And that message is clear: while the region is primed for growth, worsening business conditions are putting that momentum at risk.
Held in partnership with Commonwealth Bank and the University of Newcastle at Mingara Recreation Club, the event brought together key decision-makers including the Treasurer of Australia, Dr Jim Chalmers MP, and Belinda Allen, Head of Australian Economics at Commonwealth Bank, to discuss the economic outlook and the policy settings needed to support regional businesses.
Business NSW Central Coast Regional Director Scott Goold said the breakfast highlighted a growing disconnect between the region’s economic potential and the operating environment facing local businesses.
“The Central Coast is not short on opportunity, we are seeing strong private sector investment, a $2.3B development pipeline in Gosford, and real momentum across our growth corridors,” Mr Goold said.
“But businesses are telling us very clearly that conditions on the ground are deteriorating, and that is now becoming a handbrake on investment, hiring and growth.”
The latest Business NSW Business Conditions Survey shows confidence on the Central Coast has fallen to -79.7, back to levels seen during COVID, with only around 10 per cent of businesses planning to hire and 22 per cent expecting to reduce staff.
At the same time:
- 48 per cent of businesses have reduced their own income.
- 35 per cent are drawing on personal savings.
- 32 per cent are delaying investment decisions.
- 15 per cent are considering closing permanently./
“These are not abstract numbers, they represent real businesses making difficult decisions every day,” Mr Goold said.
“Cost pressures are broad-based, but taxes, levies and government charges have now overtaken insurance as the number one concern for local businesses. That tells us the policy environment is playing a bigger role than ever in business confidence.”
The event also featured a moderated Q&A led by Business NSW CEO Dan Hunter, joined by the Federal Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers MP and the Federal Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid, focusing on the rapid deterioration in business conditions, hiring contraction, tax pressures and the role of targeted policy reform.
The discussion highlighted the urgency of stabilising business conditions in the near term, while also addressing longer-term structural issues including housing supply, workforce availability and regional productivity, with a strong focus on ensuring national policy settings translate into real outcomes for regions like the Central Coast.
A key focus of the event was the role of enabling infrastructure in unlocking both housing supply and economic activity across the region.
Through the Central Coast Peak Bodies Alliance, in partnership with Central Coast Council, regional industry has identified priority projects spanning Gosford, the Northern Growth Corridor, the Southern Growth Corridor and Woy Woy.
These include city-shaping transport upgrades in Gosford, corridor upgrades to unlock large-scale housing in Warnervale and Doyalson, and targeted transport improvements in established centres.
“The Central Coast does not lack housing capacity it lacks the enabling infrastructure to bring that housing to market,” Mr Goold said.
“Targeted investment in these priority projects will unlock both high-density housing in strategic centres and large-scale supply in our growth corridors while also supporting jobs and productivity.”
The Alliance has also outlined practical funding solutions, including forward-funding models where infrastructure investment can be recovered over time through developer contributions, and stronger partnerships between the Australian and NSW Governments.
“What we are putting forward is not just a list of projects, it is a delivery framework,” Mr Goold said.
“We are saying treat the Central Coast as a priority delivery region. Back the infrastructure that unlocks housing and employment, and at the same time ease the cost pressures that are holding businesses back.”
Mr Goold said the alignment between industry and local government presents a unique opportunity for governments to act with confidence.
“The Central Coast is ready to deliver but we need the right policy settings and targeted infrastructure investment to match that readiness.
“If government and business continue to move in the same direction, the return will be stronger supply, stronger employment and stronger regional growth not just for the Coast, but for New South Wales more broadly.”
The event also marked the 12th anniversary of the Central Coast Economic Breakfast, reinforcing its role as a key platform for regional advocacy and engagement between business and government.
