The Far West Region of NSW encompasses the semi-arid lands of western NSW and is known for the Barrier Ranges, and the Darling River which flows through western NSW.

The Far West embodies the dream of the Great Australian Outback with wide open spaces, untouched natural beauty, spectacular National Parks, red desert and rolling sand dunes, the mighty Darling River, rich Indigenous culture and history and an abundance of wildlife.

The region was first settled in the 1840’s with Broken Hill founded in 1883 following the discovery of silver and lead deposits and the formation of BHP. The far west region has historically been the mineral powerhouse of the State. It also contains some of the State’s most flourishing agricultural enterprises and large stretches of the world-famous outback.

There is a strong mining industry, historically centred in Broken Hill, with significant new prospects for expansion within the region. The far west has a strong economy based on mining, agriculture, film, the arts and tourism. The Far West is rich in promise, boasting mineral wealth and climatic conditions that give this region a unique competitive advantage in many industry sectors.

The region comprises of 2 Local Government areas, Broken Hill City and Central Darling Shire.

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 potential benefits of AI for the defence industry are substantial. AI can help soldiers make better decisions in complex and rapidly evolving situations by providing them with real-time information and insights on the battlefield.

AI can also automate routine tasks such as logistics, freeing up soldiers and officers to focus on more critical tasks.

AI can be used in human–machine teams to improve efficiency, increase combat power and achieve decision superiority, while lowering the risk to personnel.

Morton Bay Region has the ingredients for economic growth in land, infrastructure, people and a strategic location. It is a function of leveraging these advantages and creating opportunities for the future. Through a strong economic development program, the region can continue to grow, maintain and increase its vibrancy and support an ever growing, attractive lifestyle.

Food manufacturing in the Northern Rivers is a $400 million ‘value add’ industry with regional exports exceeding $1.1 billion. It is the only industry in the region where local expenditure exceeds regional imports.

The region benefits from the rural co-operatives business structure with co-operative businesses NORCO and Northern Co-operative Meat Company, making significant ground in establishing trade arrangements in Asia. The success was a key driver for the Australian Government funded pilot project, Farming Together being located in the region.

More recently, newcomers to the region have brought entrepreneurial innovation and sustainability to the local food manufacturing industry. Sustainability and community are key to our local boutique food and beverage manufacturing industry.

CBRIN is an initiative of the ACT Government, supported by six foundation members and sponsors including the ANU, Canberra Institute of Technology, CSIRO, Data61, University of Canberra and UNSW Canberra, and corporate partners Optus, PWC and ActewAGL.

Canberra is the driving force behind Australia’s space industry. It has the infrastructure, businesses, research strengths and education and training systems to support civil, commercial and defence space applications.

The ACT Government has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Space Agency to strengthen the national space industry.

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex managed on behalf of NASA by CSIRO, is one of only three NASA Deep Space Network Facilities in the world and currently supports more than 30 deep space missions.

The ACT Government will build on the establishment of the Canberra Cyber Hub and Canberra Innovation Network by delivering a new Cyber, Space and Advanced Technology Hub that will enhance the capabilities in the ACT and region.

The largest industries in Logan in terms of contribution to Gross Regional Product (value added) are health care and social assistance, construction, manufacturing, retail trade, education and training, and wholesale trade. Some of these, particularly health and retail trade, are strongly linked to the growth and profile of the region's population. Construction is related to population growth, but Logan’s construction firms also service the wider region.

Manufacturing is the traditional strength of the city. Emerging industries in Logan include the care economy, advanced manufacturing, the circular and low-carbon economy, tourism, and creative and entertainment industries. Logan has emerging expertise in circular economy and low-carbon thinking.

The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour and the coastal town of Kiama.

Adelaide is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, where visitors and locals alike can immerse themselves in a range of year-round festivals and events.

The recent growth of the state’s defence sector combined with exciting developments in space, big data, machine learning, advanced manufacturing, and creative industries, means that Adelaide has the potential to become a leader in Australia’s innovation, cultural and tourism economies.

With a thriving arts and cultural scene and more artists per capita than any other city in Australia, Newcastle’s makers, traders, creators, artists, designers and producers contribute to a billion-dollar industry in the Hunter Region alone – the significance of which is not lost on the City of Newcastle’s COVID-19 City Taskforce.

Innovation strategies, frameworks and implementation plans for effective cutting-edge solutions in health, industry 4.0, education, organisational psychology, human capital and workplace productivity.

The group supports the emergence of ‘Consumer Directed Care’, a personalised ‘continuum of care’ model, that is now legislated (in Australia) for both disability services (NDIS) and in-home aged care.

‘Consumer Directed Care’ is our entree into ‘Value Based Care’ and Australia’s global healthcare differentiator. Getting it right, means systemic entrenched leadership across Asia-Pacific for at least the next 2-3 generations.

This new model of healthcare, whist initially disruptive, will help drive new 21st century population health practices and the underpinning next generation of assistive technology. ‘Industry 4.0’ business models and technologies will be at its core.

New systems will emerge that have our citizens with comorbidity and chronic health conditions at the centre. Rapidly converging demands will align our population health, aged care, disability services, technology and education providers into a new alliance focused on co-designing highly personalised and practical solutions from the outset.

Capacity building will be a key principle progressing along the illness, wellness and fitness spectrum.

"Maximising opportunities from new, growing and strategically important industries including renewable energy and the digital and care economies will be critical to boosting productivity, sustaining full employment and ensuring our cities and regions thrive."

The most significant structural shift of the past 20 years has been the rise of the services sector. The growth in the health and care economy has been an important part of this trend."

• The health care and social assistance sector has more than doubled in size over the past 20 years, rising from 10 to 15 per cent of the workforce and now employs more than 2 million people. Employment in the sector is projected to grow by 15.8 per cent over the next five years.

• Labour shortages in the care workforce are already acute and expected to worsen with a projected shortfall of 286,000 care workers by 2050. Low pay and challenging conditions, partly as a result of high workloads and staff absences related to COVID-19 and influenza, have led to higher staff turnover.

• The care workforce is also highly feminised. Around 9 in 10 aged care workers are women and a high number of workers come from migrant backgrounds.

Queensland is a significant global beef processor, servicing domestic and global markets with high-quality beef products. In a typical year, almost 50 per cent of all Australian beef and veal products are processed in Queensland.

The beef processing industry directly and indirectly supports regional businesses right through the beef supply chain. It is a major regional employer providing skilled employment opportunities including processing, food technology, trades, administration, professional and marketing roles.

Creative industries are largely based in the Greater Perth area (87.8%). Creative Industries are businesses that turn creative ideas into commercial outcomes.

The economic, social, industrial and cultural contributions of these industries are increasingly being recognised as essential elements of an advanced and thriving regional economy.

Creative industries are generally divided into two sectors, cultural production and creative services, each with several sub-domains.

Cultural production:
• Film, TV and radio
• Publishing
• Libraries, archives and museums
• Music, performing and visual arts

Creative services
• Advertising and marketing
• Architecture and design
• Software and digital content

Located 75km south of Perth, the Peel is Western Australia’s smallest region geographically, but one of the state’s fastest growing population centres, presenting opportunities for innovation in workforce skills, industry growth and economic diversification.

The Peel has a diverse landscape incorporating 50 kilometres of pristine coastline and urban, agricultural and horticultural land.

With a coastal plain bordered inland by the Darling Scarp, the Peel region is situated amongst the highest rainfall areas of South Western Australia. This climate, along with 23 rivers, streams and creeks, provides an extensive wetland system that is of international and national significance, supporting diverse and unique flora and fauna.

The five Peel Region councils are Mandurah, Murray, Serpentine Jarrahdale, Waroona and Boddington.

Home to significant industry-driven research and education facilities and some of the world’s leading producers, Brisbane offers opportunities for investment in a wealth of new and innovative high-growth sectors including machinery and equipment manufacturing, metal product manufacturing, robotics and mineral processing technology, micro-electronics and recycling, and packaging of paper, metal and plastics products.

The Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT)is a world-class research and development precinct focused on providing the highest standard science, engineering, and innovation to the Australian mining, exploration, minerals processing, and manufacturing industries. Advanced material engineering is an emerging R&D cluster at the QCAT precinct that focuses on light metals and fibre composites, growing sectors in Queensland's developing manufacturing industry.

The Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation at the University of Queensland (UQ) is a centre of engineering excellence established to identify and facilitate innovations in economically and environmentally sustainable processes associated with the production and use of energy, water, food, and chemicals. Established in 2012, the centre is quickly becoming a magnet for talented staff and students, affirming UQ's leadership in the fields of science and engineering.

Fitzroy agriculture is predominantly based on livestock. It is the main hub for meat production throughout the entire GBR Region. Cattle meat production in 2014-15 was an estimated $1,285 million, which is 54% of the total value of cattle meat production within the GBR Catchment Area. Other agricultural commodities make up a smaller share of production value in Fitzroy, with the most significant of these being broadacre crops less sugar and cotton, with production of $236 million in 2014-15.

The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. The diverse population is made up of 50% Aboriginal people representing over 30 traditional language groups. Over 91% of the land in the region has been determined under Native Title and comes under the control or influence of those indigenous people.
The Kimberley region is one of the most remote and untouched ancient landscapes on earth, which features remarkable coastal and inland environment, and is home to many unique birds, mammals, reptiles and marine life. The major regional industries are mining, tourism and agriculture.

Broome is situated along the coastline, in the semi-arid margin of the canning Basin. With a population of 17,000 people, Broome is a recognised pearling and tourist port town, and a hub servicing the pastoral and resources industries.

Derby is located 200km north of Broome. Derby is on Salt-Water country and boasts the second largest tidal movements in the world and is the gateway to the thousand islands of the Dampier Peninsula.

Fitzroy Crossing is located on the banks of the Fitzroy River. With a range of fertile soil types, the area is used extensively for livestock and horticulture production.

Halls Creek comprises of desert country and pastoral grazing land with a number of unique natural attractions such as the World heritage Listed Purnululu National Park and Wolf Creek Crater forming the basis of a tourism industry.

Kununurra sits just 37km west of the Northern Territory border and is a hub for tourism, mining and agriculture including the world heritage listed Purnululu National Park – Bungle Bungle Ranges, the Ord River Irrigation Project and the massive man-made Lake Argyle.

Wyndham is located at the point at which five rivers flow into the Cambridge Gulf and was established in 1886 as a port town which was the principal point of entry during the gold rush. Today, its port services the growing pastoral and agriculture industries of the region.

The Gold Coast is Australia's fifth largest city with one of the fastest growing economies in the country.

Industries such as tourism, property and construction, manufacturing, screen, health, education and sport have played a big part in making the Gold Coast city what it is today.

We are leading digital and business investment programs to establish the Gold Coast as Australia's fastest growing economy, driven by the adoption of telecommunications and cutting-edge technologies.

Drought hubs empower stakeholders to co-design drought preparedness activities and apply innovation to ensure a thriving future for the region. Hub members, partners and stakeholders apply proven drought-resilience research on the ground to make this happen.

The hub will improve innovation and its adoption across agriculture, industry, and the community.

The 8 hubs support farmers and communities to get ready for drought. They connect farmers with regional agricultural experts, innovation and new practices.

A Knowledge Broker is available at each hub. Their role is to translate science into practice for their region. They use their network to encourage collaboration and learning across the hubs. They also help build connections with other Future Drought Fund programs.

The Pilbara is Western Australia's second most northern region, defined by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Northern Territory border to the east. The Kimberley Region lies to its north across the Great Sandy Desert and the Pilbara's southern reaches border the Gascoyne, Mid-West and Goldfields-Esperance regions. The region covers a total area of 507,896km (including offshore islands).

Most of the inhabitants of the Pilbara are located in the western third of the region, whereas the eastern third is largely desert with few inhabitants. The Pilbara has four local government areas - the City of Karratha, Shires of Ashburton and East Pilbara and the Town of Port Hedland. Other towns are Roebourne, Dampier, Onslow, Pannawonica, Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Wickham, Newman, Marble Bar and Nullagine.

The Pilbara is economically significant, both nationally and internationally, as the region is responsible for a major portion of the production, value, exports and investments of extraction industries commodities, particularly iron ore and liquefied natural gas (LNG). In addition to the immense reserves of natural resources, tourism, agriculture, fishing and aquaculture all feature prominently in the strengths and opportunities in the Region.