Manufacturing in the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday Region is a diverse and dynamic sector – having demonstrated resilience and rapid response to shifts in the regional economy over time.

Key manufacturing industries include mechanical and machinery production for the resources and agricultural sectors, mining equipment, polyurethane products, as well as sugar and ethanol production.

Emerging opportunities exist in further development of advanced manufacturing capabilities, tapping into growing domestic and international markets, as well as in biofutures, another emerging sector utilising renewables for development of a range of bioproducts.

Agriculture comprises 89% of the region’s land use, boasting diverse agricultural commodities dominated by cattle, sugar cane and horticulture (fruits and vegetables). Grains and aquaculture are also significant contributors to the region’s agricultural production.

The region’s 2019-2020 gross value of agricultural production was $1.6 billion. From 5% of Queensland’s land mass, the Greater Whitsunday region delivers around 10% of the state’s agricultural production positioning the region as a key industry contributor in Queensland and Australia.

Mackay’s Future Foods BioHub will focus on the production of alternative foods, protein products and plant extractives

Aquaculture is another sector within Agriculture that is expected to see significant jobs growth. The Greater Whitsunday region will benefit from a $257 million investment by seafood company Tassal Group, which is expected to create up to 1000 operational jobs in Aquaculture..

The Greater Whitsunday region covers 90,354 square km. Comprising of the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday local government areas, the Greater Whitsunday Region is encompassed by St Lawrence in the south, Gumlu in the north to Clermont in the west and the Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday’s group of 74 islands to the east.

The region is one of the most naturally beautiful and resource-rich locations in Australia contributing more than $46 billion in economic output to the Australian economy.

From the largest coal mining deposits in Australia, the Bowen and Galilee basins, the iconic Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands and boasting a diverse agricultural industry which provides over $1.46 billion to the Queensland economy, the region is an economic powerhouse that is key to Queensland’s economy.

The Greater Whitsunday region covers 90,354 square km. Comprising of the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday local government areas, the Greater Whitsunday Region is encompassed by St Lawrence in the south, Gumlu in the north to Clermont in the west and the Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday’s group of 74 islands to the east.

The region is one of the most naturally beautiful and resource-rich locations in Australia contributing more than $46 billion in economic output to the Australian economy.

From the largest coal mining deposits in Australia, the Bowen and Galilee basins, the iconic Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands and boasting a diverse agricultural industry which provides over $1.46 billion to the Queensland economy, the region is an economic powerhouse that is key to Queensland’s economy.

The Greater Whitsunday region covers 90,354 square km. Comprising of the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday local government areas, the Greater Whitsunday Region is encompassed by St Lawrence in the south, Gumlu in the north to Clermont in the west and the Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday’s group of 74 islands to the east.

The region is one of the most naturally beautiful and resource-rich locations in Australia contributing more than $46 billion in economic output to the Australian economy.

From the largest coal mining deposits in Australia, the Bowen and Galilee basins, the iconic Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands and boasting a diverse agricultural industry which provides over $1.46 billion to the Queensland economy, the region is an economic powerhouse that is key to Queensland’s economy.

More than 80% of the region’s population is located in the major centres of Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Maryborough and Kingaroy. The remaining residents live in predominantly rural shires.

On the coast, extreme inundation and erosion events could become more frequent with rising sea levels. Flooding, due to more intense storms, could affect water, sewerage, stormwater, transport and communications infrastructure. Inland, harsher fire weather and the impact of hotter days and extreme heat events will affect infrastructure.
Tourism is a significant industry in the region with a number of iconic ecosystems and the key tourism areas of Fraser Island, Hervey Bay and South Burnett.

The tourism industry is reliant on healthy reef and rainforest environments. The degradation of the reef will not only be a loss of great intrinsic value, it will also come at a great cost to the tourism industry.

Increased temperatures may lead to less water for agriculture, heat damage to horticultural crops and stress on livestock. Conditions may increase plant diseases, weeds and pests, and allow some pest species to move southwards into areas where they are currently excluded.

The Queensland Government's Queensland Train Manufacturing Program will build 65 new six-car passenger trains at a purpose-built manufacturing facility at Torbanlea, in the Maryborough region.

The program will include a partnership with local schools to train students to be the next generation of the local engineering and manufacturing workforce.

The Wide Bay area is a military training area and has been used intensively by artillery regiments and infantry battalions employing armoured vehicles. The Wide Bay Training Area supports 7th Brigade units to conduct combat team training.

The Wide Bay region is recognised as the Gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and includes Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Fraser Island, Kingaroy and smaller regional centres. It is the most populated region outside of South-East Queensland.

This region is home to memorable tourism experiences and filled with innovators with ground-breaking ideas that are putting us on the world map.
In June 2019, ex-HMAS Tobruk was scuttled off the coast of Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Since then, hundreds of people have dived the world-class dive site to view marine wildlife living on the wreck.

Lady Elliot Island has seen an increase in renewable energy infrastructure and it now has the capacity to run on 100% renewable energy. The island has over 653 solar panels and 232 batteries operational across the island.

Traditional industries, including sugarcane and macadamia nut growing are the foundation of world class brands including Bundaberg Sugar, Bundaberg Rum, Bundaberg Ginger Beer and Suncoast Gold Macadamias.

The region also produces citrus, avocados, olives, potatoes, peanuts, beef, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood.

The Wide Bay Burnett is rich in a variety of minerals and many mineral projects are ready for investment to take them to the next level. This Prospectus outlines those projects that should be seriously considered.

Identified resources include gold, coal, silver, silica sand, ilmenite, bauxite, copper, nickel, molybdenum, magnetite, kaolin, limestone, apatite, manganese, scandium, feldspar, siltstone, black granite and clay.

The Wide Bay Burnett region is one of the most diverse regions in Queensland, boasting outstanding natural assets and resources, agricultural land, and unique townships.

The region’s agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing and tourism industries are key contributors to Queensland’s economy.

The Wide Bay Burnett region is one of the most diverse regions in Queensland, boasting outstanding natural assets and resources, agricultural land, and unique townships.

The region’s agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing and tourism industries are key contributors to Queensland’s economy.

The Wide Bay Burnett region is one of the most diverse regions in Queensland, boasting outstanding natural assets and resources, agricultural land, and unique townships.

The region’s agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing and tourism industries are key contributors to Queensland’s economy.

Townsville possesses a significant creative industry sector and is regarded as the cultural hub of North Queensland.

The region has a growing cultural identity, embracing arts, crafts, design, fashion, music, performing arts and the multi-cultural identity of Townsville.

The key components of Townsville’s creative industries are:
• Townsville Civic Theatre – Offering performances in dance, music, opera, comedy and drama from local, featuring Australian and international artists
• Perc Tucker Regional Galley – Townsville’s premier regional art gallery
• Riverway Arts Centre – Townsville’s newest function centre entwining arts, leisure and the natural environment
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre – Providing key insight into traditional and contemporary life and culture.

Townsville’s has a number of creative art schools and production companies, including:
• James Cook University – School of Creative Arts
• Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts
• Townsville Academy of Performing Arts
• Townsville Music and Performing Arts Space
• La Luna Youth Arts.

Townsville North Queensland, is one of Australia’s prime strategic Defence regions. It has significant Australian Defence Force representation, an extensive industry network, and an established ready workforce with a demonstrated capacity for growth and innovation.

There are significant opportunities for industry to partner with JCU and co-located research institutions including the CSIRO and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM) to lead innovative research programs in fields of tropical health, human performance, marine science and biosecurity.

The Townsville Manufacturing Hub, located on the TAFE Queensland campus, provides a place for local manufacturing businesses to receive support to transition to advanced manufacturing through world-leading technologies. With a focus on
advanced manufacturing (primarily metal production), the hub will boost regional innovation, manufacturing productivity, and upskill the regional workforce.

By 2030, Townsville North Queensland will be a preferred location for allied forces training, an Army home base of choice and the Australian Defence Force Forward Mounting Base.

The location offers significant development opportunities. These are:
• Defence Simulation Training
• Integrated Soldier Systems Centre of Excellence
• Defence Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
• Maritime Replenishment and Logistics
• Joint Amphibious Force Capability
• Aviation Super Base for Army

North Queensland is absolutely central to the industry’s future, because of the wealth of critical minerals in the North-West Minerals Province, including copper, vanadium and cobalt that are essential for advanced and renewable technologies

North Queensland will be home to a whole new industry, mining, processing and manufacturing vanadium initially, and other critical minerals in the future.

The opportunities in North Queensland include mining and processing the minerals for vanadium, zinc bromine and iron flow batteries, cobalt and nickel used in lithium-ion batteries, high-purity alumina for LEDs, batteries and semiconductors, rare earth elements used in electronics and silicon for solar panels and semiconductors.

An Australian-first critical minerals demonstration facility which will be expanded to include more than just vanadium will be built in Townsville to unlock Queensland’s next mining and manufacturing boom.

Agricultural land in Townsville North Queensland occupies 85% of the region. Sugarcane is the region’s major agricultural commodity, producing $479 million of gross value followed by beef cattle ($295 million). Other significant regional agricultural commodities include various horticulture including melons, sweet corn, beans, mangoes, and capsicum.

North Queensland’s agricultural sector (including key sub-sectors of broad-acre, livestock, horticulture and aquaculture) represents significant growth opportunities for the region.
strong reputation for quality and safety of the region’s produce is driving demand from high growth international markets including China, the Middle East, South Asia and ASEAN.

The North Queensland region spans from Ingham in the North to the Whitsundays in the south, and as far west as Mount Isa. It incorporates the regional centres of Townsville, Mackay, the shire of Burdekin, as well as smaller rural towns including Charters Towers, Bowen, and Normanton.

A full range of study areas are offered in North Queensland including automotive, beauty and hairdressing, building and construction, business, child care, community services, electrotechnology and utilities, engineering, general education and training, horticulture, hospitality and cookery, information technology, nursing and health, tourism, resources and infrastructure, and visual arts.

James Cook University offers a number of avenues for engagement between business and industry. Whether you need research capacity or professional development opportunities, or want to host an intern, JCU can assist.

Townsville is the largest centre in the Northern Region, whilst Mount Isa is the largest centre in the North West Region. Mining and agricultural sectors employ 5.1% and 4.1% of the workforce respectively and are the largest export sectors.

Health care and social assistance, pubic administration and safety, and retail trade are the three largest sectors by employment.

North Queensland has long been a base for various major industries, including mineral processing, sugar mills, beef processing and concrete batching plants.
Industries considered for the region include sea, air, rail and road-dependent industrial uses such as manufacturing (chemicals and metals production), minerals processing, food processing, intermodal freight and logistics and bulk storage.

The region is home to key defence bases including Lavarack Barracks (one of Australia’s largest), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Townsville (co-located with Townsville Airport) and the Ross Island Barracks. The Port of Townsville also supports naval operations for both Australia and foreign vessels.

Townsville is the base for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef studies, TropWATER, CSIRO and ReefHQ aquarium.