# Mid North Coast

The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region, situated 416km north of Sydney, covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens at Hawks Nest to as far north as Woolgoolga, near Coffs Harbour. The region has many beaches and subtropical national parks and forests as well as rural farmland and logging. Major coastal towns include Coffs Harbour, Forster and Port Macquarie. The Mid North Coast is a popular destination for camping or resorts and surfing, with coastal and hinterland tracks, with the unique heritage-listed mountain village of Bellbrook popular for day trips inland or 4wd campers and keen bass fishers.
Heading northwards beyond Newcastle, the Mid North Coast region's main towns include the towns of Bulahdelah, Forster, Tuncurry, Wingham, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey, South West Rocks, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour. Of these Taree, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour are the major commercial centres, all with large shopping centres, public facilities and attractions. Kempsey and Forster-Tuncurry are considered semi-major commercial centres. Smaller towns that are popular tourist spots are Bellbrook, North Haven, South West Rocks, Urunga, Gloucester, Crescent Head, Hawks Nest, Woolgoolga, Old Bar, Lake Cathie and Pacific Palms.
The region has a subtropical climate and is known for its waterways, beaches and hinterland of forests and farms. Major industries are farming, logging and tourism.

## Demography and area

The following local government areas are contained within the region:
Population by Local Government Area :
| Mid North Coast rank | Local Government Area | Population 30 June 2016 | 10-year growth rate | Population density (people/km$^2$) |
| 1 | Mid Coast Council | 91,958 | 8.7 | 9.1 |
| 2 | Port Macquarie-Hastings Council | 79,905 | 14.2 | 21.7 |
| 3 | Coffs Harbour City Council | 74,641 | 12.0 | 63.6 |
| 4 | Kempsey Shire Council | 29,454 | 5.1 | 8.7 |
| 5 | Nambucca Shire Council | 19,521 | 6.7 | 13.1 |
| 6 | Bellingen Shire Council | 12,893 | 1.4 | 8.1 |
| Mid North Coast | Mid North Coast | 308,372 | 10.0 | 14.4 |

## Public transport
### Bus

Many bus services run throughout the region. Providers include Buslines, Busways, Eggins, Ryans and Sawtell Coaches.

### Rail

There are several railway stations on the Mid North Coast serviced by three trains; the Grafton, the Casino and the Brisbane XPT trains. Each run north and south once a day. Heading north from Sydney Central, the first station on the mid north coast is Gloucester followed by Wingham and Taree. Further north are Kendall, Wauchope (for Port Macquarie), Kempsey, Eungai, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Urunga, Sawtell and Coffs Harbour. There is no station for Forster–Tuncurry.

## Politics

The Mid North Coast includes six local government areas: the City of Coffs Harbour, the Bellingen Shire, the Kempsey Shire, the Mid-Coast Council, the Nambucca Shire and the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. It also includes four state electorates (Coffs Harbour, Myall Lakes, Oxley and Port Macquarie) and two federal electorates (Cowper and Lyne).
The region is conservative and is dominated by the Coalition in state and federal politics, particularly the National Party. Of the two federal electorates, Cowper has only been held by Labor once (for one term) and Lyne has never been held by Labor (although was held by an independent for five years). In state politics, the Coalition safely holds all Mid North Coast electorates (the Nationals hold Coffs Harbour, Myall Lakes and Oxley while the Liberal Party holds Port Macquarie).
In the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, a 2017 plebiscite eventually legalising same-sex marriage in Australia, both of the federal Mid North Coast electorates recorded majorities for the "yes" vote, while in the 1999 Australian republic referendum and the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, they both recorded majorities for the "no" vote.