NSW is home to the largest number of defence bases and capabilities of any state or territory and is home to one quarter of Australia’s military and defence civilian personnel. All three services have significant bases throughout the state, including major sustainment hubs for the Australian Army at Holsworthy Barracks, the Royal Australian Navy at Garden Island and the Royal Australian Air Force at Williamtown.

Each service has operational level headquarters and significant training units located across the state.

Greater Sydney provides a harbour for the Royal Australian Navy base, Victoria Barracks, Randwick Barracks, Liverpool Military Area, and RAAF bases Richmond and Glenbrook.

Research and Development related to defence is conducted at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics at University of Sydney, the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) at the University of NSW and the Centre for Autonomous Systems at the University of Technology Sydney.

Greater Sydney has advanced manufacturing capacity in technologies identified as critical to the success of the Defence Force in the coming years.

These include:
• acoustic technologies and systems
• complex system integration
• cybersecurity
• advanced materials and optics
• helicopter and jet engine maintenance and simulation
• intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
• electronic warfare
• space technologies
• small arms manufacturing.

Sydney is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. The Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

Tour the Sydney Opera House, climb the Harbour Bridge, swim at Bondi Beach, visit the zoos and aquariums, explore aboriginal culture and watch whales frolic off the coast.

Waste is a significant and increasing contributor to emissions. Moving to a circular economy will reduce emissions and improve sustainability of our cities and infrastructure. This will require major changes to waste management, recycling, and reuse across the six cities.

Increasing the separation of household food and organic waste can generate renewable energy and reduce emissions. This may require innovative solutions in higher-density areas where fewer households have access to their own garden, including through the development of community-led ‘maker spaces’ or ‘circular economy hubs’.

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.

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.

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 Hunter is one of NSW’s most popular destinations, located just two hours’ drive north of Sydney. Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie are the major cities, surrounded by the regional centres, which include Cessnock, Muswellbrook, Port Stephens, Scone, Singleton and Taree.

The Hunter features coastal and valley landscapes, internationally renowned wine production, important natural areas, both urban and rural lifestyles and extensive mining resources. Together with its global companies, these features make the Hunter an attractive place to work, live and play.

The region is also home to a multi-million dollar thoroughbred horse breeding industry, world-class wineries and national parks, and its river estuaries are the largest oyster producers in the state.

The Port of Newcastle is the largest coal export port in the world, with its overall exports valued at almost $18.5 billion in 2016-17.

Williamtown RAAF base sits at the heart of the region’s defence sector and is supported by a hub of important defence and aerospace companies. It is co-located with the Newcastle Airport, currently servicing 1.2 million passengers annually.

The advanced manufacturing sector in the Hunter-based industries continues to develop new products and processes in many traditional industries including medical, energy, food, wine and supply chains using smart technologies.

The Darling Downs manufacturing sector is worth around $2.8b annually to the local economy with approximately 380 businesses focusing predominantly on food and metal related products. With some support, local manufacturing could increase substantially.
The Federal Government has launched the Modern Manufacturing Strategy to make Australian manufacturers more internationally competitive, help businesses scale-up and where possible adopt advanced manufacturing technologies to improve outputs. The strategy has chosen six industries based on Australia’s competitive advantage, which will become the manufacturing sector’s focus. These sectors include:
• Resources technology and critical minerals processing
• Food and beverage
• Medical products
• Recycling and clean energy
• Defence
• Space
Pixie Ice Cream have invested in packaging automation equipment from German-based company Schubert. This has significantly increased their production capacity to service the Australian and now international markets. Home Style Bake purchased machinery from Switzerland that will triple the output of their bread roll manufacturing. Wagner’s Composite Fibre Technologies recently introduced new robotic technology, enabling cross arms production to increase from 1,000 to 20,000 per month. Oakey Beef recently completed an automated cold storage facility and robotic palletising system.

Toowoomba for Climate Action is playing our part to keep global average temperatures in a safe, liveable range, so that all humans, other species, and living systems can flourish.

Did you know that Toowoomba Regional Council was the first in Queensland to capture landfill methane for energy production?

Council has both reduced the emissions it is responsible for by 80% and now saves ratepayers over $1 million/year in energy savings!

Council’s most demanding energy user, the Wetalla Water Reclamation Facility, is now 90-100% supplied with free renewable power.

Dozens of other Councils have been inspired by Toowoomba Regional Council to do similar projects on their own landfills.

As a cultural hub of the Darling Downs for more than 100 years, The Empire continues to serve our community with a focus on developing the arts in our region, delivering world class entertainment locally and telling the important stories.

Economic Development agencies include Regional Development Australia Darling Downs and South West and State Government agencies including the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure & Planning and Trade & Investment Queensland (TIQ), plus Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, University of Southern Queensland (USQ), TAFE Queensland South West, the Toowoomba region’s Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), Tourism Darling Downs, Southern Queensland Country Tourism and regional business chambers and associations.

Apprenticeships and traineeships are excellent examples of pathways into work that have proven to be effective. But they are specific to certain occupations.

Apprentices and trainees made up about 10 per cent of the pathways people take into the workforce. He said policymakers needed to create better vocational education and training (VET) courses to give young people stronger options outside universities and apprenticeships.

3.9 million people were enrolled in vocational education and training last year, but up to 2.4 million of those were in short courses such as first aid and construction safety.

Toowoomba and its surrounding regions which include the Maranoa, Western Downs, Southern Downs, Goondiwindi, Burnett and Moree regions, is a food producing powerhouse for Australia.

The food capability of these council areas is driven by the diversity of fresh and value added products grown and produced in these locations.

Key agricultural outputs for this catchment include cotton, grain, beef, pork, poultry, dairy and fruit and vegetables. Aiding the regions food capability are the regions' research facilities, including the University of Southern Queensland’s Institute for Agriculture and the Environment which focuses on developing solutions for a sustainable and profitable future for the rural sector.