The bases of the State’s economy are agricultural and pastoral industries, a broadly based manufacturing sector, ample stocks of coal and highly developed service industries.

New South Wales’s rich agriculture and mining sectors form the mainstay of its export-earning ability, accounting for almost 50 per cent of export income. The State’s resource-based industries are coal, metallic and industrial minerals, minerals processing, chemicals, pulp and paper, processed food and agricultural products.

New South Wales generates more than 35 per cent of Australia’s goods and services and sends more than 60 per cent of its exports to Asia – a larger amount than any other Australian State. It attracts more than a third of all foreign investment into the country. http://members.ozemail.com.au/~enigman/australia/nsw.html 

Overseas trade

New South Wales is Australia’s largest trading State. In 1992-93, imports were worth $26.4 billion and exports $13.2 billion. The main imports were office machines and automatic data processing equipment, road vehicles, petroleum and petroleum products, telecommunication and sound recording equipment, and electrical machinery and appliances. The main exports were coal and coke, cereals and cereal preparations, textile fibres, petroleum and petroleum products, and iron and steel. Major export markets were Japan, New Zealand, the United States and the Republic of Korea.

Labour market

Working Age Population (15-64) : 4,639,500  Employment Rate (15-64) : 71.7%                         Unemployment Rate : 4.7%   Participation Rate : 63.7%

Technology and informatics are the main areas in which people develop professionally.

http://www.workplace.gov.au/lmip/LabourForceData/NSW?cid=EmploymentByLFR%7CState%7CNSW%7CLFR%7Canon%7CLabour%20Market

The estimated population of New South Wales at the end of June 2007 was 6.89 million people (62.9% based in Sydney). Most of them live in largest cities:

Sidney                    4,600,000

Newcastle               546,000

Wollongon               361,000

Wagga Wagga           57,000

Albury                      48,000

Tamworth                 37,000

Broken Hill                25,000

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~enigman/australia/nsw.html

In Sydney and the surrounding regions alone there are more than 2,000 aboriginals.

Poverty rate (2001): Total 8.7% refering to 8.3% adults and 10% children.   http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RN/2004-05/05rn49.htm

  The Judicial Commission of New South Wales is a statutory corporation that provides continuing education to and examines complaints made against judicial officers in New South Wales. The commission is headed by the Chief Justice of New South Wales and consists of the heads of each of the major courts in New South Wales plus community representatives. The commission is the only body of its type in Australia.

  The commission marked a significant change in the legal system in New South Wales. It restored public confidence in the judicial system, provides a means outside of politics for the dispassionate consideration of misconduct by judicial officers, it has actually improved and safe-guarded independence of the courts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Commission_of_New_South_Wales

More information in http://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/

Since 1901, New South Wales has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Australian Constitution regulates its relationship.

The form of the Government of New South Wales is similar to other “Westminster” (English-style) systems in Australia. A State Parliament composed of the Sovereign and two houses: the Legislative Assembly (lower house), and the Legislative Council (upper house). Elections are held every four years. The actual governor is Professor Marie Bashir, the first woman to be appointed that took up her office on 1 March 2001.

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/ResourcesSystem.

The state government classifies local governments into two categories: Cities and Areas, there being little significant difference between the two. City is simply an area receiving a proclamation of city status by the governor while areas often retain the designations they held under pre-reform legislation, though these titles no longer indicate a legal status. These are:

Municipalities (predominantly inner-city suburban areas and smaller rural towns)

Shires (predominantly rural or outer suburban areas).

The title Region, usually large rural areas dominated by a rural city. Many councils now choose not to use any title, and simply refer to themselves as councils. Councils are the local main govermental structures.

Look at full listings of councils and descriptions in NSW Council Directory: http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/dlg_regions.asp?regiontype=0

For further information check New South Wales Government web: http://www.nsw.gov.au/