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Hunter Region

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Hunter Region
New South Wales
Population590,000
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST)AEDT (UTC+11)
Location160 km (99 mi) north of Sydney
LGA(s)
File:06-12-14 187.jpg
A Hunter Valley vineyard.

The Hunter is a region of New South Wales, approximately 160 kilometres north of Sydney, Australia with an approximate population of 590,000 people.[1] More than half of the population live in the coastal cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. There are also numerous other towns and villages scattered across the valley in the eleven Local Government Areas that occupy the region. These eleven LGAs are:[2]

The Hunter Region contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and south.[3] The Hunter Valley is one of the largest river valleys on the NSW coast, and is most commonly known for its wineries and coal industry.

Industries

The Hunter Region is one of Australia's most famous wine growing regions, known for both its red and white wine varieties. The most important economic activity in the valley is coal mining, mostly for export. Other major industries include power generation, dairy farming and beef cattle farming. The port at Newcastle is the world's largest export facility for coal, most of which is brought to the port via railway.

Tourism

The Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in New South Wales and is the 6th most visited place in Australia attracting more than 2.5 million people annually. The Pokolbin area has a large number of vineyards, restaurants, shops, golf courses and country guesthouses. Other parts of the valley are also well known for wine. The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world.

There are regular events held in the Hunter for visitors, including the Hunter Valley Steam Trains running the first three Sundays of each month and regular scenic cruises on the Hunter River and Lake Macquarie.

Towns and cities

Newcastle, situated at the mouth of the Hunter River, is the largest city in the region. Its immediate metropolitan area includes Lake Macquarie, though its statistical division also includes the Maitland, Cessnock and Port Stephens areas. Other major centres of the Hunter Region are Dungog, Forster/Tuncurry, Gloucester, Kurri Kurri, Muswellbrook, Scone and Singleton.

Growth

The Hunter Region is growing both economically and culturally. New residential areas are being developed throughout the region to accommodate people attracted to the area by employment opportunities, the family-friendly environment and affordable housing prices. The state government is working with local government to plan for further growth which is expected to continue for several decades. There is even a proposal for a new town of 50,000 to be built near Branxton.

View across the Hunter Valley.

References

  1. ^ "2006 Census QuickStats : Hunter (Statistical Region)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Local Council Boundaries Hunter (HT)". New South Wales Department of Local Government. Retrieved 16 August. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Department of Local Government - Regions". NSW Department of Local Government. Retrieved 5 August. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

See also

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