It is a bit of trick question, really, because the answer depends on the criteria.

If judged by workforce size, then the biggest industry in our city is Retail, which employs about 8160 people (15.8 per cent of the workforce), followed closely by the Health Care and Social Assistance sector (7604 jobs or 14.7 per cent).

However, when measured by economic output, Manufacturing is by far the most significant single industry.

Manufacturing generates more than $4 billion a year – or nearly one quarter of the city’s total economic output, nearly twice as much as the second ranking industry by output, which is Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services. Construction and Mining are third and fourth respectively.

Those two sets of statistics tell an interesting story about the Lake Macquarie economy.

Our city, like the Hunter Region generally, is transitioning from a traditional reliance on blue-collar industries to a knowledge- and services-based economy.

Hence, our biggest employer is now a service industry (Retail).

At the same time, traditional industries remain very important to our economy.

So, while we are planning for the future, with a four-year strategy to develop our digital economy and other initiatives to diversify our city’s economic profile, we must also continue to support those traditional industries that contribute so much in terms of jobs, skills and prosperity.

On Tuesday I was part of a panel of mayors who addressed the Newcastle Business Club on the subject of what our councils are doing to help local businesses succeed.

At Lake Macquarie, we believe the most important thing we can do is create an environment in which business can thrive – whether that is by consulting on planning strategy,  ensuring fast and efficient development approvals, modernising our town centres, or through the work our economic development company, Dantia, is doing to attract new business and investment.

Ultimately, we want Lake Macquarie to be a city that entrepreneurs choose to stay in – or relocate to –  to start and grown their businesses, and where residents have a choice of good jobs that can see them through their careers.