Regional Information

Mackay, Whitsunday, Isaac is a flourishing and exciting region.  Our region's abundant natural assets have been brought together in a four minute video.  It showcases the region's strong industries and beauty, and talks about the region's rapidly growing population and challenges.  Please click here to view.

Population

The Mackay Whitsunday Isaac region has a population c.163,060 with forecasted growth of 13.5% by 2011.  This prediction translates into an additional 95,000 people in the region by 2031

Employment

Regional unemployment rate 3.3% (December 2008); Queensland 3.7% and Australia 4.5% (December 2008)

Industries

The main industries of employment include:

Mining (11.7%)

Retail trade (10.8%)

Construction (9.6%)

Accommodation and food services (8.3%)

Manufacturing (8.1%)

Growth

The region's economy is thriving- a quick snapshot of the current climate is listed below:

2007/08 Gross Regional Product $15.4 billion up 3.4% from previous year. 

60% primary ( mining and agriculture),

30% tertiary  (services) and

10% secondary (manufacturing and utilities).

Primary industry in particular mining growth has been the largest contributor to regional economic growth since 2001.

Businesses

There are approximately 14,778 businesses in the region