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The region currently has an advantage in material and goods related supply chains and transport support for mining and agricultural sectors. While opportunities exist to deepen this advantage, a focus on leveraging professional and knowledge intensive elements of the supply chains to help grow the local professional services sector represents a major opportunity.

The Mid West already possesses a major regional comparative advantage in both road and sea freight. The centrality of the region along the WA coastline makes the Mid West an attractive logistics and road freight transport hub. At the same time the port of Geraldton provides a key point of export for a diverse range of primary industry outputs. Expanding and deepening these advantages to increase the intra-regional, national and global connectivity of the Mid West economy represents a major opportunity.

Fuel retailing is already a major sub-industry while road and other transport also score highly in terms of location quotients against national and state economies. Opportunities exist for the Mid West to continue this advantage in a future carbon constrained environment through mobile and static green energy and fuel production.

The Mid West is blessed by considerable economically demonstrated natural resource deposits. With both energy and supply chain challenges emerging during and post the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been greater interest at all levels of Government and industry for the repatriation and development of sovereign metal and material manufacturing capacity. The natural energy and resource advantages of the Mid West, coupled with the ease of access to state and global markets, means the development of a green metals/materials critical resource processing cluster should be considered.

The presence of Greater Geraldton in the Mid West provides a distinct advantage for the region compared to other more decentralised and lower density regions in the state and country. The presence of tertiary level institutions and facilities helps to improve regional economic and social self-containment. However, significant opportunities exist to further reinforce this advantage through focused investments on education, health, social and community facilities and services.

The Mid West has a unique comparative opportunity in tourism and visitation. The region already possesses a comparative advantage in transport and food and accommodation with direct cruise ship access through the port of Geraldton providing unique exposure to global tourism markets. The development and diversification of tourism products represents a key opportunity for the region, with a focus on heritage, First Nations, eco and industrial tourism. The Mid West has several unique natural assets such as Kalbarri National Park, Abrolhos Islands, Hutt Lagoon (Pink Lake), wildflowers, dark skies and unique geologic formations.

The Mid West has key regional advantage with two dedicated radio quiet areas and key science projects and infrastructure, including the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (hosting the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and Mingenew Space Precinct. The defence sector is already present in the region through the Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (located at Kojarena) as well as naval/marine defence contractor support services. Expanding this defence presence and diversifying to include sectors such as space and radio astronomy represents a major regional opportunity.