Area

90,354 km²

Population

192,302

Economic Output

$82 Billion

Jobs Supported

97,582

Greater Whitsunday Region

Mackay Isaac Whitsunday: think diversity, resilience and innovation.

First Nations Acknowledgement

The Greater Whitsunday Alliance team live and work in Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region and long before these places were known by their colonial names they were actually known as Yuibera, Koinjmal, Widi, Birriah, Barada Kabalbara Yetimarala, Jangga, Barada Barna, Western Kangoulu, Wirdi, Ngaro, Gia and Juru respectively.

We acknowledge the first and continuing custodians of this land and pay deep respects to Elders past and present.

About Mackay Isaac Whitsunday

Collectively known as Greater Whitsunday, the region is an economic powerhouse, located in Queensland, on the east coast of Northern Australia. Greater Whitsunday extends from St Lawrence in the south to Bowen in the north, and west to beyond Clermont.

MACKAY

Mackay Region

ISAAC

Isaac Region

WHITSUNDAY

Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3)

Unlocking Greater Possibilities

As Greater Whitsunday’s independent, regional economic development body, GW3 are future-focused super-connectors driving sustainable economic growth for the region.

About GW3

Regional Economic Data

Resources, Mining Equipment Technology Services (METS), agriculture, tourism and construction are the regional economic drivers for the Greater Whitsunday region.

Thanks to our proximity to the Galilee, Bowen and Surat Basins, the region is home to one of Australia’s most advanced METS sectors.

The Greater Whitsunday region also boasts an emerging biofutures industry, an abundance of natural attractions, and unique tourism destinations with a strong reputation for attracting local and international travellers. Alongside these sectors the construction sector is a fundamental component of the region building residential, commercial and mining infrastructure for the economy and community.

The region’s total economic output is $82.9 billion which is led by the mining and resources sector, along with other key industries, such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, tourism and retail.

Of the total $82 billion output generated in the Greater Whitsunday region:

$46 billion is generated in Isaac (55.5%)
$26 billion is generated in Mackay (31.8%)
$9 billion is generated in Whitsunday (12.7%)

Continued strong performance across most industry sectors reinforces Greater Whitsunday as a major regional economic powerhouse and validates the region’s focus on exploring new industries, whilst proactively supporting key traditional sectors.

More Economic Data

REMPLAN ECONOMY PROFILE

This website provides third-party economic data for the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday region such as population, employment, gross regional product, regional exports/imports, tourism and building approvals.

More information

REMPLAN COMMUNITY PROFILE

This website provides third-party demographic insights for the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday region such as population, migration, families, education, work, housing and wellbeing.

More information

Regional Highlights

Home to Australia’s largest metallurgical coal reserves.

Within 10 years there will be 30,000 additional tourism visitors.

A highly skilled workforce with a proud tack record for hard work and innovation.

Endless sunny days in a tropical climate serve abundant agriculture, aquaculture and biomanufacturing.

Industries

Energy

Large-scale and emerging energy projects across the Greater Whitsunday region are powering on with 16 existing projects in Mackay Isaac Whitsunday and many more in the pipeline.

Mining & METS

The Greater Whitsunday region includes a large portion of the Bowen Basin, home to Australia’s largest metallurgical coal reserves and a key Australian mining region. The Mining and METS industry makes the greatest contribution to economic output in the region, totalling $19.4 billion and 46.3% of total output.

Tourism

Tourism is a major employer and economic driver for the Greater Whitsunday region. The total value of tourism output for Mackay Isaac Whitsunday is estimated at $1.6 billion.

Aerospace

The Greater Whitsunday region’s desirable location and renowned technical capability is attracting investment from aviation and aerospace organisations.

Aquaculture

The Greater Whitsunday region’s aquaculture sector currently contributes $21.2 million or around 18% of Queensland’s overall industry production with significant growth expected in the next five years from a range of new and exciting investments in the region.

Biomanufacturing

The Greater Whitsunday region’s broad biofutures focus has been on the manufacture of bioproducts utilising many of the region’s unique opportunities to capitalise on expected global growth.

Agriculture

Agriculture comprises 89% of the region’s land use, boasting diverse agricultural commodities dominated by cattle, sugar cane and horticulture (fruits and vegetables). Grains and aquaculture are also significant contributors to the region’s agricultural production. The region’s 2019-2020 gross value of agricultural production was $1.6 billion.

Education

As a region committed to embracing technology across all industry sectors, education in the Greater Whitsunday region is established, respected, and constantly evolving.

Beef

Beef is one of the Greater Whitsunday region’s biggest exports, with an estimated value of $474 million.

Sugar

The Greater Whitsunday region, in particular Mackay and Proserpine, were built on the back of the sugar cane industry.