If you're considering a lifestyle change, relocating your business or starting a new position within the Armed Forces, the Shoalhaven has plenty to offer both you and your family.
The Shoalhaven Lifestyle
The Shoalhaven is one of the fastest growing areas of New South Wales with over 5,000 people moving here every year. We enjoy a temperate climate, bustling economy, quality healthcare, and a variety of retail and recreational centres. We also have some of the most spectacular and beautiful national parks and coastline in the State.
We love our beaches, bays and bushwalks in the Shoalhaven. We love playing sport and messing about with boats. We love our arts and music communities, and our bush care and environmental groups. We love the fact that travel is easy, and everything’s within reach. We love that we don’t have to pay for parking, and that you’d have to work hard to finish the ‘Shoalhaven 100 Beaches’ challenge in a summer.
Job Market
With a population of just over 100,000, the Shoalhaven has a growing economic base supported by both domestic and international trade. Education, health and construction are some of our leading industries, along with Government administration and services. Some areas are also strong in tourism, hospitality and retail.
The University of Wollongong is a key employer not only in the Illawarra, but now also further south, with its Shoalhaven campus, and better road links to Wollongong. Industry allied to the Royal Australian Navy is also well positioned in the Shoalhaven, with two bases in the area, HMAS Albatross at Nowra and HMAS Creswell at Jervis Bay.
If you're a business owner, The Shoalhaven City Council's Economic Development Office is able to assist you to establish or expand your business in the area.
Property Market
House values have grown in recent years, but property at a variety of price points is available in different locations. Choose from Berry and Kangaroo Valley which enjoy a pretty, rural feel, or coastal towns like Shoalhaven Heads or Huskisson. The median house price in Nowra is lower than Greater Sydney making it a great option for young families seeking to enter the property market.
Nowra with its sister city Bomaderry is the major centre of the Shoalhaven, divided by the Shoalhaven River. Nowra is home to the main administrative and commercial services. Other large centres include Milton/Ulladulla in the south, and the group of towns and settlements around beautiful Jervis Bay. We just love to live here. There really is something for everyone, no matter who you are.
We wouldn’t want to move and we hope you’ll feel the same way.
Transport
- Nowra Coaches runs a bus service throughout the region.
- Sydney Trains provide a rail service down the coast from Sydney to Bomaderry.
- Many students are eligible for the Subsidised School Transport Scheme that provides bus travel that is used by most students to get to and from school.
- Our ‘kiss and drop’ system works well for those who need to travel by car.