ABS population and demographic data, economic data from various sources, academic literature, and the Institute’ s legacy data including from the Hunter Research Foundation and the more recent‘ Regions Matter’ research.
Qualitative data collection involved semistructured interviews. 26 business leaders were interviewed drawing upon expertise from both within and external to the Lake Macquarie area. Target industries included construction, manufacturing, health and social assistance, technology, mining and energy transition, and education and training. These interviews were supplemented by data from two focus groups and eight individual interviews previously conducted by the Institute with Dantia board members and Lake Macquarie Council staff. The detailed experiences shared by these business leaders revealed some of the finer dynamics and considerations for both employees and employers when considering their choice of location and the markets they serve. Interestingly, we often needed to redirect interviewees who reinterpreted our research aim. Initially, they might tell us what is great about Lake Macquarie rather than why businesses might choose to invest here or elsewhere. Local pride and parochialism were evident, particularly for those business leaders already in the area.
From the evidence base generated during data collection, four key themes emerged relating to local identity, workforce talent, infrastructure, and business networking. Effective business development is not done in isolation. Hence, these four themes should not be viewed in isolation, but considered as overlapping and mutually interactive.
A DECENTRALISED CITY One of Lake Macquarie’ s primary challenges is its identity. It has several economic centres rather than one central business district, and despite having a larger population, the area is often referred to as part of Newcastle. The decentralised nature of its suburban / village centres such as Belmont, Cardiff, Charlestown, Glendale, Morisset and Warners Bay scattered around the lake presents both logistical and identity challenges. In contrast, neighbouring Newcastle has an established identity that is widely recognised.
Interviewees mentioned that the area is often mistaken for other similarly named
Figure 1- Place of employment of employed residents- by home LGA( Source: ABS 2021)
locations such as Port Macquarie to the north. Lake Macquarie was referred to as being the lesser known, little sibling of Newcastle. Some described how, when explaining to other businesspeople where they were located, they would often avoid referring to Lake Macquarie. Instead, they might refer to living and doing business in‘ Newcastle’ or the‘ Hunter Region’.
One of Lake Macquarie’ s primary challenges is its identity. It has several economic centres rather than one central business district, and despite having a larger population, the area is often referred to as part of Newcastle.
There were some clear areas of differentiation between the identities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. For example, Newcastle was seen as housing an‘ edgier’ culture with more interest for younger emerging artists and creatives while Lake Macquarie was described as more conservative in its arts and culture scene. In addition to divisions between Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, some businesspeople described divisions between the communities of the east and west sides of the lake. In the east, leisure-oriented activities take advantage of the coastal lifestyle while, in the west, a commuter population services other regions such as commuting west to work in the Mid and Upper Hunter Valley or heading south to service Greater Sydney. These east-west and Newcastle-Lake Macquarie divisions exacerbate the identity and logistical challenges of Lake Macquarie’ s decentralisation.
Without exception, the lifestyle of Lake Macquarie was recounted as a key attraction both for business and for retaining talented workers. The area is generally seen as a place to work and play, to be healthy and productive. However, a contradiction emerged in that the attraction of Lake Macquarie’ s natural environment somewhat resulted in the tendency to view it as a dormitory area, rather than as a business destination: a place to be at home and to play, but not a place at which to work. Many interviewees described their daily commute, or that of their employees, out of Lake Macquarie. This was confirmed by ABS data( figure 1) identifying relatively low rates of Lake Macquarie residents working in the Lake Macquarie LGA.
Some interviewees commented that workers of non-English speaking backgrounds had struggled to establish themselves in the area. It was reported that these workers, rather than stay in Lake Macquarie, were consistently drawn to return to areas of diaspora communities, such as Western Sydney, or to their country of origin. By examining levels of non-English speaking backgrounds, it suggests that the area is gradually becoming more culturally diverse and that these workers, generally, have higher qualifications than the wider population.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 18 NO 1 2025 19