The Central West region of New South Wales is renowned for its food and wine and excellent agricultural produce. It covers an area of 63,000 square kilometres starting at the temperate, elevated Central Tablelands on the western side of the Blue Mountains and extends almost 500km to the semi-arid Central West plains.

The region is home to over 181,000 people within the 11 council areas of Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Unique in its diversity of economy, the Central West Region of NSW is rich in natural resources with agriculture, mining and tourism significant drivers of jobs and opportunities. Increasingly, health and education have taken on a significant role in the region’s economy.

The agriculture and mining industry output is underpinned by abundant natural resources within rich soil and mineral deposits. Additionally, varied topography and climatic conditions across the region provide various opportunities ranging from forestry, cool climate produce, dairy, sheep and beef livestock, as well as a variety of irrigation and broad acre crops.

The Central West region of New South Wales is renowned for its food and wine and excellent agricultural produce. It covers an area of 63,000 square kilometres starting at the temperate, elevated Central Tablelands on the western side of the Blue Mountains and extends almost 500km to the semi-arid Central West plains.

The region is home to over 181,000 people within the 11 council areas of Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Unique in its diversity of economy, the Central West Region of NSW is rich in natural resources with agriculture, mining and tourism significant drivers of jobs and opportunities. Increasingly, health and education have taken on a significant role in the region’s economy.

The agriculture and mining industry output is underpinned by abundant natural resources within rich soil and mineral deposits. Additionally, varied topography and climatic conditions across the region provide various opportunities ranging from forestry, cool climate produce, dairy, sheep and beef livestock, as well as a variety of irrigation and broad acre crops.

The Central West region of New South Wales is renowned for its food and wine and excellent agricultural produce. It covers an area of 63,000 square kilometres starting at the temperate, elevated Central Tablelands on the western side of the Blue Mountains and extends almost 500km to the semi-arid Central West plains.

The region is home to over 181,000 people within the 11 council areas of Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Unique in its diversity of economy, the Central West Region of NSW is rich in natural resources with agriculture, mining and tourism significant drivers of jobs and opportunities. Increasingly, health and education have taken on a significant role in the region’s economy.

The agriculture and mining industry output is underpinned by abundant natural resources within rich soil and mineral deposits. Additionally, varied topography and climatic conditions across the region provide various opportunities ranging from forestry, cool climate produce, dairy, sheep and beef livestock, as well as a variety of irrigation and broad acre crops.

Australian and international research organisations agree that the world's climate is changing. Some of these changes have been linked to human influences due to the use of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. The burning of fossil fuels is causing an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases and consequent warming of the atmosphere.

Observed changes in climate include an increase in average temperatures, a decrease in cold temperature extremes, an increase in warm temperature extremes, an increase in extreme high sea levels and an increase in the number of intense rainfall events in some area.

The impacts of climate change highlight the need to protect land for its future productive capacity particularly where there is a combination of biophysical assets such as water, topography and soils.

The Central West supports high value agriculture now and will be important to sustain production of more specialised agricultural and horticultural enterprises into the future.

Farm adaptation options are already being developed with the Grains Research and Development work on farming systems, and the cotton industry. A critical concern to irrigated agriculture is securing water for production in terms of quality, quantity and delivery.

Bathurst has a rich history of supporting creative arts and creative industries. Charles Sturt University's School of Communication and Creative Industries has been a significant contributor to national and international talent pools for decades, with well-known alumni reaching the top of their field in journalism, communication, PR, and media management.

Outside Charles Sturt University, Bathurst has a strong field of creative professionals in architecture, design, graphic design, film and sound production, advertising and marketing, illustration, 3D animated design and more. Bathurst’s proximity to Sydney enables our creative professionals to not only serve the Central West and Orana Regions but also the nearby Sydney and Canberra metropolitan markets.

The Central West region of New South Wales is renowned for its food and wine and excellent agricultural produce. It covers an area of 63,000 square kilometres starting at the temperate, elevated Central Tablelands on the western side of the Blue Mountains and extends almost 500km to the semi-arid Central West plains.

The region is home to over 181,000 people within the 11 council areas of Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Unique in its diversity of economy, the Central West Region of NSW is rich in natural resources with agriculture, mining and tourism significant drivers of jobs and opportunities. Increasingly, health and education have taken on a significant role in the region’s economy.

The agriculture and mining industry output is underpinned by abundant natural resources within rich soil and mineral deposits. Additionally, varied topography and climatic conditions across the region provide various opportunities ranging from forestry, cool climate produce, dairy, sheep and beef livestock, as well as a variety of irrigation and broad acre crops.

Charles Sturt University in the Central West has campuses in Bathurst and Orange, focused on agriculture, health, business, creative industries, engineering, ICT and arrange of science subjects.

Orange
Set in the foothills of Mount Canobolas, Orange has a relaxed country atmosphere combined with boutique shops, sporting facilities, and quality educational and health services.

Charles Sturt in Orange has a farm and a range of state-of-the-art facilities, including an award-winning health building. Small class sizes at Orange Campus ensure you get the best out of your study experience and quickly settle in to life at Charles Sturt, while outside the classroom, you can catch up with friends at the Templer’s Mill bar on campus.

Bathurst
A rich heritage of bushrangers and gold rush days combines with the excitement of the V8 Supercars and numerous local sporting competitions to make Bathurst a great place to live and study. There are also plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants to catch up with friends and a busy shopping scene.

About 2,500 students are completing their degrees at Charles Sturt’s Bathurst Campus, where a range of facilities offer the latest technology in fields like communication, exercise science and nursing. A range of on campus accommodation options is available, and you can relax in the student bar or food outlets, or enjoy the open spaces around campus.

Mt Canobolas, near Orange, is the highest peak at 1398m. The remaining land in the central tablelands of the study area comprises steep and undulating terrain. Mt Canobolas provides sloping basaltic soils, a cool climate, and consistent rainfall which are highly suitable for cool climate grape and fruit production. The production of fruit, cherries, grapes, nuts, cut flowers, some vegetables and eggs have contributed to the ‘food Basket’ image of the area which has promoted the agritourism industry.

The western slopes and plains consist of rolling hills which flow onto open plains. The combination of good rainfall, reliable water supply from the Belubula and Lachlan River as well as high temperatures create an optimal environment for crop production. Wheat, barley, oats and canola are important crops in this area.

Health Care and Social Assistance is largest employing industry across the Bathurst Region, accounting for nearly 14% of total employment. Employment across the health sector has almost doubled over the past 10 years, with the sector worth $318 million to the Bathurst economy. The strategic location of Bathurst makes the city well positioned to supply health services to the surrounding areas.

The Bathurst Base Hospital is a major health node for the wider Central West Region, providing over 100 beds. Both Charles Sturt University and Western Sydney University offer work placements at the major public hospital.

The area is also served by the Bathurst Private Hospital, where two operating theatres are provided. A wide variety of general practitioners, medical specialists and allied health providers operate throughout the Bathurst Region.

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.

Mining has been present in Orana and Central West NSW for more than a century, with some workers’ families having been in the sector for generations. The region has a well-established culture of mining, and many workers live and work locally.

The resources sector is the leading contributor to the region’s economy, accounting for $4.3 billion (or nearly 25%) of the area’s total economic value.

Orana and Central West NSW host a number of commodities including coal, copper, silver, lead, zinc, gold and critical minerals. There are 16 established mines in the region, with another handful being developed or going through feasibility studies.

Notable mines include Northparkes Mines, Cadia near Orange, and Springvale and Clarence Colliery.
Other projects in the region under development include Sunrise Energy Metals Sunrise Battery Materials Complex and McPhillamys Gold Project.

From the slopes of the Central Tablelands out to the western flats, here you’ll find delicious produce, excellent wine and fascinating stories aplenty.

There’s also the lively student city of Bathurst, with its impressive heritage and need for speed when it comes to car racing. Discover the captivating stories of Cowra, once the site of a daring escape by Japanese prisoners of war.

Located on the banks of the Macquarie River just three hours’ drive west of Sydney, Bathurst is the site of Australia’s oldest inland European settlement. Now a vibrant country city with a rich cultural heritage, Bathurst manages to combine rural, manufacturing and education industries with a lifestyle rich in sport, art and tourism facilities. Home to one of the great motor racing circuits in the world, Mount Panorama, Bathurst is synonymous with motorsport.

Agri-tourism in the form of low-key farm stays and bed and breakfast establishments can provide an alternative income stream of agricultural producers while also educating the community about the activities that occur on farm.