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COOMA-MONARO SHIRE. A Profile. Contact Details. Cooma-Monaro Shire Council Commissioner Street, Cooma PO Box 714, Cooma (02) 6450 1777 www.cooma.nsw.gov.au. Electorate Details. State Electorate of Eden-Monaro Member for Monaro (since 2003), Steve Whan – Australian Labor Party
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COOMA-MONARO SHIRE A Profile
Contact Details • Cooma-Monaro Shire CouncilCommissioner Street, CoomaPO Box 714, Cooma(02) 6450 1777www.cooma.nsw.gov.au
Electorate Details • State Electorate of Eden-MonaroMember for Monaro (since 2003), Steve Whan – Australian Labor Party • Federal Electorate of Eden-MonaroMember for Eden-Monaro (since 1996), Gary Nairn – Liberal Party
An Introduction • Cooma is the largest town in the region. A very good sealed road system offers easy access to Melbourne and to Sydney. • We are approximately one hour by road from the ski fields, the Sapphire Coast and Canberra.
History • When Europeans came upon this area in the 1820s they commented on what excellent grazing land it offered, as it did not need to be cleared.Within 20 years our population was 2,000 people, 500,000 sheep and 50,000 cattle.
History continued… • The Kiandra Gold-rush of 1860 saw the Cooma population soar, and established Cooma as the commercial centre for the region – with stores, hotels, the court-house, gaol, banks, even a convent being established, and the railway in 1889.
History continued… • Today, Cooma remains the main supply and service centre for the Snowy Mountains and Monaro region • Cooma District Hospital services the entire region (including the skifields) • Countrylink terminates in Cooma (continues to the coast but not further into the mountains)
Population • The current population of Cooma-Monaro Shire is 9,725 (compared to 9,448 in 2001) • The population is ageing –In 2006 our population of 5-14 year-olds is 16.23% less than in 2001While our population of 55-64 year-olds is 20.13% greater [Source: ABS Census 2001 & 2006]
Population continued… • A population forecast prepared by Dr Kim Houghton of Strategic Economic Solutions indicates a marked increased in the population of older people in Cooma-Monaro • This is typical, although in Cooma-Monaro we lose our 15-24 year-olds as they leave for university education
Labour Force • The Total Labour Force of Cooma-Monaro Shire in 2006 is 4,659 (an 8.29% increase on 2001)(There was a decrease of 18.15% in unemployed people from 2001 to 2006) [Source: ABS Census 2001 & 2006]
Industry of Employment • The industry employing the most people - 12.73% of the local population - is ‘Retail Trade’Followed by ‘Public Administration & Safety’ (9.85%), ‘Health & Community Services (9.42%) & ‘Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing’ (8.65%) [Source: ABS Census 2001 & 2006]
Industry of Employment continued… • Manufacturing employs 4.89% • Electricity, Gas, Water employs 4.69% • Construction employs 8.04% • Transport & Storage employs 4.01% [Source: ABS Census 2001 & 2006]
Main Industry Sectors Our main industries are… Agriculture Tourism (Retail & Accommodation) Government/Community Services (Defence Force Call Centre, Correctional Centre, Local Government, Snowy Hydro)
Freight-generating Industries Local industries generating freight include: Wool-brokers Cattle & Sheep farming Abattoir Retail businesses Tourism (passenger buses, year-round) The route is used by logging & other trucks as well
Cooma-Monaro Transport Infrastructure • Airport:Snowy Mountains Airport is located (outside the shire) 12km from Cooma, utilised mainly by tourists during the ski season and business people (this is ceasing during Summer 2007/8) • Rail:The railway service to Cooma ceased operation in 1989, exactly 100 years after it came
Transport Infrastructure Needs • Lifestyle • Industry • Tourism
Needs - Lifestyle • Safe roads are vital, due to lack of other transport options • Public road transport is needed to cater for the needs of the ageing population • ‘Sydney-centric’ policies affect regional NSW – eg youth driving rules being considered do not take into account the needs of rural youth [Source: Cooma-Monaro Shire Council Submission to NSW Rural & Regional Taskforce]
Needs - Industry • The Snowy Monaro Business Enterprise Centre undertook an Industry & Industrial Land Audit in 2005 • Amongst the respondents were manufacturers of herbal tonics, rabbit food, spun yarn, winery equipment, organic foodstuffs, kit homes, energy storage, cabinet-making, cattle-handling equipment, hydraulics, electronic control systems and ski industry support products…
Needs – Industry continued… • Advantages of Having Your Business in Cooma (89 respondents)Lifestyle – attractive town, social life, nice/trustworthy people, proximity to beach/skifields, climate, low crime-rate, low stressLocation – between Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, low-cost real estate, low overheadsLocal Support
Needs – Industry continued… • Disadvantages of Having Your Business in Cooma (59 respondents)Population Base – not growing quickly enough, not large enough to support some business/industryFuel & Freight – cost & availabilityLocation – Distance for deliveries, IsolationInfrastructure – Lack of tertiary institutions, local/regional transport system, skills shortage
Needs – Industry continued… • Of the respondents sampled… • 50% said Transport Costs are ‘Fair’ • 19% said they are ‘Good’ • 17% said they are ‘Poor’ • 10% said they are ‘Very Poor’ • 4% said they are ‘Excellent’
Needs – Industry continued… • In 2006, there was a 20.69% increase in the number of Cooma-Monaro Shire residents using Motorcycles/Scooters as a mode of transport to get to workAnd a 14.16% increase in the number of residents driving a Car to work
Needs – Industry continued… • One reason for our population growth is the fact the Shire was amalgamated in 2004, Michelago is now within Cooma-Monaro ShireA number of Cooma-Monaro Shire residents are employed in the ACT, and therefore commute each day for work
Needs - Tourism • Kosciuszko National Park sees approximately 2 million vehicles entering the park each year, predominantly for recreation purposes • The ratio of winter:summer visitors is changing; the number of people driving themselves (rather than using public transport) is increasing; the number of motorcycle tourists is increasing
Needs – Tourism continued… • In the Tourism Snowy Mountains Regional Tourism Plan (dated 2002), one action was:Develop a proposal for sealing:the road between Dalgety & Bombala (now called the Snowy River Way);the access road to Yarrangobilly Caves;the road between Adaminaby & Tharwa (the Bobeyan Road); andthe route through Namadji National Park
Needs – Tourism continued… • Tourism Snowy Mountains is strongly supportive of the continued improvement to roads throughout the region, as this improves access for visitors, as well as enabling the visitor to further explore and experience the region by utilising ‘loops and trails’.
Sources: Cooma-Monaro Shire Council Business Information Kit Australian Bureau of Statistics 2001 & 2006 Strategic Economic Solutions ‘Understanding Your Market’ Presentation 2007 Snowy Monaro BEC Industry & Industrial Land Audit 2005 Cooma-Monaro Shire Council Submission to NSW Rural & Regional Taskforce Tourism Snowy Mountains Regional Tourism Plan 2002