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Major communities:

• Balranald
• Corowa
• Deniliquin
• Tumbarumba
• Wentworth
• Jerilderie
• Berrigan
• Albury
• Conargo
• Holbrook (Greater Hume Council Area)
• Moulamein (Murray Council Area)
• Urana
• Walkool

Region overview:

• home to many sectors of Australia's processed food industry
• one ofAustralia's most popular holiday destinations
• sophisticated irrigation network means region can sustain a diverse range of agricultural activity.

Major industry sectors:

•  food processing
•  agriculture
•  forestry
•  tourism
•  textile
•  manufacturing
•  transport.

The Murray Region has a large and varied food processing industry and a strong agricultural heritage.

It has a temperate climate, although temperatures in the southern reaches can drop to zero degrees in winter and hover in the thirties in the height of summer.

Stretching along the Murray River from the Snowy Mountains in the east to the South Australian border in the west, the region has strong economic ties with Victoria and its river towns of Wodonga, Swan Hill and Mildura.

MAJOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

• skilled agricultural and manufacturing workforce
• most major Australian marketplaces are easily accessible
• strategic location and developed infrastructure.

INDUSTRIES

The Murray hosts a diverse range of enterprises, from traditional broadacre agriculture, specialist horticultural crops to manufacturing, engineering, computer technology and specialist service industries.

Food processing

The Murray is home to a thriving food processing industry that produces foodstuffs as diverse as dairy products, wine, bread and pet foods. The manufacturing sector accounts for 21 per cent of the area's Gross Regional Product, 12 per cent of its employment and 58 per cent of its exports.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the traditional staple of the region's industry. Large tracts of fertile land and a sophisticated irrigation system sustain a large and diverse range of agricultural activity.

Due to its close proximity to major domestic markets and an infrastructure suited to large-scale export, many of Australia's leading food companies source product from the Murray Region.

Over half of Australia's rice crop is produced in the Murray, and the region is a traditional home for cereals, dairy farming, fruits and vegetables and wool.

Forestry

The Murray also boasts significant timber resources that have led to the creation of a thriving wood products industry centred on mills such as the Norske Skog Newsprint Mill.

The timber industry in the South West Slopes generates over one billion dollars for the local economy with one job being created for every 63ha of plantation.

Research and early plantings of eucalypt plantations are being undertaken in the irrigation area to develop a timber industry and control rising water tables.

The agriculture and forestry sector accounts for approximately 18 per cent of the area's Gross Regional Product, 20 per cent of its employment and 34 per cent of its exports.

Tourism

Tourism's importance to the region is increasing. Natural landmarks like Lake Mungo National Park, numerous historic pioneering towns and nearby ski slopes draw tourists to the area.

The many lakes and rivers of the region make the Murray a paradise for fishermen and water sport enthusiasts.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing and value-adding industries include paper, plastics, specialist engineering (motor vehicle transmissions and differentials) and wool processing.

LABOUR

The Murray's laid-back lifestyle has attracted a large and skilled labour force, which is strongly skilled in agriculture and manufacturing.

Along with sustaining existing industries, the labour force has encouraged exciting new manufacturing ventures to the region including plastics, farm machinery and high technology components.

Photo: Jann Tuxford
Courtesy Tourism NSW

Courtesy Tourism New South Wales

Courtesy Tourism NSW

Courtesy Tourism NSW