Mid North Coast

The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens 160 km (99 mi) north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolga, 562 km (349 mi) north of Sydney, a distance of roughly 400 km (250 mi).

Mid North Coast
New South Wales
Population308,372 (30 June 2016)[1]
LGA(s)
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s)
Localities around Mid North Coast:
Northern Tablelands Northern Rivers Tasman Sea
New England Mid North Coast Tasman Sea
Upper Hunter Hunter Tasman Sea

Heading northwards beyond Newcastle, the Mid North Coast region's main towns include the towns of Bulahdelah, Forster, Tuncurry, Wingham, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey, South West Rocks, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour. Of these Taree, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour are the major commercial centres, all with large shopping centres, public facilities and attractions. Kempsey and Forster-Tuncurry are considered semi-major commercial centres. Smaller towns that are popular tourist spots are North Haven, South West Rocks, Urunga, Gloucester and Pacific Palms.

The region has a subtropical climate and is known for its waterways, beaches and hinterland of forests and farms. Major industries are farming, logging and tourism.

Demography and area

The following local government areas are contained within the region:

Population by Local Government Area
Mid North Coast rank Local Government Area Population 30 June 2016[2] 10 year growth rate Population density (people/km2)
1 Mid Coast Council 91,958 8.7 9.1
2 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council 79,905 14.2 21.7
3 Coffs Harbour City Council 74,641 12.0 63.6
4 Kempsey Shire Council 29,454 5.1 8.7
5 Nambucca Shire Council 19,521 6.7 13.1
6 Bellingen Shire Council 12,893 1.4 8.1
Mid North Coast 308,372 10.0 14.4

Public transport

Bus

Three bus services run throughout the region; Sawtell Coaches, Busways, and Ryans Bus Service. Sawtell Coaches run various services throughout Coffs Harbour city and to the suburbs of Boambee and Sawtell. Busways run services throughout Coffs Harbour city down south as far as Scotts Head and west into Bellingen. Ryans Bus services run throughout Coffs Harbour City and run North to Woolgoolga on a regular basis. Busways also operate services in the Port Macquarie region.

Rail

There are several railway stations on the Mid North Coast serviced by 3 trains; the Grafton, the Casino and the Brisbane XPT trains. Each run north and south once a day. Heading north from Sydney Central, the first station on the mid north coast is Gloucester followed by Wingham and Taree. Further north are Kendall, Wauchope (for Port Macquarie), Kempsey, Macksville, Urunga, Sawtell and Coffs Harbour. There is no station for Forster-Tuncurry.

Rail is the fastest and cheapest way to get to either Sydney, Newcastle, the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

See also

References
  1. Statistics, c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of. "Main Features - Main Features". www.abs.gov.au. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  2. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2016". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017.

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