Economic Development

Council has adopted a strategy framework to guide the City of Albany's involvement in economic development over the period 2010-2015. The emphasis of the strategy is on the City's area of influence, recognising that the economic development challenge is shared by all levels of government and business.

The Key Focus Areas for the City of Albany are listed below 

Key Focus Area 1 - Strategic Infrastructure Projects:

Council will advocate, facilitate and co-ordinate the development of selected strategic infrastructure projects that may have a major impact on the economic and social development of Albany.

Key Focus Area 2 - Investment Attraction:

Council will facilitate the positioning of Albany as Western Australia’s most highly sought after place to live, work and invest.

Key Focus Area 3 - Community-based Economic and Enterprise Development:

Council will partner with community, business and industry groups to identify economic and enterprise growth opportunities

Key Focus Area 4 - Tourism Development:

Council will aid in positioning and maintaining Albany within the top two fastest growing visitor destinations in the Australia’s South West Tourism region by 2015

Key Focus Area 5 - Regional Leadership: Council will manage and develop stakeholder relationships and deliver services that will maximise the City’s economic development potential.

Download the City's Economic Development Strategy at the link below.

Albany is an established holiday playground. Tourism ventures in accommodation, recreation, food and hospitality continue to grow in and around the city.

Tourism is just part of the picture. The staple agricultural industries of the region - wool, grain and livestock - continue to feed into the city, and the capacity to value-add and diversify has never been greater. Aquaculture, wine, plantation timber, fishing, olive oil, organic produce, dairy, meat processing, essential oils and cosmetics are examples of existing industries serving local, tourist and export markets.

Plantation timbers have changed the local landscape with Tasmanian bluegum woodchips a major export industry for the region. The potential to value-add to this resource exists in the areas of construction lumber, bio-mass energy (including pellets) and pulp manufacture.

Albany's busy port is a first-class shipping facility servicing the agricultural sector. It supports the capacity for new industry with its expanded berthing facilities, cold storage and road and rail access.

For the processing of local resources including fish, timber and agricultural products, special industrial sites are available at Mirambeena. A world class meat processing facility is located north of Albany and generates ongoing employment and trade.

Real estate in Albany covers the range of housing options from modern to heritage, beach-side or inner city, riverfront or semi-rural. The cost of commercial land and property is competitive for potential business ventures.

The region’s mild climate and magnificent lifestyle make investment in a range of industries attractive. Strong growth in residential and non-residential building activity signals sound confidence in the future of Albany.

Albany has a steady population growth rate with forecasts for accelerated growth associated with several mining and timber processing projects. Longstanding residents and people from around the world continue to be drawn to Albany’s abundance. A broad mix of expertise in business, the arts, hospitality and the professions is the result of a growing and diverse population.

Current economic and demographic data for the City of Albany local government area is available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and can be accessed by clicking here.

A profile of the wider Great Southern region can be found at: http://www.gsdc.wa.gov.au/fileadmin/GSDC/pdf/Great_Southern_Profile.pdf

A City of Albany Household and Population Forecast study has been prepared for Council and can be downloaded by clicking the link below.