City of Newcastle adopted Our Sustainable Waste Strategy on 22 November 2022. The Strategy sets a vision for reducing waste, increasing recycling rates, strengthening the economy and creating new jobs within Newcastle over the next 20 years.

The Northern Rivers region is situated in the far north-easterly corner of NSW Australia, encompassing the Tweed Valley and coastal towns of Byron Bay and Ballina in the North, Yamba, Maclean and Grafton in the south and inland to the business and rural townships of Lismore, Casino and Kyogle. It has three major river systems that flow through the region – the Tweed River, the Richmond River and the Clarence River.

The Region’s economic beginnings lie in the timber trade. Over time, development has seen expansion into agriculture and tourism, which has led to growth in population and business services.

Business income in the Northern Rivers is concentrated in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Construction, Financial and Insurance Services, Manufacturing and Retail Trade. Together, these sectors make up more than half of the Northern Rivers’ business income.

Perth in Western Australia is home to five world-class universities.

Curtin University is an innovative, global university known for its high-impact research, strong industry partnerships and commitment to preparing you for jobs of the future.

Edith Cowan University aims to extend knowledge and improve the quality of life for Australians and people across the globe. Our research priorities focus on solving real world problems across social, economic, physical and environmental domains.

Murdoch University research institutes have been designed to engage with our regions, as it is in these areas, outside the Perth metropolitan area, where our research can have the strongest impact, improving on-ground management, policy and health outcomes.

University of Western Australia is recognised for resolving real-world challenges that are critical to the planet and its people. We collaborate on creating knowledge to drive business and industry forward.

The Armidale Region’s largest employers include the education and training sector, health care, retail trade, agriculture and the accommodation and food services sector.

The industry sectors which drive the region’s economy in terms of regional exports, employment and industry value-added include Agri-business, Tourism and Education. These are the three ‘pillars’ of the Armidale regional economy.

While the benefits to individual businesses may be clear, exports are also critical to Australia’s economy. They facilitate international trade and drive economic wealth by creating employment, production and revenue opportunities.

Australia has a network of 15 free trade agreements with countries across the globe and this gives Australian businesses preferential access to markets across Asia, as well as North and South America. The country is also in negotiations for free trade agreements with the United Kingdom, European Union and India.

There are many factors to consider when deciding where to export your goods or services. A country’s economic situation, population, customer profile and access to industries can all play a role.

Research is crucial in any sound export strategy. When researching to identify markets for export opportunities, some key considerations should include determining who your target audience is and what the competition is like. How will your product be positioned in this market and how would you distribute your products? There may also be different regulatory requirements to consider.

The Sunshine Coast encompasses beach resorts, surf spots and rural hinterland in southern Queensland, Australia. It stretches from the coastal city of Caloundra, near Brisbane, north to the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park, home to multicoloured sand dunes, mangrove forests, and shallow lakes. Upscale Noosa Heads has boutique shops, waterways, and walking trails through Noosa National Park.

The Sunshine Coast’s economy continues to evolve into a modern, ‘smart’ economy based on sound growth across numerous high valued and knowledge-based sectors including professional business services, innovative manufacturing and numerous high-tech start-ups.

The strength of the regional economy is based in its diversity and strength across a number of key sectors including healthcare, education, finance and professional business services.

The Sunshine Coast is home to industry disruptors like Youi, Huddle, Gourmet Garden, Country Chef, Ambrose Building, Auto & General, Get Wines Direct and Office HQ.

Businesses tap into an inspired workforce of more than 83,000 students across University of Sunshine Coast, two TAFE campuses and more than 150 registered training organisations.

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.

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.

The Mid West hosts a rich diversity of industry and opportunity for investors. Join in this growing economy that comprises mining, tourism, fishing, agriculture industries and a wide array of mineral wealth comprising iron ore, mineral sands, talc, energy deposits, natural gas, silver, nickel and copper.

The Gascoyne showcases a diverse economy with tourism playing the key role in wealth creation in conjunction with fishing, horticultural, mining and pastoralism. The strong growth of the tourism sector, good water resources and management of natural environment, encourages economic and social development in this region.

Barwon South West has three economies - inland agriculture, coastal tourism and a manufacturing and social base in Geelong.

Barwon South West is comprised of Greater Geelong, Queenscliffe, Surf Coast, Colac Otway, Corangamite, Moyne, Warrnambool, Southern Grampians and Glenelg.

The main industries are manufacturing, retail trade, health care, construction, education and training, agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism. Manufacturing, health and retail trade are currently the largest employing industries, although the economy has significant opportunities for growth in new energy, advanced manufacturing and food security industries.

With rich agricultural land and UNESCO listed Aboriginal cultural sites, our economy has strengths and opportunities in advanced manufacturing, high-value agriculture, sustainable and cultural tourism, green hydrogen, renewable energy, health and community services and innovative education, training and co-working spaces.

Achieving shared objectives in growing regional prosperity such as growing employment, tackling disadvantage, addressing population ageing and building digital and physical infrastructure, requires an integrated approach between the three levels of government and across government portfolios, business, individuals and community groups.

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and viticulture are the primary industries in the region.

The region has abundant natural resources which include forestry, manufacturing, tourism, engineering, transport, retail, health, education and service industries.

As exporters the Limestone Coast region is renowned internationally for supplying dairy, world class wines, nutritious beef and lamb grown on lush green pastures, fresh clean seafood from the pristine ocean waters bordering the regions coast and for the prominence of its plantation forestry areas.

Mount Gambier and surrounding regions have an abundance of renewable energy and more renewable energy opportunities than any other city in Australia, including, wind, solar, geothermal, pumped-hydro and bio-fuels.

Mount Gambier is the major service centre for the Limestone Coast. The area has many natural attractions, including volcanic craters, lakes, limestone caves, sinkholes and underground aquifers surrounded by a city with a wide range of accommodation, shopping and entertainment opportunities.

Healthy soil is crucial to plant health. Soil microbes have a symbiotic relationship with plants, as plants provide sugars/exudates to microbes and microbes make nutrients bio-available for plants, plants then provide nutrients to animals and plants and animals provide vital nutrients to humans. Healthy Soil - Healthy Plants - Healthy People.

Plants produce complex organic molecules like sugars that they exude from their roots to encourage the microorganism populations that comprise a healthy soil. In turn, microorganisms, by way of their complex ecology, release minerals that are already in the soil so that they are bio-available to plants. Microorganisms such as fungi with their extensive network of filaments, deliver water and nutrients from a wider area than the plant roots cover. These symbiotic relationships between microorganisms in the soil and the plants above are natural processes and will maintain themselves, provided they are not destroyed by excessive chemical or mechanical disturbance.

This natural process of productive plant/soil symbiosis can be fast tracked by inoculating the soil with the biological agents that a soil lacks, and reducing chemical fertiliser and pesticide use. Other factors which limit microbial and plant growth, such as salt, compaction, or extreme lack of available nutrients, can be overcome by the addition of appropriate biological agents and, in some cases, nutrients

The Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions have a strong and diverse economy, including an incredible rate of growth over the last two decades. Our region offers a wide range of employment, educational, sporting and cultural opportunities.

Brisbane has rapidly emerged as an influential leader in the Asia Pacific and a highly desirable place to do business. The city’s growing global recognition was accelerated by its highly successful staging of the 2014 G20 World Leaders Summit. Capitalising on its enhanced international reputation, Brisbane is shaping itself as a vibrant hub and world leader attracting industry sectors that are globally scalable in the new world economy.

New investment helps to establish Brisbane as a global hub for competitively advantageous industries. Brisbane’s strong growth prospects can be leveraged to attract new investment to the city, even during a time when global investment trends are weak.

Specific advantages linked to Brisbane include:
 competitively positioning Brisbane within Asia as a global centre of excellence for mining and energy technologies
 a desirable location to support fly-in fly-out operations
 significant and growing capacity in innovative manufacturing, ICT, design, creative industries, biomedical, education, research, food manufacturing, clean technologies, aviation and logistics
 large and continuing infrastructure investments  a single council looking after most of the
capital city economy
 a world class air and sea port located close to the city, with capacity to accommodate new industrial developments within the precinct at Australia TradeCoast.

Tasmania has a strong and growing economy, and with a growing economy comes a growth in employment opportunities. Health care and social assistance is the largest employment sector in the state followed by retail, and education and training.

The Northern Rivers region is situated in the far north-easterly corner of NSW Australia, encompassing the Tweed Valley and coastal towns of Byron Bay and Ballina in the North, Yamba, Maclean and Grafton in the south and inland to the business and rural townships of Lismore, Casino and Kyogle. It has three major river systems that flow through the region – the Tweed River, the Richmond River and the Clarence River.

The Region’s economic beginnings lie in the timber trade. Over time, development has seen expansion into agriculture and tourism, which has led to growth in population and business services.

Business income in the Northern Rivers is concentrated in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Construction, Financial and Insurance Services, Manufacturing and Retail Trade. Together, these sectors make up more than half of the Northern Rivers’ business income.

Historically and as the economic hub for Central Queensland, our Region has many strengths in agriculture, mining services, energy, construction, education and health services. Our strategic location as a logistics hub well serviced by road, rail, air and sea positions us positively for future opportunities as Northern, Central and Southern Australia continue to grow.

CORE works with members and stakeholders on innovative solutions to challenging soil related issues. From enhancing agricultural soils to treating complex soil contamination issues, CORE develops solutions using methods and technologies involving bio-products tailor-made for the situation.

Western Australia has a world-class health and medical life sciences ecosystem. It features a highly-skilled, collaborative medical research workforce, outstanding research infrastructure and a number of highly-regarded medical research institutes.

Perth has a rapidly growing and very active health and medical innovation ecosystem, comprising a mix of private businesses, universities, public hospitals and non- governmental organisations.

In 2019 there were more than 41 biotech and pharmaceutical companies and 53 medtech and digital health companies, along with 22 research institutions and 63 services and support organisations.

This growing sector presents opportunities to build on expertise in high need areas including
• medical research,
• new gene technologies,
• phenomics, medical technology,
• long-term population health studies,
• data linkage and,
• digital health solutions.
The strong research base is the engine room for creating innovative commercial opportunities. All five universities have strengths in the life sciences, as do the excellent medical research institutes – Telethon Kids, Harry Perkins, Lions Eye and Perron.

The state has been home to the development of very successful companies, which have subsequently grown nationally or internationally – Avita, iCeutica, and Sirtex to name a few.

The current group of companies on the rise is extremely encouraging, with Linear Clinical Research, Ozgene, Orthocell, Suda, and Gelflex garnering successes. While emerging businesses such as OncoRes, Respirion, Artrya, and Singular Health are burgeoning rapidly.

A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.
There has been considerable concern in Australia in recent years about recycling efforts, and what happens to our products once they are recycled. This was brought into focus by China's decision to ban the import of foreign waste from January 2018
Australia exports recyclable material to over 100 countries. The three main categories of which are metals, paper and cardboard, and plastics. In 2016–17 Australia exported some 4.23 mega tonnes of recycled materials, a considerable amount of which went to China. Therefore, the decision made by China to ban the import of foreign waste has a direct impact on recycling and waste management practices in Australia.
So where do we go from here?
Towards a circular economy.
The objective of a circular economy is to maximise value at each point in a product's life. A circular economy seeks to close industrial loops and to turn outputs from one manufacturer into inputs for another and, in doing so, reduce the consumption of virgin materials and the generation of waste.
Some of the essential elements necessary for a circular economy are to:
• design and manufacture products that are made from recycled materials (rather than virgin resources), that can be repaired and/or recycled back into the system;
• establish repair centres as part of this design and manufacture process, so that items can be repaired;
• establish collection systems so that items unable to be repaired are collected, rather than disposed of in landfill;
• ensure that there is adequate and appropriate recycling facility infrastructure in place, taking into account location and sorting capacity; and
• encourage manufacturers to purchase recycled materials, thereby closing the production loop.
There are two primary business models under the circular economy - those that foster reuse and extend the life of a product through repair, remanufacture, upgrades and retrofits, and those that turn old goods at the end of their service life into as-new resources by recycling the materials they contain.