Manufacturing is the second highest value add industry sector on the Central Coast, at an estimated value of $910 million in 2018/19 to the local economy. It is the third largest sector behind Health and construction represents 8.2% of the value add for the region.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing is the largest sub sector of Manufacturing on the Central Coast valued at $310 million to the local economy. Food and beverage companies employ 2863 FTE people locally*
When you add in agriculture sector value add of $85M and the Food and Beverage wholesale, retail and food service sector of a further $725M* of value add the total value add to the region attributed to all food related sectors is $1122M* The sales value attributed to these food sectors is $2.23 Billion and a total employment number of 19,767. The total Food and Beverage sector is important to the region.
Apart from its Food and beverage manufacturing capability, it is home to a diverse sector covering smaller artisan food producers, high quality primary food producers together with food service companies in catering and hospitality.
The importance of the sector is such that in 2013 the Board of CCMC decided to become a founding member of Food Innovation Australia together with the University of Newcastle. CCMC would act as the conduit for information, programs and research opportunities between FIAL , government , education/ research providers and industry. As part of this membership the Food Central Coast was established to be a contact point for Food and Beverage Processing.
Today CCIC continues to be a member of FIAL and supports the delivery of its programs to the Central Coast and Hunter region.
MAPPING THE CONNECTIONS STUDY. CENTRAL COAST FOOD INDUSTRY 2012
Through the then Enterprise Connect program a study was conducted to understand clustering across the Central Coast food growing, processing and manufacturing industry. Delivered through a jointly developed process with AusIndustry, Industry and CCMC ( now CCIC) the study would provide an understanding of the industry’s their collective issues and strengths and how it would be better placed to take advantage of emerging opportunities in both the domestic and export markets.
The outcome of the process provided the foundation for the development of an action plan that:
- delivers a platform for continuing dialogue across the industry sectors, supply chain, research and education
- identifies skilling and human resource development needs across the industry
- fosters the establishment of a Central Coast regional food cluster
- facilitates innovation and the sustainable growth of the food industry in the region
AusIndustry and CCMC conducted a mapping exercise of 29 Food and Beverage companies using a tool called Mapping the Connections.
Mapping the Connections (MTC) is an assessment tool developed by the Innovation Regions Centre in partnership with Deakin University to assist clustering initiatives and industry collaboration. It aims to assess existing linkages and levels of collaboration amongst selected groups of organisations.
The interview of businesses and collation of results was completed and was presented at an industry function on the 8th July 2014 at Six String Brewing Company.
