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Eastern Central and Norfolk Regions

Fact Sheet [PDF]

Description

Employment in the various fish industry sectors (commercial fishing including aquaculture, fish wholesaling and processing sectors) is widely scattered throughout the Region, numerically larger across large urban settlements, but proportionally larger across medium to small-sized communities. On Norfolk Island, employment in fishing-related industries appears to be negligible and fishing activities might contribute to the local seafood supply.

Major commercial fisheries in these two Regions include: prawn trawl fisheries (Queensland and New South Wales); offshore pelagic longlining for tuna and billfish (Australian Government); finfish trawl fisheries (Australian Government and New South Wales); abalone dive and rock lobster trap fisheries in the south of the Region (New South Wales); and inshore and estuarine fisheries for crabs and finfish utilising trap, line and net methods (Queensland and New South Wales).

The Eastern Central Region's commercial fisheries production in 2002 was estimated at 31,500 t with a GVP of $215m. The Norfolk Region's commercial fisheries production in 2002 was estimated at 1500 t with a GVP of $18m.

Socio-economic characteristics

The Eastern Central Region encompasses 165 coastal towns and more than 2,500 kilometres of coastline. The Region is the most densely populated and urbanised of any Marine Region, with approximately 2,702,900 persons. One third of the Region's population live in the coastal Metropolitan New South Wales and Queensland portions, and almost half in the large coastal Non-metropolitan centres such as Newcastle, Wollongong, Gold Coast and Bundaberg.

The Region is characterised by a higher elderly dependency, reflecting the large proportion of the population aged 65 years and older, the highest of any Marine Region. Between 1996 and 2001, the annual population growth rate in the Queensland portion was twice that in the New South Wales portion, and the Region's overall annual growth rate was similar to that for coastal Australia. Increasing population growth during this period occurred across the coastal conurbations between the northern tip of New South Wales and Burnett Heads, around Port Stephens, greater Shoalhaven and the northern edges of Sydney.

Socio-demographic characteristics vary considerably across the Region. Indigenous people are highly represented in Jervis Bay, along the New South Wales north coast and in the Queensland northern coastal tip of the Region. Median ages are younger around coastal Metropolitan areas and large regional centres than elsewhere. In the New South Wales portion, low-income households are more common in Non-metropolitan areas whereas in the Queensland portion the occurrence of low-income households is spread evenly across Metropolitan and regional areas.

Norfolk Region

Tourism-related services are the main economic activities on Norfolk Island. The Region has a population of nearly 400 people, and since 1996 its population has declined. The Region has an older median age, low levels of child dependency, and a lower level of employment diversification, as it is largely based on tourism-related services.

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