EDITORIAL
The Central Coast is growing; that’s not news.
Over the next 15 years, the population is expected to swell by over 65,000 people, the equivalent of adding a city the size of Coffs Harbour to our region.
What’s not so clear is where all these people will work.
While planners and politicians trumpet new housing estates and residential rezonings, much less is said about building industries close to where people live.
Without local, high quality employment, we risk becoming a commuter dormitory for Sydney and Newcastle, increasing pressure on already strained transport infrastructure and robbing our community of economic vibrancy.
The truth is, this challenge has long been known.
Over the years, several regional development strategies have made the case for place-based employment as a driver of prosperity, many of them reported in detail by Coast Community News.
From a 2021 analysis of employment zone reform to repeated calls for freight and logistics hubs near Somersby and Warnervale, the message has been consistent: we must invest in productive capacity, not just population growth.
There are green shoots.
Plans for new employment lands are moving through Council and State processes.
Food manufacturing and agribusiness clusters are emerging in the north.
NBN Co has finally begun rolling out fit-for-purpose infrastructure after a decade of policy and delivery neglect.
And the University of Newcastle, long viewed as aloof from the region, is investing in a new Gosford campus with a health and innovation focus.
These are the seeds of future industries.
Yet, against this potential, Australia’s national productivity has been flat-lining, especially since the pandemic.
The Federal Government has called a national Productivity Summit in August.
We are unsure if any Central Coast representatives will be attending.
Participants should take a serious look at regions like the Central Coast to understand why productivity is poor.
Unaffordable housing, disjointed road and rail infrastructure, historically subpar digital connectivity, and a sluggish bureaucracy that stifles private investment; these are the very things dragging down our national performance.
Add to that our region’s stubbornly lower wages, lower labour force participation, and tertiary attainment rates well below both Sydney and Newcastle, all documented repeatedly in CCN’s reporting, and the picture becomes clear.
Our region is not just a place of population growth. It is a productivity opportunity, but only if the jobs come too.
David Abrahams – Managing Editor
