This e-brief presents a survey of the Hunter region, with a focus on the areas of activity that are now the main sources of employment.

New South Wales has been experiencing a massive re-organisation of production, from the period of Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community (1973) and throughout the subsequent global slumps of 1973-74, 1980-81 and 1990-92. Agriculture (which contributed significantly to the state’s exports), and manufacturing (which produced relatively large quantities of goods for the local market)...

In recent years the overall number of people, engaging in tourist activity, in Australia and in NSW, has declined. While the number of inbound tourists has slightly increased, the number of Australians, locally participating in tourist activity, has decreased. The contribution of tourism, to the economy, has similarly decreased. There is a small, but significant...

Evidence exists of differences in levels of achievement between country and city students in New South Wales, and governments have attempted to respond by instituting programs to enhance achievement. Retaining students, to year 12, appears to be a particular issue in providing education to students in rural areas. This paper surveys and evaluates government initiatives.

During the late 1990s there was a small-scale boom in New South Wales (partly generated by the preparations for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games). Following the Games there was a minor slump: exacerbated by the housing boom which had developed during the late 1990s. In 2004-05 growth in Gross State Product (GSP) declined to 1.8%...