The Mackay Region is located in the heart of Queensland, halfway between Brisbane and Cairns and boasts a relaxed tropical lifestyle. The region encompasses Australia’s largest continuous stretch of rainforest, spectacular Parks, breathtaking mountains and gorges, historic townships, miles of golden beaches, tropical islands, and of course the Great Barrier Reef.

The Region is home for the larger part of Queensland’s Sugar Industry and Bowen Basin Coal Mining industry. Surrounding this economic base is a thriving engineering and manufacturing sector producing world leading technology and quality, with exports growing annually.

The Region has three commercial ports, which import and export a large percentage of the Region’s commodities - Mackay Harbour in Mackay City, Abbot Point in the Bowen Shire and Port of Hay Point in the Sarina Shire.

The Mackay Region covers the (8) shires of Mackay, Whitsunday, Bowen, Sarina, Broadsound, Belyando, Nebo and Mirani, an area of approx 90,000 square klms with a population of around 140,000.

Mackay City Council
The City of Mackay extends to the O’Connell River in the north and Alligator Creek in the south. Islands within the Mackay City area include Brampton, Keswick, St Bees and Lindeman. The City is located 400 kilometres north of the Tropic of Capricorn, and 803 kilometres north by air from Queensland’s capital city, Brisbane, and covers an area of approx 29,000 square kilometres.

The population of the Mackay Whitsunday Region is estimated at just over 140,000 permanent residents, with just over 78,000 living within the Mackay City Council area. The region surrounding Mackay is the largest sugar cane producing area in Australia. The region is also home to six sugar mills, one of Australia’s four sugar refineries, and the largest bulk sugar terminal in the world. The Bowen Basin in Mackay’s hinterland region provides a large portion of Australia’s total coal exports. Mackay City has a large engineering services base and supports the region’s mining industry. The region’s natural attractions and cosmopolitan atmosphere have also been the impetus behind a successful tourism industry, with about half a million visitors travelling to Mackay each year.


Whitsunday Shire Council
The Whitsunday Shire is home to such towns as Proserpine, Airlie Beach, Shute Harbour, Dingo Beach, and also tropical resorts such as Hayman, Hamilton and Daydream Islands to name a few. The region also encompasses Conway National Park, and of course falls alongside one of the world’s greatest wonders, the Great Barrier Reef. With an area of 2644 square kilometres and an approximate resident population of 15,200, the Whitsunday Shire is a major tourist destination in Australia. Encompassing the rural town of Proserpine, the tourism based town of Whitsunday (Cannonvale, Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour) and the 74 Whitsunday Islands, the Shire’s economy relies on contributions from cane, tourism, grazing, agriculture, small scale manufacturing and a range of support industries.


Bowen Shire Council
Situated along the Pacific coastline, Bowen is located a little over 180 km north of Mackay and 83 km north-east of Collinsville. The total population of the Shire is 12,648. Bowen is located at the top of the Whitsunday Islands. Bowen’s eight magnificent sandy beaches are a major tourist attraction where it is possible to swim, snorkel and dive to see coral reefs and fish within metres of the shore in crystal clear waters. Fishing is also a major attraction, commercially or for leisure, either from the beaches and rocky outcrops or anywhere in the local waters. Bowen breezes are perfect for sailing with sheltered waters available year round. Bowen is famous in particular for its production of tomatoes as the largest tomato-producing region in Queensland and who hasn’t heard of the Bowen mango!


Broadsound Shire Council
Broadsound Shire has an estimated population of approximately 6,500 and a total area of 18,499km2 with its main industries being cattle, grain, mining, sugar and some tourism. The main towns in the Shire are St Lawrence, Dysart, Middlemount, Carmila with smaller townships such as Clairview, Ilbilbie and Greenhill. The coastal area of the Broadsound Shire extends some 100km along the eastern coastline (referred to by some as the Serenity Coast) and is separated from the western regions by the Connors Range. The Shire has its economic base in sugar cane and beef cattle while the western regions economy is derived from agriculture and mining. Apart from the beef and sugar industries some smaller commercial fishing enterprises operate in the area, and more recently a number of other activities such as aquaculture, fruit and vegetable growing and goat farming are being established.


Sarina Shire Council
Located in the foothills of the Connors Range, Sarina has a population of over 3,900 with a total shire population of approximately 10,000. The town is situated on the Bruce Highway, 37 km south of Mackay and 307 km north of Rockhampton. The Shire of Sarina is fortunate to be situated along an attractive section of the east coast and includes the islands of Prudhoe, Knight and Temple. Sarina Shire includes the beach communities of Sarina Beach, Campwin Beach, Grasstree Beach, Armstrong Beach, Half Tide/Salonika Beach and Louisa Creek.

The largest coal exporting facility in the Southern hemisphere at Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay make Sarina a focal point for coal development, this facility is supported by extensive railway maintenance infrastructure at Jilalan. Sarina is also a major supplier of sugar cane and has associated industries such as the CSR Plane Creek Mill and Queensland largest power alcohol plant located in the town. Other rural activities include cattle grazing, dairying, fruit tree orchards, with tourists and residents alike being attracted to the many excellent fishing spots along the Shire’s coastline and estuaries.


Belyando Shire Council
The Belyando Shire is situated in the Bowen Basin in the Central Highlands of Queensland, approximately 180km west of Mackay and covers an area of 30,078 square kilometres. The Shire has a total population of approximately 10,580 people. The major towns are Moranbah and Clermont. The remainder of the population are in rural areas of the Shire. Belyando Shire exports in mining and agriculture contribute significantly to Queensland total exports. The Shire’s economy continues to grow as more mineral deposits are developed and agricultural practices are modernised.


Nebo Shire Council
Geographically Nebo Shire is located in the centre of the region. The town of Nebo is approximately a one hour drive along the Peak Downs Highway west of Mackay City. The Shire covers an area of 10,009 square kilometres. The total population of the Shire is 2,143 distributed between the town of Nebo, which is the administrative Centre for the Shire, Glenden, and Coppabella.

The Nebo area is the key link to the 1800s and early life in the Mackay region (being the closest rural and gold mining historical town to Mackay). Nebo Shire has a diverse array of offerings, with significant coal deposits, prime gazing land and crop cultivation. Significant coal mine expansion and development has recently been undertaken within the Shire. These include Coppabella, Morevale and Hail Creek. Nebo Shire is the largest coal producing shire in the Bowen Basin. The Shire is also a large producer of cattle and cattle products, producing a number of store, fat and stud cattle in the Shire.


Mirani Shire Council
Mirani Shire lies to the west of Mackay and includes the beautiful Pioneer Valley and Eungella National Park, world famous for its platypus. The Pioneer River rises in the mountain range in the western end of the Shire and runs the length of the Pioneer Valley to flow through Mackay City and into the Coral Sea. The Shire covers an area of 3,272 square kilometres and has a population of approximately 5,360.

Sugar has been the major industry for nearly 120 years and will continue to be, as the industry is effectively addressing long-term viability. Other industries include dairy farming, fruit processing, horticulture including coffee, cattle, goats (for mohair production) and the flourishing tourism industry.