ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT mid 2013 www.businesswaggawagga.com.au
WAGGA WAGGA economic profile Wagga Wagga is the heart of the Murrumbidgee Region and acts as the primary population, business and industry hub. As a regional capital, the City supports a highly diverse and dynamic economy that services areas well beyond the Local Government s boundaries. Wagga Wagga is a highly accessible City through its connectivity with Australia s major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. Excellent road, rail and air connections make the City a strategic centre for interstate transport with the potential to be significantly improved by the proposed Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics Hub. The region offers a unique quality of life that is unparalleled in its natural beauty, housing affordability, diverse employment opportunities and a wide offering of community infrastructure, services and lifestyle activities. Statistic Period Wagga Wagga NSW Population 1 June 2011 61,509 Labour Force 2 December Q 2012 32,437 Unemployment Rate (%) 2 December Q 2012 4.40% 5.07% Key Industry Sectors Gross Value Added 3 Public Administration & Safety ($M) December 2012 $446M Rental, Hiring & Real Estate ($M) December 2012 $375M Manufacturing ($M) December 2012 $258M Financial & Insurance Services ($M) December 2012 $244M Health Care & Social Assistance ($M) December 2012 $287M Housing Affordability 4 Median Property Prices All Dwellings December 2012 $275,000 $460,000 Median Weekly Rents 3 Bed House March 2013 $300 $390 2 Bed Unit March 2013 $230 $415 POPULATION 1 ABS 2011 Census ERP population 2 DEEWR 3 Remplan 4 Department Family and Community Services Housing NSW Wagga Wagga s historical population trends are testimony to the strength of the local economy, which has been able to support strong population growth with sufficient employment opportunities over the past 10 years. Over the next 20 years, Wagga Wagga is expected to continue to grow steadily at an average annual rate of 1.1% p.a. to almost 80,000 residents by 2031.(ABS 2011) 90,000 80,000 71,529 77,967 70,000 63,116 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 2013 2023 2031
LABOUR force Wagga Wagga had a total labour force of 32,437 people as of December Q 2012, an increase of 923 or 2.9% when compared to December 2011. Throughout the global economic downturn, Wagga Wagga maintained relatively low unemployment rates and continued labour force growth. The resilience of employment in the Wagga Wagga economy at this time was due to the low reliance of the region upon the finance and insurance sector and the diversity of Wagga Wagga s economy. Statistic Dec Q 2011 Dec Q 2012 Change in 12mths Labour Force 31,514 32,437 923 Employment 29,693 31,000 1307 Unemployed 1,821 1,437-384 Unemployment rate (%) 5.80% 4.40% -1.40% Source: DEEWR (2012) EDUCATION & training The region provides great opportunities for businesses looking to relocate and take advantage of the strengths of Wagga Wagga such as a young, educated workforce. With many excellent education providers based in the City, any local workforce has the power to up-skill its workers and increase human capital in the most logistically efficient way. Over half of Wagga Wagga s work force hold various qualifications, ranging from certification, diplomas, advanced diplomas, bachelor degrees and postgraduate degrees. Charles Sturt University TAFE NSW Riverina Institute Australian Airline Pilot Academy University of New South Wales Army Recruit Training Centre Royal Australian Air Force Base BAE/RMIT Riverina Community College Home to Charles Sturt University s (CSU) largest campus, Wagga Wagga has the ability to provide higher education in a wide range of specialisations. CSU Wagga Wagga campus facilities include a state of the art veterinary science clinical centre and laboratories, equine centre, dental clinic, medical centre and nutrition clinic. As the largest provider of vocational education and training in the Riverina Murray region of southern NSW, TAFE NSW Riverina Institute builds the skills, qualifications and employability of around 34,000 students each year. The Riverina Community College (RCC) is one of the regions leading employment service providers, giving prospective employees the right training and skills to enter the workforce. RCC currently provides advice and support for over 600 job seekers across the region. Wagga Wagga is envisaged as a world-class aviation education and training City, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA) training facility based at Wagga Wagga Airport is helping to realise this vision. Having already invested approximately $25M, the state-of-the-art facilities include modern classrooms, 20 new training aircraft, 3 existing flight simulators and construction is about to commence on their new SAAB 340 Full Flight Simulator, for commissioning in October 2013. Wagga Wagga Workforce Breakdown Postgraduate Degree Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Bachelor Degree Advanced Diploma and Diploma Certificate 3.4% 2.0% 8.4% 14.8% 28.2%
EMPLOYMENT BY industry Wagga Wagga has a diverse employment base, a unique feature for a regional City. Particular strengths of the employment base include public administration and safety, which includes the significant contributions by the Army Recruit Training Centre (ARTC) at Kapooka and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base. Health care and social assistance represents the largest sector of employment in the area, facilitated by the 297,000 patient catchment area of the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Another unique feature of Wagga Wagga s employment base is the high proportion of manufacturing, representing 7.3% of the City s workforce. The retail trade sector remains a strong employer in our economy, facilitated by Wagga Wagga s retail catchment area of approximately 160,000 persons and the 1M visitors to the City annually. Arts & Recreation Services Health Care & Social Assistance Education & Training Public Administration & Safety Administrative & Support Services Professional, Scientific & Technical Services Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services Financial & Insurance Services Information Media & Telecommunications Transport, Postal & Warehousing Accommodation & Food Services Retail Trade Wholesale Trade Construction Electricity, Gas, Water & Waste Services Manufacturing Mining Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Other Services 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0% 16.0% GROSS REGIONAL product The Gross Regional Product (GRP) for Wagga Wagga is $3,410M. The GRP has been calculated using the expenditure method. This is defined as the total value of goods and services produced in the region over a period of one year. Top ten Gross Value Added Sectors Top ten Gross Value Added Sectors $447M $752M GRP Expenditure Method $M Household Consumption $2,351 Government Consumption $751 Private Gross Fixed Capital Expenditure $955 Public Gross Fixed Capital Expenditure $228 Gross Regional Expenses $4,287 plus Exports $2,038 minus Domestic Imports -$2,412 minus Overseas Imports -$503 Gross Regional Product $3,410 Source Remplan Dec 2012 Another way of measuring and thus gauging economic activity is to determine the value-added of industrial sectors. Value-added represents the economic value that is added by each industry sector and is calculated by subtracting local expenditure and expenditure on regional imports from the output of an industrial sector. $141M $162M $182M $208M $245M Public Administration & Safety Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services Health Care & Social Assistance Manufacturing Financial & Insurance Services $376M $288M $259M $245M Education & Training Construction Retail Trade Wholesale Trade Transport, Postal and Warehousing Other
FEATURED INDUSTRY SECTORS bomen business park The Bomen Business Park has excellent access to infrastructure as well as large tracts of available industrial property. A diverse array of companies such as Teys Australia, Heinz Watties, Southern Oil and Vinidex are all based at Bomen. BRISBANE Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics Hub (RiFL) With $14.5M Federal funding announced in June 2012 by the Minister for Regional Development this greenfield ADELAIDE site facility is another step closer to reality. RiFL builds on the City s ideal geographic location, and will attract large scale industry requiring smart logistics solutions. The RiFL Hub will provide freight consolidation, logistics support and rail transport services for businesses throughout the Riverina and Murray regions. The $65M project involves the construction of new major rail and road infrastructure and a freight terminal on 80 hectares of land within the Bomen Business Park. The project will be funded by Federal and NSW State Government, Wagga Wagga City Council and private industry investment, and is expected to be operational in late 2015. Riverina Oils and Bio-Energy (ROBE) MELBOURNE HOBART CANBERRA SYDNEY The ROBE facility at Bomen commenced production late 2012 operating a state-ofthe-art integrated oilseed crushing and refining plant with a crushing capacity of 500 tonnes of oilseeds per day. From this the plant produces 200 tonnes of refined vegetable oil and 300 tonnes of vegetable protein meal per day. Renewed Metals Technology (RMT) With capital expenditure of $60M and 55 jobs, RMT specialise in the recovery of renewable resources. Utilising the world s leading technology to turn potentially hazardous waste into new resources, RMT is creating a cleaner environment and better future for Australia. wagga wagga airport Two new aviation precincts were commissioned at the airport in early 2013. The commercial precinct will accommodate large Code C aircraft e.g. Boeing 737 and Airbus A321. The commercial precinct s anchor tenant, Douglas Aerospace, has now established a large aircraft painting hangar, again accommodating all Code C aircraft. Construction of Douglas Aerospace s second hangar has commenced and interest is strong from other aviation maintenance and repair organisations (MRO s). The light aircraft precinct will allow for development of up to 29 new hangars up to 15m x 15m each. Aimed at the recreational aviator, the light aircraft precinct offers fully serviced hangar sites linked directly to the Airport s runway system. Together these precincts complement existing Council and private development and further support the growing activity in commercial and recreational aviation in the region.
medical precinct The Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Masterplan implementation continues with the aim of ensuring that the community, consisting of an approximate 297,000 patient catchment area, receives first class health care well into the future. Construction of Stage 1 valued at $82M is well advanced with funding having been committed for Stages 2 and 3 resulting in a total capital investment of $280M to be completed in 2016. This major redevelopment has been the catalyst for additional investment in medical centres in the vicinity of both Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and Calvary Private Hospital. Designed to expand the quality and capacity of health related facilities in Wagga Wagga and servicing the Riverina, the investment has already resulted in additional medical facilities in the surrounding precinct representing a value of over $9M. Investment in health services for the City include: Riverina Day Surgery: Construction of the Riverina Day Surgery has commenced in close proximity to Calvary Hospital. The facility represents a $3.3M investment for a total building area of 1700m 2 on a 4000m 2 property. University of Notre Dame Rural Clinical Medical School: Construction is expected to commence on this new $2.8M facility during 2013 and is expected to be completed in late 2014. Assisted Living Facility Calvary Hospital: Construction on this $3.4M investment creating 26 units of housing for people suffering from dementia will commence in the second half of 2013. retail The City of Wagga Wagga is the largest retail, commercial, administrative and population centre in the Riverina Region and provides a wide range of services and infrastructure, servicing a retail catchment area of approximately 160,000 people. As a result of this wide reaching catchment the City has a strong retail sector, representing a significant component of the economy and employing over 3,000 people. The City has 9 shopping districts, each targeting different socio-economic and geographic sectors of the market. Approximately 470 retail businesses are in operation in the City, including major national chains such as Harvey Norman, Myer, Bunnings, Target and Rebel Sport. The City is experiencing good confidence with investment in retailing facilities including: Masters Home Improvement, completed in May 2013 - this project represents a $23M investment The SouthCity expansion $28M Expansion of The Marketplace Shopping Centre in Baylis Street $16M Expansion at the Kooringal Shopping Centre $6.5M These developments are also complemented by the approval for the construction of a Dan Murphy Liquor Store, adjacent to The Murrumbidgee Mill redevelopment site on Edward Street.
INVESTMENT The three year horizon for investment will result in commercial and industrial investment in the order of $450M across the public and private sectors. Public entities such as those at Charles Sturt University and the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital represent the largest proportion of this investment. Key private sector projects already approved and underway include: International Motel Lake Albert Road This central Wagga Wagga development is progressing on schedule and due for completion and occupation early September 2013. The total project cost will be $8.5M and when complete will feature an 85 unit motel tower, a luxuriously appointed lobby/administration area, a 100 seat restaurant, a 250 seat conference centre and 125 on site car parking spaces. Murrumbidgee Mill Edward Street The Mill Wagga Wagga will have a residential precinct and a commercial precinct. During the peak of construction the development will involve over 200 people and include an investment in excess of $35M. The Mill Residence will contain various levels of apartment living including penthouses and also offer facilities such as a gymnasium and outdoor pool. The Mill Central will offer a supermarket, specialty shops and restaurants. The Mill Residence is due for completion by late 2014 and The Mill Central to be completed soon thereafter. NATIONAL BROADBAND network The initial build stage of the National Broadband Network (NBN) for Wagga Wagga has already begun - the City is the first point of construction in the Riverina. The NBN is a fibre optic connection that will enable users to access world class, high speed broadband - core infrastructure of the new century. This type of connectivity is an essential tool for Wagga Wagga s businesses to remain competitive and continue to grow in sync with the rest of the world. Work is scheduled to be completed in mid 2015. Key features affecting Wagga Wagga include: Employment of hundreds of local contractors during construction in the City, providing employment opportunities for local citizens. The NBN fibre to the premise network will include the Bomen Business Park. Enabling healthcare providers to diagnose, monitor and provide ongoing care to patients remotely, saving time and money for those who currently need to travel long distances to receive health care. Increased education opportunities by improving the accessibility of the services offered by schools, university or educational institutions. Enhancing the ability of small businesses to trade and access markets both nationally and internationally.
OUR QUALITY OF life The hub of the Riverina on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, Wagga Wagga is more than just the largest regional City in New South Wales we re an Australian icon and we can t wait to share our secrets with you! You will love Wagga Wagga with its stunning landscapes and unusual architecture to sassy shops and a vibrant arts scene, it s a place that will capture your imagination and tempt you to come back again and again. Our beautiful tree-lined main streets are the perfect sanctuary to take in the natural beauty of our City and plan your day. Take a tour through the 20 hectares of themed garden beds in our beautiful must-see Botanic Gardens, complete with mini zoo and free flight aviary. Why not try one of Wagga Wagga s heritage walks? Even our CBD is dotted with public artworks and superb sculptures that give plenty of food for thought. We ve got everything from award winning restaurants, wineries, a microbrewery, made-for Sunday-morning style cafes, organic delis and country pubs offering hearty fare. Whatever your mood, we ve got something to suit the occasion. Wagga Wagga loves putting on a good show. Each year we hold over 400 colourful and creative events that provides our visitors with lifelong memories. With a feast of cultural surprises, you ll love unearthing the history and mystery of Wagga Wagga. We re home to several museums, theatres and galleries as well as the Riverina Conservatorium of Music all providing a dazzling array of arts and theatrical productions to capture your imagination. By day, visit the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery to marvel at Australia s largest collection of studio glass in the National Art Glass Gallery, to see objects d art by local artisans, as well as a dynamic program of national exhibitions that change throughout the year. CONTACT US For more information or to explore the opportunities in the Wagga Wagga region, please contact: Wagga Wagga City Council - Commercial & Economic Development Directorate Phone: 1300 292 442 Fax: (02) 6926 9159 Email: business@wagga.nsw.gov.au twitter.com/waggaed www.businesswaggawagga.com.au