CENTRAL HIGHLANDS ECONOMIC PROFILE 2023 THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IS A ROBUST AND DIVERSE REGION SITUATED AT THE HEART OF AUSTRALIA’S RESOURCE AND AGRICULTURAL SECTORS. Spanning almost 60,000km2, the region encompasses a significant portion of the Bowen Basin, Australia’s largest coal reserve, and is home to eight metallurgical and four thermal mines. With the largest cattle inventory in Australia, the Central Highlands stands as a beef powerhouse. It is also characterised by thriving broadacre cropping and horticultural industries, sustained by irrigation sourced from water storage on the Nogoa and Comet Rivers.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
Queensland
Strong demand for the region’s coal and agricultural products, and an emerging visitor economy, fuels the Central Highlands’ $6.03 billion gross regional product. This economic strength is underpinned by 3,330 local businesses and a skilled workforce of 19,000.
28,583
POPULATION
59,830 KM
CAPELLA
2
LAND AREA
$6.03 BILLION
GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT
3,330
TIERI
EMERALD
RUBYVALE SAPPHIRE BOGANTUNGAN
WILLOWS GEMFIELDS
BLACKWATER
ANAKIE Fairbairn Dam
DUARINGA
SPRINGSURE
Woorabinda Aboriginal Community
LOCAL BUSINESSES ROLLESTON
19,123
BAUHINIA
LOCAL JOBS
MINING, AGRICULTURE, VISITOR ECONOMY KEY INDUSTRIES
DINGO
BLUFF
COMET
Carnarvon Gorge ARCADIA VALLEY
DEMOGRAPHICS
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION AND PROJECTED POPULATION, 2011 - 2046ab PERSONS
POPULATION
30,000
15,000
Blackwater
4,554
Duaringa
184
10,000
Capella
948
Dingo
125
Springsure
824
Anakie
106
5,000 0
Tieri
724
Willows
93
Rubyvale
518
Rolleston
91
Sapphire
517
2011
29,884
229
29,571
Bluff
29,251
14,008
28,939
Emerald
28,657
20,000
28,583
Central Highlands Population, by town, 2021c
28,690
25,000
29,541
28,583 people call the Central Highlands homea. The population is projected to remain stable, increasing to 29,884 by 2046b.
2016
2022
2026
2031
2036
2041
2046
PROJECTION
NON-RESIDENT POPULATION
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS NON-RESIDENT POPULATION, 2019 - 2026d
Central Highlands resource companies utilise fly-in/ fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in/ drive-out (DIDO) workers as a source of labour supply. These workers live in the region while on shift but are not captured in resident population estimates.
PERSONS
The non-resident population is estimated to be 4,100. This is expected to increase within the range of 20 to 720 persons by 2026, dependent on the future development of resource projects and operationsd.
4,000
4,820
4,360
2022
4,460
2021
4,430
4,200
3,000
3,890
4,375
5,000
4,100
Note: figures refer to the number of non-resident workers on shift at a given point in time and do not represent the total non-resident population.
6,000
2023
2024
2025
2,000 1,000 0 2019
2020
2026
PROJECTION (SERIES D)
AGE
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS POPULATION, BY AGE COHORT, 2021-2046cb
4,322
6,953
6,935
9,345
2,626
2,000
3,162
4,000
3,529
6,000
8,530
8,000
6,101
The retiree population – over 65 years – is projected to experience the largest increase over the next 20 yearsb.
PERSONS 10,000
6,691
The Central Highlands comprises a younger population (median age 34 years) when compared to Queensland (38 years)c.
0 0-14
2021
15-24
25-44
45-64
2046 (PROJECTION)
QUICK STATS INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN POPULATION
MEDIAN WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
MEDIAN MONTHLY MORTGAGE
COUPLE FAMILY WITH CHILDREN
5.9% (Qld 4.6%)e
$2,095
$1,500
46.9%
(Qld $1,675)e
(Qld $1,733)e
(Qld 41.2%)e
65+
WORKFORCE
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS EMPLOYMENT, BY RESIDENT AND NON-RESIDENT WORKFORCE, 2021c
11%
Other
6%
124
Construction
1,511
957
554
Retail Trade
1,242
1,208
34
Education & Training
1,162
1,134
28
Accommodation & Food Services
1,132
1,013
119
Health Care & Social Assistance
998
950
48
Public Administration & Safety
692
626
66
Other Services
684
583
101
Transport, Postal & Warehousing
645
586
59
Administrative & Support Services
579
438
141
Manufacturing
437
360
77
Wholesale Trade
391
358
33
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
377
346
31
Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services
188
164
24
Electricity, Gas, Water & Waste Services
154
144
10
Arts & Recreation Services
107
94
13
Financial & Insurance Services
103
103
0
19,123
13,977
5,146
TOTAL
UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in the Central Highlands stands at a low 2.8%, with a total of 497 people classified as unemployed. In December 2022, the rate reached an all-time low of 2.6%f.
10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 MAR 20
In testament to the strong and stable job market, the unemployment rate has sat below 5% since 2016 and remains consistently below State averagesf.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS UNEMPLOYMENT, MARCH 2020 - MARCH 2023f
%
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
TRADES PEOPLE AND MACHINERY OPERATORS
TRADE OR CERTIFICATE QUALIFIED
EARN $2,000+ PER WEEK
QUEENSLAND
WORK 49+ HOURS PER WEEK
46%
39%
37%
41%
(Qld 20%)c
(Qld 27%)c
(Qld 18%)c
(Qld 14%)c
MAR 23
Wide Bay
1,846
DEC 22
13%
1,970
SEP 22
North Queensland (Mackay 8%)
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing
JUN 22
20%
3,681
MAR 22
50%
South East Queensland
3,023
DEC 21
Central Queensland
6,704
SEP 21
Non-Resident Workforce, by place of residence, 2021c
Mining
JUN 21
Fifty percent of non-residents live in the broader Central Queensland region, primarily in Rockhampton (21%) and Yeppoon (20%)c.
NONRESIDENT WORKFORCE
MAR 21
Over a quarter (27%) of the Central Highlands workforce live outside the region. A majority (71%) of these workers are employed by the ’Mining’ sectorc.
RESIDENT WORKFORCE
DEC 20
Between the 2016 and 2021 census periods, there was a net increase of 2,104 jobs in the Central Highlands. The ‘Mining’ (+625), ‘Construction’ (+540) and ‘Health Care and Social Assistance’ (+230) sectors experienced the largest increase in jobsc.
TOTAL JOBS
SEP 20
The Central Highlands economy supports an estimated 19,123 jobs, with the largest employers being the ‘Mining’ (35%), ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ (10%) and ‘Construction’ (8%) sectorsc.
INDUSTRY
JUN 20
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS COAL PRODUCTION, 2015-16 - 2021-22g (MT)
89% of coal is exported overseas, to customers in Japan, India, and Switzerlandg.
59.3 25.5
27.6 37.7
62.1 24.3
27.8
65.3
39
66.9
33.8
37.7
20
37
40
0 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 METALLURGICAL
AGRICULTURE
64.7 27.6
65.8 26.5
60
66.8
39.3
On average, the region produces more than 64 million tonnes of coal per annum, which represents over a quarter (27%) of Queensland’s total productiong.
80
26.2
The $9.33 billion Central Highlands mining industry is supported by 12 operating coal mines and a well-established mining equipment, technology, and services (METS) sectorg.
40.6
MINING
THERMAL
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, 2020-21h ($M)
The Central Highlands is one of the State’s key agricultural producers, generating over $747 million in output, marking a 32% increase from the previous yearc. Beef production and broadacre cropping (cereal and pulses) are the key drivers of the value. The region is also an important cotton producer and has a thriving citrus and table grape sector.
$491
Beef
$108
Broadacre Cropping
$54
Citrusi
$36
Cotton
$25
Table Grapes
$15
Other
Emerging industries include agtech and macadamias.
VISITOR ECONOMY
NATIONAL VISITOR SURVEY RESULTS - CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, 2021 - 2022 (2 YEAR AVERAGE)j
Natural attractions, such as Carnarvon Gorge, the Sapphire Gemfields, and Blackdown Tableland National Park, are driving an emerging visitor economy. The industry contributes more than $173 million to the local economy and generates 981 jobsc. For 2021-2022, the region attracted an average of 635,000 visitors per annum, an increase of 8% on the previous periodj.
Visitors Average Stay (nights) Average Spend
DOMESTIC DAY
DOMESTIC OVERNIGHT
257,000
378,000
-
3
$163
$528
59% OF COAL PRODUCED IS
AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST HERD
PRODUCES 61%
2023 FINALIST
METALLURGICAL
BEEF CATTLE
MANDARIN
RUBYVALE
used for steel making
By Local Government Area
Exports – Queensland
Queensland Top Tourism Town
g
ECONOMY OUTPUT
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OUTPUT, BY INDUSTRY, 2022c ($M)
In 2022, the Central Highlands economy generated an estimated output of $13.78 billion. This output represents the gross revenue or total sales by businesses in the regionc.
$9,330 Mining $895 $747
Output grew by 7% ($950 million) from the previous year, driven by a significant increase in the ‘Construction’ sector (+$435 million), primarily ‘Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction’. Notable upswings were also seen in the ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ (+$179 million) and ‘Manufacturing’ (+$164 million) sectorsc.
$487
Construction Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Manufacturing
$450
Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services
$247
Transport, Postal & Warehousing
$1,623 Other
The ’Mining’ sector is the largest contributor to total output, accounting for 68%, followed by ‘Construction’ (7%) and ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ (5%)c.
GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT, 2013 - 2022c
The Central Highlands generated $6.03 billion in Gross Regional Product (GRP) in 2022. GRP is a net measure of the wealth generated by the regionc.
10
The figure represents a 13% ($894 million) decline from 2021, largely attributed to the escalating cost of wages, goods, and supply chain logisticsc.
6
($B)
2020
2021
$6,029
$6,923
$6,599
$5,956
$6,915
2015
$3,682
2014
$4,187
$3,567
2
$3,781
4
Nonetheless, the region’s GRP has consistently remained robust, surpassing the $6 billion mark for the fourth consecutive yearc.
$5,229
8
0 2013
GAP ANALYSIS
2016
2017
2018
2019
2022
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IMPORT REPLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, 2022c
$5.65 billion in goods and services are imported from the rest of Australia into the Central Highlands. This represents gaps in the local supply chain, and indicates opportunities for import replacement, increased value-adding and supply chain developmentc.
EXPLORATION & MINING SUPPORT SERVICES
$853
PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL SERVICES
$574
FINANCIAL & INSURANCE SERVICES
$509
COAL PRODUCT MANUFACTURING TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT & APPLIANCE
$405 $347
MANUFACTURING
Local mining companies have procurement strategies to optimise opportunities for Central Highlands businesses. See the CHDC website for further information.
$317
TRANSPORT
($M)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
REGIONAL EXPORTS
REGIONAL IMPORTS
LOCAL EXPENDITURE
WAGES AND SALARIES
$10.43 BILLION
$5.98 BILLION
$1.91 BILLION
$2.38 BILLION
(↑5% from 2021)c
(↑30% from 2021)c
(↑26% from 2021)c
(↑33% from 2021)c
900
BUSINESS BUSINESS ACTIVITY 3,330 businesses operate in the Central Highlands. Owner/ operators (63%) and businesses with a turnover ranging from $200,000 to $2 million (42%) account for the highest proportion of businessesc. Central Highlands Business Registrations, by industry (top five), 2022c Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
1,335
Construction
390
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
335
Other Services*
248
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
153
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS BUSINESS REGISTRATIONS, BY WORKFORCE SIZE AND TURNOVER, 2022c
WORKFORCE SIZE NON-EMPLOYING
1-19
20-199
200+
Number
2,102
1,149
70
9
Percent
63%
34%
2%
<1%
WORKFORCE TURNOVER RANGE $0 to <$50K
$50K to <$200K
$200K to <$2M
$2M+
Number
696
923
1,414
297
Percent
21%
28%
42%
9%
* Other Services’ sector includes repair and maintenance activities and personal services.
FURTHER INFORMATION Want to find out more? CHDC and Central Highlands Regional Council partner with data specialists, REMPLAN, to provide free regional economic and community data.
STILL CAN’T FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR? CONTACT CHDC. REMPLAN Economy Central Highlands
REMPLAN Community Central Highlands
CHDC has access to the full version of REMPLAN Economy and Community, plus a range of government and industry data.
SOURCES AND NOTES a. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023) Estimated Resident Population Local Government Area [data set], abs.gov.au b. Queensland Government Statistician’s Office (2023) Queensland Government population projections, 2023 edition: Local government areas snapshots, Central Highlands [data set] (medium series), qgso.qld.gov.au c. REMPLAN (2023) REMPLAN Modelling and Analysis System, accessed 16 August 2023 d. Queensland Government Statistician’s Office (2022) Bowen and Galilee Basins non–resident population projections, 2022 to 2026, qgso.qld.gov.au e. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022), Central Highlands (Qld) 2021 Census All persons QuickStats [data set], abs.gov.au
f. Australian Government (2023) Small Area Labour Markets Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2016) – March quarter 2023 [dataset], jobsandskills.gov.au g. Department of Resources (2021) Coal industry review tables FY2016 to FY2022 {dataset}, data.qld.gov.au h. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022) Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, 2020-21, abs.gov.au i. Citrus figure assumes 61% of Queensland mandarin exports are attributable to production in the Central Highlands. j. Tourism Research Australia (2023) REX extra for Central Highlands (Qld) The information has been sourced and compiled by Central Highlands Development Corporation. Every care is taken to ensure the content is current and factual at the time of release. CHDC takes no responsibility for errors, changes, or omissions. Published September 2023.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 76 Egerton Street Emerald Q 4720
T +61 7 4982 4386 E enquiries@chdc.com.au W chdc.com.au