The Orana region covers the central and north western sectors of New South Wales – an area of over 199,000 square kilometres, and has an estimated population of 122, 897. It extends from the hilly western slopes of the Warrumbungle Ranges in the east, to the flat plains of Cobar and Bourke in the west, and north to the Queensland border.

One of the region’s main assets is our people. The people within the region make up relaxed, friendly communities and welcome new residents. You’ll be able to create new connections while still being close to friends and family, enjoy a relaxed, time-rich lifestyle, be rewarded with great job opportunities and take advantage of affordable living. Whether you seek to make a difference in the business community, cheer for your children on the soccer field, or enjoy social days out at the races, the region can provide all of these opportunities and more.

The region also has a diverse industry base, rich history and geographical uniqueness, as well as many beautiful natural assets. It is rich in resources, with a highly productive agricultural sector providing food, wine and fibre to global markets. From black opals to fine red wines, renewable energy and tourism opportunities, the possibilities for you are endless.

Our communities provide the perfect combination of relaxed country living, coupled with exciting new opportunities and attractions. Set amongst some of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes, the Orana region comprises quaint townships full of history and beauty.

Mean temperatures are projected to rise by 2.1 ºC by 2070. The greatest increases are occurring in the north west of the region, around Bourke during summer. All models show there are no declines in mean temperatures across the Far West by 2070.

Climate change is affecting the Far West region, particularly through increasing temperatures. Projections show temperatures are expected to keep rising, rainfall patterns will change and droughts will be more severe.

Summer and spring will experience the greatest changes in maximum temperatures, with maximum temperatures increasing by 2.5°C in the far future. Increased maximum temperatures are known to impact human health through heat stress and increasing the number of heatwave events.

Rainfall is projected to decrease in spring and to increase in autumn. Severe and average fire weather and severe fire weather days are projected to increase in summer and spring. Severe fire weather is projected to decrease in autumn in the near future.

One example of action being taken is a water-resilient community garden by Dharriwaa Elders Group Incorporated. This project renewed a community garden, making it more resilient to drought, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food transport by providing local food for the community.

There is a variety of private and public education facilities and providers across the Orana region. These range from early childhood centres through to university campuses as well as government and private institutions, giving people of all ages an opportunity for educational advancement.

TAFE Western is the region’s largest Vocational and Education Training provider. Its mission is to create education and training opportunities and outcomes for individuals, communities and industry, with approximately 35,000 student enrolments each year.
Charles Sturt University has a campus in Dubbo a regional network spanning much of NSW. Dubbo is also home to Sydney University’s School of Rural Health.

Providers include:
• TAFE Western
• Charles Sturt University
• University of Sydney School of Rural Health
• University of the Third Age (U3A)
• Central West Leadership Academy
• Macquarie Conservatorium of Music

Much of the RDA Murray Regions’ economy is driven by agriculture, timber production, viticulture, horticulture, health care, retail, manufacturing, construction and tourism.

Of critical importance to the RDA Murray Region is water availability. The Region is situated on the Murray River and is reliant on the river system for its contribution to production, tourism and liveability.

The Australian nut industry is experiencing its largest expansion in a decade with the farm gate value expected to rise from $1billion in 2018 to $1.7 by 2025. Permanent nut tree infrastructure (including irrigation) and plantings are expanding significantly in the Murray Region

Between Nelson Bay and Woolgoolga, the coast is riddled with lakes and shot through with swaths of coastal eucalypt and rainforest, much of it protected in national parks.

The joy here is forsaking the Pacific Hwy for leafy roads that cut across to the coast, taking detours and switching back. What you'll find at the end of the road are wonderfully unpretentious beach towns, basic campgrounds beside dunes and rivers, and miles and miles of lush nothing.

The big towns here are Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, which can appear busy and built-up but nevertheless manage to maintain a languid holiday pace.

The Worimi people are the traditional custodians of much of the land in this region and a visit to the Worimi Conservation Lands at Stockton Bight is a beautiful spot to learn about their cultural heritage.

The Riverina stretches from the foothills of the Snowy Mountains in the east through to the plains of Hay and Carrathool in the west. The Murrumbidgee River flows through the region, providing water to the irrigation areas around Griffith and Leeton. The regional city of Wagga Wagga is positioned on the main Sydney-Melbourne railway line, equally close to both state capitals.

The Riverina region occupies a large southern segment of the Murray Darling Basin. This system of rivers drains 15% of the Australian continent. It covers parts of the states of Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

The Basin is characterised generally by low rainfall, light soils, hot summers and cool winters, with long sunlight hours. Where irrigation water can be delivered the soils and long sunlight hours ensure fast and luxuriant growth of crops.

The Riverina region enjoys unique advantages because of the combination of varied soil types and land forms, together with a warm climate, and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This has helped create an economy based on agricultural production, food and beverage manufacturing, and wood processing.
Manufacturing, Agriculture Forestry & Fishing are the two key drivers of the Riverina’s economy.

The Far West is the most sparsely populated local health district in NSW and has the highest proportion of Aboriginal residents. The population is decreasing, ageing and experiencing significant morbidity related to lifestyle factors and chronic illness.

Far West Local Health District has hospitals and community health facilities in several regional centres and remote locations. These offer an extensive range of services, including emergency, mental health, Aboriginal health, and allied health services.

Broken Hill Base Hospital is a 98-bed rural teaching hospital offering a wide variety of services including 24-hour emergency and maternity services.

Armidale Regional Council declared a Climate Emergency at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 23 October 2019.

A report - A Framework for Climate Action - was subsequently prepared by a working group of the Environment and Sustainability Advisory Group, the Climate Emergency Working Group.
The report provides recommendations on current initiatives and additional future actions that may be undertaken in the short, medium and long term.

These include:
1. Reduce greenhouse emissions aiming, by 2030, for no additional contribution from our region to the global temperature rise;
2. Adapt to current and anticipated climate change impacts;
3. Reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, e.g. Sequester and store carbon in trees and soils.
The Climate Emergency Working Group (CEWG) was formed in March 2020 and an Interim report was provided to Council in April 2020 with their final report A Framework for Climate Action (PDF 856.3KB) tabled at the ESAC meeting on 10 August and as part of the committee minutes at the Ordinary Council Meeting on the 19 August 2020.
A $60,000 budget allocation in alignment to the Community Strategic Plan and Delivery Program was provided in the 2020/21 budget. Any further initiatives identified in the report developed by CEWG would need to be considered by Council and funding allocated in future budgets. The final funding split has been allocated to:
• Solar panels at Monckton Aquatic Centre; community education and risk analysis on outcome of climate change

There are many different accommodation options across the Orana, including hotels, motels, B&Bs and farm stays. Tourism in the area ranges from natural and heritage attractions to iconic visitor destinations. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is the biggest attraction in the Region. Other known attractions are Wellington Caves, Lake Burrendong, Old Dubbo Gaol and heritage gardens.

From its rolling hills to semi-arid areas, the Orana region has a unique natural environment to complement its built-up areas. Businesses that can make the most of this aspect such as Aboriginal tourism, farm stays and outback adventures will continue to prosper and flourish.

The Orana region is steeped in culture, history and heritage. Its tourism industry is connected to the backdrop of the outback, important sites to Aboriginal people and areas that influenced Australia’s colonial history.

Developing tourism products related to the unique outback landscape and its varied economic, social and cultural history provide a major opportunity.
Marketing organic and native produce and promoting arts, cultural and museum attractions will also increase the region’s profile as a visitor destination.

Companies include:
• Tourism:
o Taronga Western Plains Zoo
o Brewarrina Fish Traps
o Wellington Caves
o Macquarie Marshes
o The Museum Under the Bridge, Coonamble
o Gulgong Pioneers Museum
o The Big Bogan, Nyngan
o Bourke Historic Wharf
o Mt Grenfell and mine viewing areas, Cobar

As part of a broader network covering NSW, Outback Arts is a non-profit regional arts development organisation covering the Local Government areas of Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Cobar, Bogan, Warren and Coonamble.

Developed in 1999, Outback Arts is part of a network of 14 arts-based bodies all governed by Regional Arts NSW with funding distributed through Create NSW.
The organisation is based in Coonamble where there are two staff members, along with an outreach employee in Warren.

Outback Arts is also offering cultural development and support for Aboriginal artists. Their current project has been two years in the making.

"We are developing a living arts and culture snapshot of 30 artists and knowledge holders in the region which will be distributed to universities and libraries. We will also be selling it in order to put the money back into more copies, featuring more artists."

There are a number of public and private hospitals located in the region, including those at Berry, Nowra, Milton, Batemans Bay, Moruya, Bega and Pambula. There are also numerous medical centres, health clinics and GP services throughout the region including the recently completed Cancer Care Centres at Nowra and Moruya.

Wollongong and the Illawarra were recognised as an industrial hub for steel and coal production and exports, but increasingly the region is becoming a tourism, education and innovation hotspot.

The Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) is based in Wollongong, a regional city approximately 90 km south of Sydney. While the work of our researchers targets the main illness and disease concerns in our region, the outcomes and results from our research reach beyond Australian borders to a global audience.

Wollongong’s growing medical science and technology sector is supported by a network of service partners including leading researchers and education providers linked to UOW, and private and public health practitioners.

UOW continues to produce excellent health graduates in fields including medicine, nursing, medical and exercise science, nutrition and dietetics and Indigenous health.

Advantage Wollongong will be targeting organisations who provide support services and innovative products/ technology. Advantage Wollongong will also target allied and mental health companies that have a strong focus on R&D and innovation in treatment.

Across the region, rainfall is projected to increase in autumn and spring by 2030. Winter rainfall is projected to decrease by 2030 across the region. Seasonal shifts in rainfall can impact agricultural productivity as well as natural ecosystems.

The number of cold nights is projected to decrease with climate change. However, dry winter and spring seasons result in more cold nights across the region.

The number of hot days is projected to increase by another three days by 2030 and seven by 2070; with increases most pronounced in spring and summer. Minimum temperatures are projected to increase across the region with the least increase away from the coast.
Prolonged periods of hot days increase the incidence of illness and death amongst vulnerable people and adversely affect ecosystems.

IBM is setting up a regional innovation centre at Charles Sturt University, which will provide the Central West with greater job opportunities, by offering opportunities closer to home now and into the future.

On a local scale agriculture in the region will provide further opportunity for education of communities on how their food is produced and the challenges facing farmers. This education is important for consumers who might not otherwise understand how their food is produced and the intricacies of the food production chain.

Urban farming is important in promoting the contribution of agriculture to the supply of fresh food, reducing food miles, providing an alternative supply of food and greening an area. Informal production systems such as community gardens, market gardens, orchards, bee keeping, edible streetscapes and verge gardens can be important contributors to food security and amenity and an important means of educating the community.

Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre (NMSC) in Coffs Harbour is a local hub of scientific research for our aquaculture industry.

The location of the NMSC (adjacent to the Solitary Islands Marine Park) is unique in that
it supports an enormous diversity of marine life, owing to the confluence of tropical and temperate water currents. This allows researchers to grow and study a vast range of marine species.

One such species is the sea urchin. While virtually unknown in Australian cuisine, edible sea urchins are highly prized in Japan, China and Korea. The particular sea urchin that we are growing is a species that is also native to Japan and has received the thumbs up from Japanese seafood importers.

Arts and cultural infrastructure include Queanbeyan and Goulburn Performing Arts Centres, galleries such as Ngununggula Southern Highlands Regional Gallery, Apma Creations Aboriginal Art Gallery in Central Tilba, as well as small artist run spaces in Cobargo, and volunteer managed schools of arts.

Expanded mining activity is also a key feature of some local economies including Gunnedah, Narrabri and Werris Creek. The region has a rich mining heritage and during the latest mining boom there was much exploration and discovery locally.

Halls Peak Base Metals – Zinc, Lead, Copper, Silver and Gold
Guyra District – Bauxite, Tin, Gold, Diamonds and Gemstones
Hillgrove – Antimony and Gold

The dairy industry is moving towards a more intensive system of production, with efficiencies in establishing ‘dairy pads’ as well as the more traditional fodder-based dairies.

In the region, beef farming is undertaken on a smaller scale that other regions across NSW due to the smaller size of properties. It operates as part of a mixed farming system with cropping or hay production, enabling feed to be stored on farm for drier periods or sold. The nursery industry relies on many of the similar secondary industries as the other agricultural industries in the region.

Wheat, oats and maize grown in the Shoalhaven provide feed for dairy cattle in the region. Lucerne, pasture and cereal hay grown in the Shoalhaven provide feed for cattle and Lucerne hay for the equine industry.

Armidale stands out as a significant education centre with an established university, TAFE and network of independent and public schools. Armidale has a thriving digital economy, community services, recreational parks and sporting facilities, all of which have created employment and business opportunities.

Armidale also has an impressive recycling rate with only four per cent of household and business waste making it to landfill. We are all working together when it comes to recycling and protecting the ecosystems of our environment, both local and beyond.

The Central Coast is recognised for its agricultural diversity, from citrus farms and poultry farms to flower farms and turf.

The Central Coast has many existing strengths and emerging capabilities in the food production and food services sector. Apart from its food and beverage manufacturing capability, it is home to a diverse sector covering smaller artisan food producers, high quality primary food producers together with food service companies in catering and hospitality.

It is represented in the fresh, dry goods, chilled and frozen supply chains which provides opportunities for exploration of food items or additives that can cut across all these supply chains.

There are two key points that differentiate the Central Coast from most other regions. The first is that it has the largest city population base in Australia, in Sydney, at its door step. Couple with this it has agricultural and industry lands to service the population base and beyond.

Secondly it has two major research facilities in its region with a third being built. The University of Newcastle has a campus at Ourimbah that has its food science school with research capability located there. On the same campus the NSW Department of Primary Industries has its Centre of Excellence for Market Access and Greenhouse Horticulture.

There are internationally branded food manufacturing businesses that produce on the Central Coast – including McCain Foods, Sara Lee, Mars, Sanitarium and George Weston Foods. The existence of these international brands put the Central Coast on the map for further potential investment and showcases that the region has the right ingredients for supporting big industry.