The Illawarra is Australia’s manufacturing powerhouse, with a range of industries including steel, copper and aluminium products and heavy engineering. The Illawarra offers outstanding opportunities for companies considering establishing operations in the region. It has a skilled and experienced workforce, excellent infrastructure including a deepwater port and good road and rail facilities, access to raw materials and proximity to Australia’s largest market - Sydney.     The Illawarra has all the infrastructure to support business that you would expect to find in a capital city, but with a generally lower cost structure.