Projections for climate change in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Region include higher temperatures, higher evaporation rates, changes to the distribution and intensity of rainfall, severe and more frequent heatwaves resulting in more severe bushfire weather and a longer bushfire season.

These risks will have impacts for agricultural activities in the region, where producers will need to invest in methods and infrastructure to mitigate high temperatures and conserve water.

The Illawarra region has a strong focus on creative industries.

Wollongong City Council is committed to fostering growth in creative industries. The Council recognises that creative occupations, some of which also fall into the professional, scientific and technical services sector, play a key role in the broader vibrancy of Wollongong and underpin the great liveability residents enjoy.

Wollongong has a very passionate and active creative community. During the development of Creative Wollongong many people working in these types of jobs expressed concern about having to move out of the area to chase opportunities.

Known for its 100 beautiful beaches, abundant wildlife, and boutique food and wine scene, the Shoalhaven is one of the top-visited destinations in Australia, but cultural tourists are in for a treat with the re-imagining of Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon. Arthur Boyd chose the Shoalhaven as his place to live and make work, and his legacy lives on with the new fantastic Bundanon, his gift to the people.

Australia’s only regional art museum accompanied by seven delightful art and culture trails, all within 2 hours from Sydney and Canberra.

Sectors such as health, education, aged care, retail and hospitality will remain important employers in the Illawarra regions of Wollongong, and continue to make a critical contribution to the economy.

There is a particular focus on the knowledge economy.
• ICT/Tech
• Financial and Insurance Services
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services • Public Administration and Safety
• Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services

Additional sectors targeted by Advantage Wollongong, and also this Strategy, include:
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Defence
• Medical Science and Technology
• Scale-ups

UOW has a strong research focus, with over 270 academic and research collaborations worldwide. The UOW Innovation Campus is a dedicated technology precinct where organisations can co-locate with leading research institutions and access an ecosystem to create connections, build networks and fast track their growth. UOW has an impressive track record in collaborating with industry to drive new products and processes, giving local companies a competitive edge internationally.

Established in 2011 by UOW, the SMART Infrastructure Facility brings together experts from fields such as transport, water, energy, economics, modelling and simulation and provides a state-of-the-art facility to support this important research.
The dedicated team of researchers tackle infrastructure issues from an integrated and multi-disciplinary perspective, with a focus on how infrastructure and social behaviour intersect to ensure more liveable cities and regions.

An international leader in applied infrastructure research, the SMART Infrastructure Facility
is helping to address the challenges of infrastructure planning and management both now and into the future.

An emerging area of entrepreneurship in Wollongong is the growing start-up community, which often involves tech-based businesses. One way this has been encouraged is through programs such as iAccelerate. There has also been a less structured formation of new tech-based businesses that are choosing to locate in Wollongong, develop their ideas and solutions and then export them to the world.

Wollongong is already home to several successful ICT based companies that have an established presence in national and international markets and UOW is obviously a recognised producer of IT talent. ICT companies located in Wollongong include NEC, Accelo, iTree, Easy Agile and Internetrix.

The talent pool of graduates represents an ongoing source of future employees for the tech sector. For example, in 2016 more than half (57%) of young graduates in this field who were living in Wollongong in 2011 were working elsewhere by 2016 as they left Wollongong to gain employment elsewhere.

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.

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.

The Illawarra region contains unique features that make it an ideal location for a Renewable Energy Zone. The region already hosts major energy, port and transport infrastructure, has a skilled workforce, has the potential to harness significant offshore wind generation and has strong demand for future hydrogen projects, including for future green steel production.

The Illawarra has a well-developed ecosystem of organisations involved with defence related procurement activities including a range of manufacturing services as well as research activities.

Wollongong and Shoalhaven companies offer a wide-range of products and services with growing opportunities to service the defence industries. These include:
• Military-grade communications systems
• Armoured steel plate
• High-end welding and engineering
• Engineered plastics and polyurethane
• Electrical isolators and enclosures
• Specialist protective coatings
• Base safety systems
• Ruggedised medical computing devices
• Specialist labour services

The armoured steel for the Collins-class submarines, Adelaide-class frigates and the Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) projects was manufactured in Wollongong. Leading defence research and development organisations in Wollongong include:
• Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC)
• The SMART Infrastructure Facility
• The Steel Research Hub
• The Centre for Computer and Information
Security Research

The Illawarra is overlooked from the spectacular lookouts at the top of the Eastern Escarpment as you approach Wollongong, driving south from Sydney. It is this juxtaposition of mountain and beach that gives the whole south coast region its special character and nowhere is this environment better illustrated than here in the Illawarra, where the escarpment actually meets the sea.

A circular economy is one that exchanges the typical cycle of make, use, dispose in favour of maximising re-use and recycling. The longer materials and resources are in use, the more value is extracted from them. The circular economy concept is best, and most often, applied in relation to resource consumption and regeneration.

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.

Just 2 hours north of Sydney is the start of the Mid North Coast where you will discover a venue to suit your needs whether it’s classical or contemporary music, theatre, dance or other performance arts. Extending as far north as Coffs Harbour the Mid North Coast is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia with over 325,000 people to be entertained.

Creative Industries is a sector that harnesses a range of creative and business skills for commercial production and dissemination. Creative industries include film and television production, broadcasting, electronic games, architecture, design and fashion, publishing, media and advertising.

It is widely recognised that arts and culture make a powerful contribution to the overall health of individuals and community wellbeing. Arts, cultural and learning environments provide many contexts for lifelong learning beyond traditional schooling.

Research shows that engagement in creative activities, art practices and education activities outside of traditional education settings (in places such as public libraries, museums and galleries) can help build soft skills, self-esteem and confidence, helping to re-engage young people who have dropped out of school.

The Bunker Cartoon Gallery (a building leased and subsidised by Council) is Australia's only dedicated cartoon gallery managed by a community organisation Bunker Cartoon Gallery Inc. (BCGI). It houses the largest private collection of original cartoons nationally.

The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens 160 km north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolga, 562 km north of Sydney, a distance of roughly 400 km. It also includes the World Heritage Area of Lord Howe Island, about 600km east of Port Macquarie.

The Mid North Coast lies between the Great Divide and the east coast. The landscape is typified by winding rivers that feed lush hinterland, and over one hundred kilometres of pristine beaches. It benefits from a high rainfall and is considered by many to have the most ideal climate in Australia. Taree, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie.

Over the last twenty years the NSW Mid North Coast Region has evolved from a coastal retirement and tourist destination with a significant agricultural base - forestry, fishing and farming to a region with a diversified service- based economy.

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.

Agriculture is a key industry for the Mid North Coast both economically and for the scenic and environmental qualities attributed to the rural lands on which agriculture is undertaken.

The Mid North Coast is richly diverse in agricultural commodities and highly innovative in the processing and development of food and beverage products. The area is particularly important for horticultural activities, beef and dairy farming. Fruit and nut production is the dominant industry, including blueberries, bananas and avocadoes. The Mid North Coast also produces cut flowers and milk.

Blueberries are labour intensive, requiring hand-picking, in turn generating seasonal labour opportunities locally. The OzGroup Co-operative operates a purpose-built packing facility in Woolgoolga and a larger packing facility in Coffs Harbour employing over 30 permanent employees and hundreds of seasonal workers each year.

The Costa Berry is at the forefront of genetic growing and innovation and exports to some of the most demanding markets in the world. They are a major employer with more than 6,000 workers across their growing regions during peak season. Costa also have a close relationship with a number of universities across Australia and offer an extensive formal and informal graduate program and a range of university scholarships.

The Norco milk factory at Raleigh, near Bellingen is dedicated to producing dairy based products including Norco branded milk, cream and custard.

Greenleaf Farm at Clybucca is a large-scale intensive horticulture operation with over 600 greenhouses in vegetable production.

Mayfield Farm produces a variety of free-range meats and eggs, but pork is their primary product. They sell their gourmet produce at the farm gate and through local independent supermarkets, specialty shops and growers’ markets.

The Nambucca River is an exceptional environment for growing Sydney Rock Oysters due to a healthy catchment system that supports good growth, survival, condition and taste.

Prime Water Oysters is a new oyster farm with big ideas. The farm is located in a growing area known as Middle Nambucca, situated midway between the townships of Nambucca Heads and Macksville. It currently holds 600,000 oysters, up to half of which are harvested each season.

Food and Beverage Manufacturing is the largest sub sector of our region’s Manufacturing industry. Add in the Agriculture & Fishing sector, of a comparable size, and it’s clear the food industry is a crucial one for the Mid North Coast.

Food and Beverage Manufacturing has a particularly large flow on effect for the regional economy and for local jobs. Every time a new job is created in Food and Beverage Manufacturing, an additional 2 jobs are spawned in other industries.

Wingham Beef Exports have been processing prime quality beef since 1995, when Japanese company, Nippon Ham Foods, purchased the processing sites at Wingham and Macksville.
With almost 400 workers engaged across the two sites, Wingham Beef Exports is an important part of the local economy.

The Raleigh milk factory near Bellingen is one of two milk factories run by Norco. The factory is dedicated to making dairy based products such as the range of Norco branded white milks, flavoured milks, cream, sour cream and custard. The factory produces 41 million litres of bottled milk every year.

Saxbys is Australia’s oldest family-owned soft drink manufacturer. Saxbys produces its own brands of traditional flavours as well as contract packing for others. In recent years they have added some new styles such as ginger lime and bitters, ginger and pineapple, ginger and cranberry, and fun seasonal styles like toffee apple, snazzberry and grape.

The Nestlé factory at Smithtown still produces the MILO we drink in Australia, as well as exporting to New Zealand. The Smithtown factory also produces a range of other popular Nestlé products, most recently the new NESCAFÉ Café Menu range. Around half of the raw materials used at the factory are still sourced locally, including barley, rice, sugar and milk powder.

Our region is home to a diverse range of population groups, including Aboriginal people, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people, refugees, people on low incomes, people living in small, isolated communities, people with disabilities and other minority groups.

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.

A circular economy is one that exchanges the typical cycle of ‘make, use, dispose’ in favour of maximising re-use and recycling. The longer materials and resources are in use, the more value is extracted from them. The circular economy concept is best, and most often, applied in relation to resource consumption and regeneration.

For the agricultural industry a circular economy presents possibilities for significant efficiencies and input cost reductions through energy generation and smart grid distribution, innovative off-grid energy solutions, recycled water use, and opportunities for renewables and waste solutions.