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Shoalhaven Snapshot

 / Essential Information / About the Shoalhaven

Where is the Shoalhaven?

The Shoalhaven City is located on the eastern seaboard of Australia within the state of New South Wales. Nowra, the administrative centre of Shoalhaven, is 160km south of Sydney within a coastal area of 4,560 square kilometres which stretches from the rural township of Berry in the north to some 85 kilometres south of the harbourside township of Ulladulla. The region is bounded by the Illawarra Escarpment to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. Its topography combines mountainous terrain, flat coastal plain, bays, inlets, lakes and rivers.

The Shoalhaven’s beautiful natural environment plays a central role in the quality of life of the local community. The region’s temperate coastal climate, rich array of native flora and fauna, many natural attractions, thriving commercial and retail sectors and abundance of raw materials make the Shoalhaven an appealing place to live and work.

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Competitive Advantages

What sets the Shoalhaven apart.

Gross Regional Product

The Gross Regional Product for Shoalhaven is the total value of final goods and services produced in the region over the period of one year. GRP can be measured by adding up all forms of final expenditure

  • consumption by households
  • consumption by governments
  • additions or increases to assets (minus disposals)
  • exports (minus imports)

The GRP has been steadily increasing and stands at $5.750 billion at December 2017 (according to REMPLAN) and represents $160,831/worker. This has increased from $3.738 billion in January 2013 or $130,027/worker.

This GRP demonstrates a strong economy showing consistent growth over time.

Regional Manufacturing Centre

The Shoalhaven has developed a dynamic manufacturing industry. The manufacturing sector contributes 15.4% of the gross revenue generated by businesses and organisations within the City. It represents 5.4% of employment but 6.8% of wages and salaries.

The provision of inexpensive, high-quality serviced industrial land and a proactive Council have been important factors in attracting manufacturers to the region. The success of the Shoalhaven’s manufacturers is also the product of a regional emphasis on product and service quality and strong export performance. There is quite a diverse range of export oriented products produced in the region including yachts, chemicals, food and building products.

Thriving Defence Industry

Many internationally recognised Defence contractors operate in the Shoalhaven including Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky, Raytheon, Boeing, BAE Systems, Air Target Services and Air Affairs. The Department of Defence operates a number of facilities in the Shoalhaven LGA, the largest being HMAS Albatross just south of Nowra. In all, the Defence industry contributes approximately over $365m in annual salaries and 2000 jobs to the local economy. The Defence sector contributes more than $520m to the Gross Regional Product of the Shoalhaven

The Albatross Aviation Technology Park (AATP) adjacent to HMAS Albatross is providing a specific location from which aviation technology enterprises can service domestic and export markets. The AATP presents a great opportunity for Defence service industries, with about 20 industrial sites, with access to airfield facilities.

Shoalhaven Education Precinct

The education and training services and facilities available in the Shoalhaven represent a valuable asset for the region. The Shoalhaven Education Precinct - an established strategic development combining the efforts and resources of Shoalhaven City Council, the University of Wollongong, the Illawarra institute of Technology and the State Government - is providing the region with new economic development opportunities. At the centre of development is a campus for the University of Wollongong at Mundamia, to the west of Nowra.

The existing TAFE Colleges at Bomaderry and Ulladulla provide students and industry with the opportunity to learn and train locally. The region already possesses a strong skill base in trades and clerical personnel and the expanding educational facilities provide an enormous resource to the pool of tertiary-trained persons residing in the Shoalhaven.

Construction and Development

The building and construction industry is very strong as the population and economy of the area grows. Representing $2.0 billion or 18.4% of the Shoalhaven’s economic output, this vibrant and important sector makes a contribution to the Shoalhaven GRP of 11.4%. Although dependent on national trends, a strong CapEx budget by both the state and federal governments on major infrastructure projects has maintained the impetus within this important sector.

Tourism

With an economic output of 4.8%, the aggregated Tourism sector represents 8.0% of employment and 4.6% of wages and salaries. A strong seasonal bias is observed during the summer months with the remainder of the year requiring more events and built attractions to capitalise on the accommodation and hospitality facilities that exist in the area.

Government Services

A diverse range of government services are well represented in the Shoalhaven. The usual Health and Education services are complimented by a strong Defence presence and Nowra as a major regional administrative centre provides government service coverage for a wider region.

Shoalhaven Council has targeted the attraction of the government sector to the City and this has resulted in a build up of services for the regional, state and national need.