New South Wales
Occupying the south-east part of the country, south of Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) enjoys a western coastline off the Tasman Sea. Surrounding the whole of the ACT, New South Wales occupies a total surface area of 809,444 sq. km and has a population of over 7,238,000 as of June 2010.
The capital city of Sydney centres the residential, commercial, and industrial focus of the state. Highly diverse in its occupancy, culture, and entertainment, Sydney profiles as a city of the future with almost 63% of NSW's population and a GSP of AUD $310 billion, equating to $45,584 per capita.
The economy slowly transformed after WWII from a large industrial base to space-age technologies and information technologies and related enterprises. Tourism is increasingly important with a growing market earning an estimated AUD $23 billion annually, supporting a work force of over 8% of the population—one of the strongest in the country. The cost of living in the Sydney area is somewhat high, but wages often scale to meet most needs.
Most of NSW has a dry climate with higher humidity and cooler temperatures and a wetter environment along the coast. The Snowy Mountains in the south-east typically has cool to cold weather all year, expected considering its average elevation of 2,228 metres. The state's maximum recorded temperature reached 49.7 degrees C in the western part of the state and fell to a record-setting -23 degrees C in Charlotte's pass, part of the Snowy Mountains. Only Australia's Antarctic Territory has reached a colder temperature among the country's regions.
To calculate the stamp duty on any property purchases made in New South Wales use the Stamp Duty Calculator NSW