The NSW economy in 2020 A foresighting study

New report on NSW economy in 2020: bigger, smarter, global and greener

17 Sep 2010
NSW Treasurer and Minister for State and Regional Development Eric Roozendaal today released a new report analysing what the NSW economy will look like in 2020.
The NSW economy in 2020: A foresighting study was released during the second day of National Economic Review: Australia’s Annual Growth Summit at NSW Parliament House.
About 100 leaders of business, government and academia attended the two day Sydney summit.
“The $400 billion NSW economy is the engine room of the Australian economy - and we will continue to drive our nation’s growth,” Mr Roozendaal told the summit.
“The resilience of the NSW economy is clearly evident in the recovery phase from the financial downturn.
“The latest ABS data is clear - NSW has now enjoyed six consecutive quarters of economic growth. The same can’t be said for Victoria, Queensland or Western Australia.
“By 2020, the NSW economy will be bigger, smarter, greener and global.
“It will be characterised by high skilled and high value-added industries. Our goal is for NSW to be internationally recognised for its innovation, productivity, knowledge intensity, and carbon efficiency.”
The 10-year foresighting study, prepared by Access Economics, forecasts that by 2020:
The NSW economy will have grown over 30 per cent
Our workforce will expand from about 3.5 million to 3.9 million people
The State's population will grow from about 7.1 million to 8 million people; and
The average age of NSW residents will have increased from 39 to 41.
The 2020 report identifies four key ‘mega-trends’ that will shape and drive the NSW economy over the next decade:
Our transition to a low carbon economy
The rapid development of our digital economy
Demand and competition from emerging and growing economies, like China and India; and
An ageing population.
The Access Economics report says that: “The NSW economy is experiencing almost two decades of uninterrupted economic growth, despite the immediate turbulence of the global financial crisis.
“This growth has driven up incomes and living standards and has helped underpin the development of a modern, globally-integrated and dynamic economy.”
The NSW Government will soon release a Business Sector Growth Plan in response to the Access Economics study to build on NSW strengths, leverage our competitive advantages and capitalise on emerging opportunities.
This document will outline multiple strategies to grow NSW businesses over the next decade and beyond.
Mr Roozendaal said the NSW Government’s vision is that by 2020, the NSW economy will be:
more globally connected characterised by high-skilled and high value-added industries; and
internationally recognised for its innovation, productivity, knowledge intensity, and carbon efficiency.
The NSW economy in 2020: A foresighting study is available at:

Families Stressed Out by Water Buy Backs

Families stressed out by water buybacks

Friday, 03/09/2010

ABC Website

A study has found the Federal Government's water buybacks are having a heavy toll on personal relationships, because of the stress of the decisions involved.  Click here to read more

Survey participants needed from Rural and Remote Areas

Survey participants needed: Living & working in rural and remote communities


The Living & Working in Rural and Remote Communities study explores the management of tensions in work-life balances for professionals not only having statutory responsibilities in health, education, human and police services, but also living in the rural and remote communities they serve. It aims to generate new knowledge about: how professionals and their local communities can forge productive links to enhance collaboration and service delivery; and factors contributing to professionals’ training, recruitment and retention in such communities. The project is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Projects grant.

Survey respondents can enter the draw to win a $100 gift card.

FIND OUT MORE: Website: Link to survey. For further information or assistance in completing the survey, please contact: Natalie Clements, Senior Research Assistant, Griffith University on 07 3382 1134 or N.Clements@griffith.edu.au
From QCOSS enews Issue 24

Helping rural Australia get the most out of mobile workers

One of the by-products of globalisation is an increasingly mobile and transitory workforce, but what does this mean for rural Australia, and how can rural communities make better use of the highly skilled people moving through their towns?

Read more on the research being done by RIRDC by clicking the above link and the results on case studies.  Interesting read on how to keep them in your community once they are there and how to make them feel they are local. 

The myth of how long before you are local in a community comes to my mind when I read each case study. 
Is there a short or a long period or is it a settling in period? 
Does the myth exist?
Does it depend on the community/town? 
Or does it depend on the people who move to a community?

Would like to hear your comments.

Rural Women's Coalition looking for stories on Communities

Sustainable Rural Communities - Good News stories

The National Rural Women’s Coalition recently embarked on a project to collect  stories of communities able to effect change in the quest to become sustainable. We now are pleased to publish  the first of these on our website.   It is hoped that through the sharing of these accounts of resilience, hope and survival, others will be inspired and motivated to make improvements or use these ideas in their own community.  

to read these and other stories click the above link