ECONOMIC
.RESULTS
unchanged
high
confidence
ECONOMIC HEALTH .RESULTS
The following graph shows the scores received in 2025 (top line)
versus the 2024 scores (bottom row)
Very good (0.85-1.00)
Poor (0.25-0.49)
Good (0.65-0.84)
Satisfactory (0.5-0.64)
Very Poor (0.00-0.24)
No data available
RESULTS
In 2025, Economic Health retained the same score (0.71) and grade (Good, B) as 2024. This score was calculated from the Economic Performance, Economic Stimulus and Economic Value (recreation) indicator group scores. Two indicator groups were assessed in 2025: Economic Performance received the highest score and a Very Good grade (A) and Economic Stimulus received a Satisfactory grade (C). There was no new assessment of the Economic Value (recreation) indicator group in 2025, and results have carried over from the previous assessment (2022).
Economic Performance Results
Economic Stimulus Results
Economic Value Results
WHAT WAS MEASURED?
The Economic Health is comprised of nine indicators and eleven measures. The Economic Performance indicator group consisted of three indicators based on key industries using the harbour: Shipping activity, Tourism and Commercial fishing. The Economic Stimulus indicator group consisted of two indicators: Employment and Socio-economic status and the Economic Value (recreation) indicator group was assessed through four indicators: Land-based recreation, Recreational fishing, Beach recreation and Water-based recreation (non-fishing).
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
Economic Performance Results
2025 results (top line) compared to 2024 (bottom line)
The overall Economic Performance score (0.89) and Very Good grade (A) was strongly influenced by the high scores for Shipping activity (0.89) and Tourism (0.90). While the score for Commercial fishing declined (2024; 0.34, 2025; 0.19, it did not have a large impact on the overall score owing to the weighting system employed.
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Shipping activity received a Very Good (A) grade for the ninth consecutive year. The Tourism indicator has consistently received a high score and Very Good grade (A) since 2017.
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The Commercial fishing indicator received a lower score than the previous year and declined to a Very Poor (E) grade after eight consecutive years of a Poor (D) grade. Within the Commercial fishing indicator, GHHP collects data from QFish on commercial catch for line, net, and trawl fisheries. The low scores reflect that the value of commercial fishing catch in the S30 grid is lower than the 10-year average starting from 2012. In recent years, the ways in which commercial catch is recorded has been changing, in accordance with the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027. This sometimes means that GHHP scores for commercial fishing are based on incomplete data from Qfish, as there can be delays in data publication. This may have contributed to the lower scores in 2025.
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Economic Performance assesses the performance of three key sectors based in Gladstone. Shipping activity provides a proxy for economic activity in key exports such as coal and gas, as well as the imports and exports associated with harbour-based industries such as mineral processing. The high score for Shipping activity confirms that these export-focused industries are generating a major economic stimulus to the local economy. Tourism and Commercial fishing remain important sectors for the harbour-based city of Gladstone.
ECONOMIC STIMULUS
Economic Stimulus Results
2025 results (top line) compared to 2024 (bottom line)
In 2025, Economic Stimulus received a Satisfactory grade (C). This score was aggregated from the scores of two indicators, Employment and Socio-economic status. Employment remained at a Poor grade (D) as there is a higher unemployment relative to the state average. Socio-economic status retained a Good (B) grade.
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Economic Stimulus captures the potential stimulus from economic activities that may flow through to the community. While the Economic Stimulus indicator had increased since 2019, it has remained stable at a Satisfactory (C) grade between 2024 and 2025.
ECONOMIC VALUE
There was no new assessment of this indicator group in 2025, and results have been carried over from the previous assessment (2022). The following graph compares the Harbour Usability scores collected in 2022 (top line)
to those from the previous assessment in 2019 (bottom line).
The overall indicator group score for Economic Value (recreation) in 2022 was similar to the scores received in the previous assessment in 2019 and retained a Good (B) grade.
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The most popular land-based activities were walking, picnicking or barbecuing and relaxing by the water along the shores of Gladstone Harbour. The most popular beach visited by the survey participants was Tannum Sands followed by Spinnaker Park and Boyne Island. Land-based and beach recreational activities were much more prevalent than recreational fishing and other water-based recreation.
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Economic Value (recreation) assesses community enjoyment from the harbour through recreational activities. The economic contribution of harbour-based recreation can be assessed by how much of that wealth is spent on recreational activities in the harbour. The results indicate that land-based recreation was the most important recreational activity followed by beach recreation and recreational fishing based on average annual values of recreational trips for 2022. This pattern was the same as observed in previous years.
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*The 2025 Gladstone Harbour Report Card uses the 2022 Economic Value assessment, and the results have been carried over.