Location

As with the rest of the Illawarra, the fact that the Wingecarribee LGA is so close to Australia’s largest market in Sydney is a very big competitive advantage.

However, an added advantage for the Wingecarribee is the fact that the nation’s major road and rail arteries cut directly through its major commercial and industrial centres. The Hume Highway and southern rail line cut through Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale and are ideally situated for local businesses that require road and rail access to major national markets.

There is also a grade 1 freight rail line between Moss Vale and Port Kembla that connects directly to The Enterprise Zone. There is also a grade 1 that corrects directly to the Enterprise Zone

Perhaps the area’s most significant opportunity for economic development will occur over the next decade, with the expansion of the Port Kembla Port Corporation.

This will provide significant opportunities for the Shire to establish Australia's first inland Port and transportation intermodal.

The Southern Highlands has numerous strategic and competitive advantage over all other regions.

There may also be opportunity to revitalise construction of the high-speed rail link between Sydney and Canberra. The proposed route will pass through the Wingecarribee, stopping at either Bowral or Mittagong.

The new link would cut the travel time between Bowral and Sydney to around half an hour, immediately enticing large numbers of Sydneysiders to move to the tranquil country setting and commute to work in the city.

Commercial and Industrial Land

The Wingecarribee Shire Council has rezoned 630 hectares of new industrial and commercial land for development. The contiguous land parcels lay between Moss Vale and Berrima strategically placed amid ALL the major road and rail infrastructure.

Natural Resources

The Wingecarribee’s vast physical expanse provides an abundance of land suitable for agricultural and industrial purposes. Many investors are taking advantage of the area’s temperate climate and rich agricultural soils to pursue new and innovative agricultural activities. An increasing amount of the area’s agricultural activity is centred on value-added products such as cut flowers and wine grape growing. Manufacturing businesses seeking to relocate or expand into the area are provided with a wealth of land, with the main industrial estates at Braemar and Moss Vale offering industrial blocks of various sizes up to several hectares.

Apart from its rich organic soil and vast area, the Wingecarribee has a substantial array of raw mineral resources. The area’s hard rock, gravel, sand and coal resources are mined regularly. The hard rock quarries at Colo Vale and Berrima are used by many of Sydney’s largest construction firms.

Tourism

The Wingecarribee LGA is a popular tourist destination all year round, helping make the tourism industry an important contributor to the local economy. The area has one of the highest levels of tourist expenditure of any non-coastal local government area in NSW.

The area’s tourism appeal largely stems from its stunning rural setting and abundance of National Parks combined with the charm of its many villages, townships and historic buildings. The quaint little village of Berrima is a fascinating example of Australia’s colonial beginnings with its old sandstone buildings, craft shops and restaurants acting as a magnet for thousands of tourists. The Bowral Tulip Time Festival in October attracts an estimated quarter of a million visitors every year.

The significant natural attributes of the area indicate that tourism offers one of the best prospects for future economic growth in the Wingecarribee. Its uniquely rich rural setting provides excellent opportunities for the marketing of specific niche tourism products such as farm tourism and Eco-tourism.

Lifestyle

Perhaps the Wingecarribee’s most appealing attribute is the lifestyle it offers. Residents live in a peaceful country setting just 1½ hours drive from Sydney’s CBD. The green rolling hills, quaint villages, fine homes bordered by manicured gardens, lush English trees and an overall serenity combine to make for an idyllic rural lifestyle.

Superb sporting and recreation facilities are available in the Shire’s main urban centres. The Wingecarribee LGA possesses an excellent reputation for its high-class education system and the area is home to some of the finest private colleges in the state.

The Future

Future prospects for industry and the workforce in the Wingecarribee LGA will remain very strong. The area is quickly becoming one of the major economic powerhouses of outer Sydney with the opening of the M& and M5 Freeways and the large expansion of trade through Port Kembla.

Growth in tertiary industries will most likely be linked to probable population inflows from Sydney, which are expected with the development of the new Enterprise Zone and Inland Port.

It is the key objective of Wingecarribee Council to maintain the Shire’s environmental quality, in order to protect and enhance the economic development of the area. One recent initiative was the introduction of a new Environmental Protection Zone to control land use in historically important rural landscapes and to promote their long-term conservation.

Overall, the community is supportive of development that is sensitive to the area’s most important asset – the environment.

© SouthernHighlandsBusiness.com 2006.™