The central Queensland coast is the foundation of the state's resource boom. Just an hour in the air from Brisbane, and two hours from Sydney, Gladstone is at the heart of this prosperity.

Rich natural resources including coal, limestone, magnesite and mineral sands are mined in the region and exported through the city's deepwater harbour to domestic and international markets, while tourists are drawn to its fine beaches and the nearby Great Barrier Reef.

The resource-driven boom has seen the region’s population grow at a consistently high rate since 2001.

Property values are also increasing — the Real Estate Institute of Queensland estimates that between 2000 and 2005 median property values grew a total of 90%. Further investment will fuel this growth.

Some $20 billion in infrastructure projects are earmarked for the region. These will generate 9,000 direct and indirect jobs at the peak of construction, as well as flow-on opportunities

• The $1.8 billion Wiggins Island port expansion will create the largest coal exporting port in the world



• The $1 billion Inland Rail Project which is part of a 700-km link between Toowoomba to Gladstone will have flow-on benefits for the city