The annual temperatures in Greater Western Sydney average a maximum of 23 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 12 degrees.


MAJOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

• large and educated multicultural workforce
• Australia's most diverse industry base
• excellent telecommunications and transport infrastructure
• affordable industrial property and office space.

Greater Western Sydney offers lower costs of doing business than the Sydney CBD and comparable South East Asian locations.

Average prime office rentals are around 40 per cent lower than the Sydney business district. There is a wide choice of technology parks and large areas of greenfield and industrial land.

The region is home to almost 242,000 businesses (Australian Business Register) with the highest concentrations (relativie to the NSW average) in construction, reatil, transport and storage, and wholsealetrade.

It offers a cosmopolitan lifestyle with a wide selection of housing, encompassing stylish city apartments, modern residential estates and lush rural acreages.

Since the Olympic Games, the Greater Western Sydney Region has experienced a building and construction boom. This, along with associated growth in tourism and industry, has reinforced its reputation as a region that blends economic opportunity with a comfortable lifestyle.


ECONOMY

The diversity of the region is also reflected in its rapidly expanding economy. It is estimated that the Greater Western Sydney Region generated A$71 billion in gross regional product in 2004-05 (AECgroup). Behind the Sydney CBD and South-East Queensland, Greater Western Sydney is now the third largestregional economy in Australia.


INDUSTRIES

Over the next four years (to 2008-09), Greater Western Sydney's strongestgrowth industries are expected to be (AECgroup forecasts):

• finance and insurance
• health and community services
• transport and storage.

The region's additional industry sectors are:

• information and communications technology
• tourism and recreation
• business services
• resources
• metal trades
• health
• food processing
• fibres
• defence and aerospace.

A number of major multinational companies have operations in Greater Western Sydney, including NHP Billiton, Coca-Cola Amatil, Qantas, Sony and Canon.


LABOUR

The Greater Western Sydney Region has the highest rate of population growth in Australia.

Its 1.85 million residents are a shining example of Australia's multicultural society, with over half the world's nations represented in its population.

The skilled, highly educated and productive labour force has played a major role in attracting business to the region.


INFRASTRUCTURE

Transport
Major transport projects include the A$1.25 billion Western Sydney Orbital Project (M7) and development of a A$770 million network of bus-only transit ways. The new M7 (opened in December 2005) has tranformed Western Sydney and is now a major link in the national freight network. It is estimated that the M7 will generate 24,000 new jobs in Western Sydney in the next three years and an additional A$3 billion in economic development.

Major education facilities

• University of Western Sydney
• Western Sydney Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE)
• South Western Sydney Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE).