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Mackay, Queensland




Mackay (, pop. 78 700) is a city and Local Government Area on the eastern coast of Queensland , Australia , about 900 kilometres north of Brisbane . Mackay is nicknamed the Sugar capital of Australia because it produces more than a third of Australia's sugar. The city has an average Temperature of 23 degrees Celsius .

Google Maps satellite view of Mackay Region


ECONOMY

(1998-1999 financial year figures are used)

Mining constitutes around one third (AU$1500 million) of the Mackay region's annual gross product largely because of the coal loading terminals to the south at Hay Point , its proximity to the Bowen (Coal) Basin and the regional mining centres of Moranbah , Dysart , Clermont , and Glenden .

Retail Sales and Trade create around AU$430 million of production in the Mackay region annually. AU$70 million of these trades are attributed to tourism.

Though extensive amounts of land around Mackay are used for growing Sugarcane , Agriculture (including Crops , Livestock and Forestry ) constitutes only 6.4% (AU$300 million) of Mackay's annual gross production.


TOURISM

Despite being close to Eungella National Park , The Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands , Mackay has not capitalised greatly on its location. Only 5.3% of the region's production is generated from Tourism ; with 59% of tourism income coming from accommodation and 28% coming from retail sales. Mackay holds a current position as a stop-over location as evident by the many motor-inns - but bodies are working toward greater capitalisation on the tourism market.