Mackay

Mackay produces one-third of Australia's cane sugar—and services one of the world's largest coal reserves. This dual identity, agriculture and mining, has made the city a study in economic concentration and the risks it creates.

Sugar cane cultivation began in the 1860s. Today, the region produces over one million tonnes of raw sugar annually. The Port of Mackay hosts one of the world's largest bulk sugar terminals. Green energy comes from a co-generation plant that burns bagasse—sugar cane waste—reducing Queensland's emissions by 200,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year.

But coal transformed Mackay's economic scale. The city is the gateway to the Bowen Basin, the single largest coal reserve in Australia, where 34 operational mines extract over 100 million tonnes annually. The Port of Hay Point—one of the world's largest metallurgical coal ports—injects over $21 billion annually into Queensland's economy and supports 30,000 jobs.

Mining equipment, technology, and services (METS) have become a distinct sector. Mackay's METS companies serve operations across the Bowen Basin and export expertise globally. The port's diversification now includes imports of mining equipment, agricultural supplies, and materials for renewable energy projects.

By 2026, Mackay faces the transition challenge: can a city built on sugar and coal pivot to the renewable energy economy while its existing industries remain globally significant?