The Bega Valley Shire is a local government area located adjacent to the south-eastern coastline of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed in 1981 with the amalgamation of the Municipality of Bega, Imlay Shire and Mumbulla Shire,[3] with its name deriving from the town of Bega. The shire is also known as the Sapphire Coast for tourism and marketing purposes. During the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, the area was devastated by fire, with 448 houses being destroyed by fire[4] and approximately 365,000 hectares burned, which is 58% of the Shire's total land mass.[5]
| Bega Valley New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 36°40′S 149°50′E / 36.667°S 149.833°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 35,942 (LGA 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1981 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 6,279 km2 (2,424.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Russell Fitpatrick (Mayor) Anthony McMahon (CEO) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Bega[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Region | South Coast | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Bega | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Eden-Monaro | ||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Website | Bega Valley | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
The estimated population as at the 2021 census was 35,942.[6]
The current mayor is Russell Fitzpatrick, an independent who joined the Liberal Party in 2023.[7]
Area
editThe shire covers 6,040 square kilometres (2,330 sq mi), and includes a coastline of 225 km (140 mi), with 101 beaches and 26 estuaries. Around 78% of the area belongs to various national parks and state forests. The biggest industry is the production of timber, followed by dairy farming and other agriculture. Smaller industries include fishing, oyster harvesting, and tourism.[8] The Biamanga National Park includes important Aboriginal sites.[9]
Towns and localities
editThe area extends from Bermagui in the north to the Victorian border in the south and includes the towns of Bega, Tathra, Merimbula, Tura Beach, Wolumla, Cobargo, Bemboka, Pambula, Pambula Beach and the former whaling port, tourism hotspot, and major port of Eden.
Smaller localities include:
- Angledale
- Bald Hills
- Barragga Bay
- Berrambool
- Black Range
- Bournda
- Boydtown
- Broadwater
- Brogo
- Buckajo
- Burragate
- Candelo
- Chinnock
- Coolagolite
- Coopers Gully
- Cuttagee
- Devils Hole
- Dignams Creek
- Doctor George Mountain
- Edrom
- Frogs Hollow
- Greendale
- Greigs Flat
- Jellat Jellat
- Kalaru
- Kameruka
- Kanoona
- Kiah
- Kingswood
- Lochiel
- Millingandi
- Mirador
- Mogareeka
- Mogilla
- Morans Crossing
- Mount Darragh
- Murrah
- Myrtle Mountain
- Narrabarba
- Nelson
- Nethercote
- New Buildings
- Nullica
- Numbugga
- Nungatta (part)
- Nungatta South
- Pericoe
- Quaama
- Reedy Swamp
- Rocky Hall
- South Pambula
- South Wolumla
- Stony Creek
- Tanja
- Tantawangalo
- Tarraganda
- Timbillica
- Toothdale
- Towamba
- Verona
- Wallagoot
- Wandella
- Wapengo
- Wolumla
- Wonboyn
- Wyndham
- Yellow Pinch
- Yowrie
Council
editBega Valley Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as one entire ward. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the Council is as follows:[10]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 6 | |
| Labor | 1 | |
| Liberal | 1 | |
| Greens | 1 | |
| Total | 9 | |
The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:[10]
| Councillor | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen O’Neil | Labor | ||
| Karen Wright | Independent | ||
| Russel Fitzpatrick | Liberal[11] | Mayor[12] | |
| Tony Allen | Independent | ||
| Cathy Griff | Greens | Deputy Mayor[12] | |
| Mitch Nadin | Independent | ||
| David Porter | Independent | ||
| Liz Seckold | Independent | ||
| Joy Robin | Independent | ||
Election results
edit2024
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independents For Change | 1. Mitchell Nadin (elected) 2. David Porter (elected) 3. Peggy Noble (elected) 4. Jason Hetherington 5. Morgan Eneberg |
7,374 | 34.63 | +34.63 | |
| Labor | 1. Helen O'Neil (elected) 2. Simon Daly (elected) 3. David Neyle 4. Nicola Collins |
5,296 | 24.87 | +7.57 | |
| Greens | 1. Peter Haggar (elected) 2. Liane Munro 3. Emma Goward 4. Vivian Harris 5. Jamie Shaw |
2,926 | 13.74 | +1.34 | |
| Independent | Russell Fitzpatrick (elected mayor) | 2,044 | 9.60 | −3.50 | |
| Independent | Tony Allen (elected) | 1,836 | 8.62 | −3.48 | |
| Independent | Clair Mudaliar (elected) | 1,082 | 5.08 | +5.08 | |
| Independent | Phillip Dummett | 733 | 3.44 | +3.44 | |
| Total formal votes | 21,291 | 90.87 | −0.53 | ||
| Informal votes | 2,138 | 9.13 | +0.53 | ||
| Turnout | 23,429 | ||||
2021
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 1. Helen O'Neil (elected) 2. Simon Daly |
4,943 | 17.3 | ||
| Independent | Russell Fitzpatrick (elected) | 2,818 | 13.1 | ||
| Greens | 1. Cathy Griff (elected) 2. Vivian Harris 3. Paula Park 4. Angus Ashcroft 5. Peter Haggar |
2,665 | 12.4 | ||
| Independent | Tony Allen (elected) | 2,594 | 12.1 | ||
| Independent | Karen Wright (elected) | 2,539 | 11.8 | ||
| Independent | Mitch Nadin (elected) | 1,201 | 5.6 | ||
| Independent | Joy Robin (elected) | 1,080 | 5.0 | ||
| Independent | David Porter (elected) | 1,003 | 4.7 | ||
| Independent | Mike Britten | 884 | 4.1 | ||
| Independent | Liz Seckhold (elected) | 875 | 4.1 | ||
| Independent | Nathan O'Donnell | 852 | 4.0 | ||
| Independent | Joshua Shoobridge | 650 | 3.0 | ||
| Independent | Neil Bourke | 568 | 2.6 | ||
| Total formal votes | 21,435 | 91.4 | |||
| Informal votes | 2,026 | 8.6 | |||
| Turnout | 23,461 | 87.9 | |||
Demographics
edit| Selected historical census data for Bega Valley Shire local government area | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census year | 2011[15] | 2016[16][6] | 2021 | |||
| Population | Estimated residents on census night | 31,950 |  33,253 |
35,942
| ||
| LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 56th |  57th
| ||||
| % of New South Wales population | 0.46% | 0.44% |
 0.44%
| |||
| % of Australian population | 0.15% | 0.14% |
0.14%
| |||
| Cultural and language diversity | ||||||
| Ancestry, top responses |
English | 32.5% | 31.9% |
43.8%
| ||
| Australian | 31.3% | 30.9% |
40.7
| |||
| Irish | 9.3% | 9.2% |
13.0%
| |||
| Scottish | 8.4% | 8.2% |
11.4%
| |||
| German | 3.8% | 3.7% |
5.1%
| |||
| Language, top responses (other than English) |
German | 0.6% | 0.5% |
0.4%
| ||
| Dutch | 0.3% | 0.2% |
– | |||
| Italian | 0.2% | 0.2% |
– | |||
| French | 0.2% | 0.2% |
0.2%
| |||
| Thai | n/r | 0.2% | 0.2%
| |||
| Religious affiliation | ||||||
| Religious affiliation, top responses |
No religion, so described | 26.7% | 35.1% |
46.9%
| ||
| Anglican | 27.3% | 21.9% |
16.4%
| |||
| Catholic | 20.0% | 17.9% |
15.1%
| |||
| Not stated | n/r | 10.4% | 8.3%
| |||
| Uniting Church | 4.6% | 3.7% |
2.7%
| |||
| Median weekly incomes | ||||||
| Personal income | Median weekly personal income | $454 | $538 |
$645
| ||
| % of Australian median income | 78.7% | 81.3% |
80.1%
| |||
| Family income | Median weekly family income | $1,014 | $1,242 |
$1,501
| ||
| % of Australian median income | 68.5% | 71.6% |
70.8%
| |||
| Household income | Median weekly household income | $848 | $986 |
$1,200
| ||
| % of Australian median income | 68.7% | 68.6% |
68.7%
| |||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bega Valley (Local Government Area)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Bega Valley Shire Council". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 7 September 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2006.
- ^ "Holdings". Bega Valley Genealogy Society. Bega Valley Genealogy Society Inc. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ^ McKnight, Albert (18 March 2020). "Forty per cent of fire-destroyed homes haven't registered for free clean-up: Bega council". Bega District News. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ McKnight, Albert (29 February 2020). "Bushfire damage count: two-thirds of Far South Coast burnt, eight lives lost". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bega Valley". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Bega Valley Mayor endorsed as Liberal candidate in next state election". 24 November 2022.
- ^ "About the Bega Valley Shire". About the Shire. Bega Valley Shire Council. n.d. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Biamanga Cultural area". NSW National Parks. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Bega Valley Councillor Election". NSW Electoral Commission. 21 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
The following candidates were declared elected on 21 December 2021: Helen O'NEIL (ALP) Karen WRIGHT (IND) Russell FITZPATRICK (IND) Tony ALLEN (IND) Cathy GRIFF (GRN) Mitch NADIN (IND) David PORTER (IND) Liz SECKOLD (IND) Joy ROBIN (IND)
- ^ Smyth, Ben (24 November 2022). "Bega Valley Mayor endorsed as Liberal candidate in next state election". Merimbula News Weekly. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Meet your Councillors and Mayor". Bega Valley Shire Council. Bega NSW. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Bega Valley - First Preference Group and Candidate Votes by Aggregated Vote Type". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 1 October 2024. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Bega Valley". ABC News.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Bega Valley (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bega Valley (A)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
