadband services
- mobile phone services
- video-conferencing services.
Major educational facilities
- Southern Cross University – Coffs Harbour
- The University of Newcastle – Port Macquarie Campus
- North Coast Institute of TAFE across the region.
LABOUR
The region's labour force is skilled in the retail and wholesale trades, recreation and personal services, agriculture and manufacturing.
Manufacturing activity is broadly based including heavy engineering, furniture, fabricated metal products, boat building, vehicle body building, automotive equipment and building related products. Timber processing and value adding to primary produce are also important sectors.