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Country facts
| Capital city: |
Noumea |
| Surface area: |
18,600 sq km |
| Population: |
250,612 |
| Official language(s): |
French |
| Head of State: |
President HE Mr Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Head of Government: |
President of the Government of New Caledonia Mr Philippe Gomès |
| Australian exports to New Caledonia: |
A$345 million |
| Australian imports from New Caledonia: |
A$65 million |
| New Caledonia's principal export destinations: |
France, Japan, Spain |
| New Caledonia's principal import sources: |
France, Singapore, Australia |
(Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Country economic fact sheet)
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Economic climate
New Caledonia has 25 per cent of the world’s nickel reserves. The local economy is driven by the nickel industry (mining and processing), which employs 3,200 workers and generate 90 per cent of total exports. Major projects in the mining sector could impact significantly on the economic development of New Caledonia.
Major projects in the mining sector could impact significantly on the economic development of New Caledonia. Other sectors of importance include tourism (100,000 tourists per year, and 80,000 cruise passengers), tuna fishing, prawn farming, agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing.
Overall, workers are employed in:
- Primary production: 2,100 people – 3 per cent of GDP
Includes: agriculture, aquaculture (prawns, yabbies), fisheries (tuna), predominantly cattle breeding, fruit and vegetable growing, the development of prawn farming (450 hectares), but also smaller productions such as coffee growing or deer farming. All productions are for local consumption, while fresh tuna and prawns are for exports.
- Manufacturing: 8,300 people – 13 per cent of GDP
Local production is growing thanks to local tax incentives, in the food and beverage area in particular (chocolate, pasta, tinned food, snack foods, ice cream and dairy products, bottled water), but also clothing, car batteries etc.
- Building and construction: 6,500 people – 9 per cent of GDP
The number of building contractors reflects the importance of this sector, both for residential housing but also hotel projects. This sector is experiencing rapid growth due to the population growth and demand on housing.
- Trade and retail : 8,000 people – 13 per cent of GDP
The sector witnesses increased competition between the multitude of retailers, corner shops and the large hypermarkets/chains of supermarkets (predominantly Carrefour, Casino and Champion).
- Services, banks, transport, hotels, public services: 21,500 people – 56 per cent of GDP. Major banks, but also consulting and auditing firms have a representation in New Caledonia.
For the latest key economic indicators and statistics, please see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade country economic fact sheet.
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Following the signature of the Noumea Accord, New Caledonia is undergoing a progressive transfer of authority and responsibility from the French Government to the newly formed New Caledonian Government and provinces.
New Caledonia is a territorial 'collectivity' with specific status endowed with wide autonomy. This transfer should lead to a vote on accession to full sovereignty between 2014 and 2018.
New Caledonia’s institutions comprise of the following:
- an elected assembly in each of the three provinces (northern, southern and island provinces)
- congress (54 members from the provincial assemblies)
- government (11 members, elected by the congress)
- economic and social council
- the customary senate and councils
The three provinces and 33 municipalities (Town Halls) freely administrate themselves in assemblies elected by direct universal suffrage. Each of the 12 members of government, lead and control a given sector of the administration.
The following sectors are administrated by the New Caledonian authorities:
- taxation
- work legislation
- economic development
- environment
- health
- primary education
- mining
- infrastructure
- foreign trade relations
The areas of responsibility of the French state are:
- defence
- justice
- external affairs
- currency
- law and order
- enforcement of laws
- secondary education
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In 2008, total imports to New Caledonia amounted to approximately A$4 billion. Overall, purchases from Australia continue to expand, due to the growth in household consumption and to the vitality of the industrial investment (eg. mining and metallurgy, construction of coal fired power generation plants, fisheries and tourism).
More than 70 per cent of the value of imports is attributed to:
- Machines – 20 per cent
- Hydrocarbons (coal, butane gas, kerosene) and commodities – 15 per cent
- Transport equipment, agricultural and mining equipment – 15 per cent
- Industrial equipment – 12 per cent
- Food products (fruit and vegetable, dairy products, juices, cereals, foodstuffs) – 6 per cent
- Chemicals – 6 per cent
In terms of volume of imports, more than 70 per cent are made up of mineral products (hydrocarbons), which illustrate the territory’s heavy dependency on mineral products such as coal or heavy fuel.
Please see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade country economic fact sheet for key trade statistics.
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