Wingecarribee ABOUT THE REGION Perfectly located almost midway between Sydney and Canberra, Wingecarribee, also known as the Southern Highlands, is home to a vibrant and diverse community of urban, agricultural and natural environments working in harmony. With a population of around 49,000 people and covering an area of 2,700 square kilometres, the Southern Highlands is located at or above 640 metres above sea level. The region is made up of a number of towns, small villages and locations, with the main towns including Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale and villages including Berrima, Bundanoon, Colo Vale, Hill Top and Robertson, Burrawang, Exeter, Sutton Forest and Canyonleigh. MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES - MAIN TOWNS No of sales Price Bowral 2016 253 $880K 2017 187 $925K Mittagong 2016 125 $665K 2017 97 $735K Moss vale 2016 214 $588K 2017 140 $695K MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES - VILLAGES No of sales Price Bundanoon 2016 83 $680K 2017 66 $725K Colo vale DRIVING TIMES BOWRAL Colo vale 2016 27 $560K Wollongong 1 hours, 6 minutes 2017 20 $650K Port Kembla 1 hours, 7 minutes 2017 20 $650K Robertson Sydney airport 1 hour, 10 minutes 2016 38 $602K Sydney CBD 1 hour, 30 minutes 2017 42 $748K Canberra CBD 1 hour, 55 minutes Melbourne 7 hours, 30 minutes Page 1 Economic Snapshot PEOPLE AVERAGE INCOME POPULATION 49,070 $1,335 pw POPULATION GROWTH SINCE 2011 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 6% 3.1% PROJECTED GROWTH TO 2031 (SEPT 2017) 16% 18,854 LOCAL JOBS 46 GPs PER 10,000 PEOPLE 97% OF THE JOBS IN WINGECARRIBEE ARE DONE BY PLACES PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE LGA $930K MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE (TOWNS) 14 PRIMARY SCHOOLS $795K MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE (VILLAGES) 5 HIGH SCHOOLS 5,212 BUSINESSES $60M 2016 VALUE OF BUILDING APPROVALS PRODUCTS EXPORTS 2016 TOP 3 INDUSTRIES BY $1,724M EMPLOYMENT - HEALTHCARE & - SOCIAL ASSISTANCE - RETAIL TRADE ) 12.4%* GROSS VALUE ADDED 2016 (GVA - EDUCATION & TRAINING MANUFACTURING 8.7% $2,659M ECONOMIC *HEADLINE GROSS TOURISM & HOSPITALITY 5.2% GROWTH REGIONAL PRODUCT JUNE 2015-2016 GVA AGRICULTURE 4.1% Page 2 EVERYTHING ELSE 82% $261M TOTAL TOURISM & HOSPITALITY SALES IN 2016 Competitive Advantage UNEMPLOYMENT RATE The Wingecarribee Shire is identified by the NSW State Government as one of the fastest growing Local Government Areas, with an 3.1% anticipated 16 per cent population increase and target of 9,000 new jobs by 2031. It is a highly desirable tourist destination with over 1,300,000 visitors a year. (SEPT 2017) LIFESTYLE EDUCATION With 49,000 now calling the Southern A good education for all is not only Highlands. Each month a colourful array Highlands home, it is guaranteed that living desirable in the Southern Highlands it is of markets spring up in the towns and here will provide an enviable lifestyle – be it achievable, with parents being able to villages where shoppers can meet the for business or pleasure. choose from public and private options makers and purchase the labours of The Southern Highlands is close to the from pre-schools through to secondary their love such as fresh local produce, coast and the city, being approximately 1½ schools, co-ed and single sex schools. plants, flowers, patchwork, craft, wools hours from both Sydney and Canberra. The Schools range from pre-schools designed and yarns, needle craft, tapestries and region is beautiful, green, rural and relaxed. like a home away from home in many cases, fabric. The region is safe and friendly, those who to small village primary schools offering a choose to settle here can enjoy great leisure smaller overall school environment, to HEALTHCARE 14 PRIMARY SCHOOLS and transport facilities and a wonderful larger public and private primary schools Healthcare options, services and access place to study or do business. offering extensive curriculums and public are many and varied in the Southern 5 HIGH SCHOOLS Wingecarribee has four distinct seasons, high schools and exclusive secondary Highlands including a public and private amazing walks, cycling for all interests, boarding schools. hospital, medical centres and a large great schools and hospitals - both public There are tertiary options too with the component of private practice GPs and and private - country lanes, boutique Illawarra TAFE and a campus of the Specialists. shopping, market days, roadside stalls and University of Wollongong located in Moss Ancillary services include dental, optical, a real sense of community. Vale. orthopaedic, physio, chiropractic, The Southern Highlands is a place that remedial, natural practitioners, podiatry people want to live. There are locals who SHOPPING and more. There is also a wide range are born and bred in the region living The Southern Highlands abounds with an of services for the elderly, with 46% of alongside a great assortment of others who eclectic mix of fashion retail and specialty Southern Highlands residents aged 50+ have chosen to make the Highlands their shops for all tastes and ages. Shoppers years. home. It is a place you will feel welcome no will discover an array of treasures from TOP 3 INDUSTRIES BY fashion and designer accessories to TRANSPORTATION matter what. The Southern Highlands’ towns are linked artworks, vintage wares, antiques and EMPLOYMENT by bus and rail services. collectables, elegant home wares, quality Sydney Trains services link Yerrinbool, bed linen, hand crafted furniture, one-off Mittagong, Bowral, Burradoo, Moss Vale clothing, boots and locally made jewellery. and Bundanoon, offering access to and Unique purchases and shopping from Sydney. experiences could include taking home NSW Trainlink operates daily to and from an amazingly soft alpaca garment or Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. going back in time and visiting the many Buses operate to and from Moss Vale to stall holders located in marketplace style Nowra and Wollongong and link Colo Vale shopping areas. and Hill Top to Sydney Train services at And markets – they’re big in the Southern Picton. $261M TOTAL TOURISM & HOSPITALITY SALES IN 2016 Page 3 Industries & Opportunities INDUSTRY MIX Since the mid 1980s, population growth, urbanisation and other changes have led to declining numbers of people working in primary industries and to the development of secondary and tertiary industries. More recently there is more of a trend towards trade manufacturing, health care and social assistance, construction, education and training and accommodation and food services. Anticipated population growth within the Sydney to Canberra corridor up to 2031 will present significant opportunities for future economic development and employment creation in the area. ENVIRONMENT Wingecarribee Shire is rich in biodiversity with large areas of high conservation value including part of the World Heritage Greater Blue Mountains area and two declared wilderness areas. Environmental features include cold climatic conditions, rugged topography and significant areas of state forest, national park and other protected lands that form part of the Sydney Water Catchment area. Eastern parts of the Shire are bounded by the Illawarra Escarpment and Morton National Park. The north abuts Nepean and Avon dam catchments and is comprised of rugged eucalypt bushland. In the west, the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee rivers flow through deep sandstone valleys which form part of the Warragamba dam catchment. Southern reaches of the Shire are bounded by Uringalla Creek and comprise sandstone plateau dissected by deep gorges. The Southern Highlands is a biodiversity hotspot, with 1,558 native plant species and 374 native animal species identified within the Shire. Of those species, 40 of the plant species and 42 of the fauna species have been classified as endangered or threatened. The Southern Highlands is also home to the largest koala population in southern NSW. While tourists and residents are drawn to the area because of these environmental features, environmental factors such as the many different micro climates in the region, climate change and food security are also increasingly significant for people who live, work and run businesses in the area. Specialised sectors include: The Equine Industry- From stud farms to specialist equine veterinary services and industry trainers, the region is well known for horses and horse related services and activities. Agriculture, food- Wingecarribee is home to many diverse food producers and the location close to Sydney provides for massive growth opportunities. Agribusiness- With such diverse agricultural opportunities, collectively and individually, many people and businesses in the area have developed substantial skills in operating, ser- vicing and supporting sustainable agricultural businesses. Agri-tourism- a new and fast growing industry sector. Page 4 Industries & Opportunities TOURISM Due to the Southern Highland’s numerous attractions, tourism continues to offer prospects for economic growth. The level of tourism expenditure is one the highest, of any non-coastal local government area in NSW. The area has developed some niche tourist businesses and expertise, such as conferencing, that build on the location so close to Sydney. Some of these businesses are also leveraging off the strong agricultural base of the area to create ‘paddock to plate’ tourist experiences. CONFERENCING Along with tourism, conferencing in the Southern Highlands attracts a huge number of companies and government departments every year with the region being the perfect location for business gatherings outside the city limits. This then allows conference organisers to think outside the square and the normal meeting room,