Bathurst Regional Council

Bathurst Regional Council New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	33°25′S 149°34′E / 33.417°S 149.567°E / -33.417; 149.567Coordinates: 33°25′S 149°34′E / 33.417°S 149.567°E / -33.417; 149.567
Population	41,300 (2016 census)[1] 43,206 (2018 est.)[2]
• Density	10.812/km2 (28.00/sq mi)
Established	26 May 2004
Area	3,820 km2 (1,474.9 sq mi)
Mayor	Ian North (Unaligned)
Council seat	Bathurst
Region	Central West
State electorate(s)	Bathurst
Federal Division(s)	Calare
Website	Bathurst Regional Council
LGAs around Bathurst Regional Council: Cabonne Mid-Western Mid-Western Orange Bathurst Regional Council Lithgow Blayney Upper Lachlan Oberon

Bathurst Regional Council is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located adjacent to the Great Western Highway, Mid-Western Highway, Mitchell Highway and the Main Western railway line. At the 2016 census, the Bathurst Region had a population of 41,300.^[1]

The administrative centre of the area is located in the city of Bathurst, approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Sydney central business district.

The mayor of Bathurst is Cr. Bobby Bourke, an unaligned politician.^[3]

City, towns and localities[]

In addition to the city of Bathurst, the area includes the suburbs of Kelso and Raglan and the villages of Eglinton, Perthville, Rockley, Georges Plains, Trunkey Creek, Brewongle, Vittoria, Peel, Wattle Flat, Sofala, Hill End, Meadow Flat, Sallys Flat and Caloola.

Demographics[]

Selected historical census data for Bathurst Regional local government area
Census year			2011[4]	2016[1]
Population		Estimated residents on census night	38,519	41,300
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales	52nd	51st
		% of New South Wales population	0.56%	0.55%
		% of Australian population	0.18%	0.18%
		Estimated ATSI population on census night	1,634	2,244
		% of ATSI population to residents	4.20%	5.40%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Australian	32.9%	31.5%
		English	30.1%	29.5%
		Irish	10.9%	11.1%
		Scottish	7.3%	7.5%
		German	2.6%	2.6%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Mandarin	0.2%	0.3%
		Arabic	0.3%	0.2%
		Cantonese	0.2%	0.2%
		Punjabi	n/a	0.2%
		German	0.2%	0.2%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		Catholic	34.1%	31.1%
		No religion, so described	16.0%	22.4%
		Anglican	23.2%	19.1%
		Not stated	n/a	11.3%
		Presbyterian and Reformed	4.6%	4.2%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income	A$544	A$646
		% of Australian median income	94%	98%
Family income		Median weekly family income	A$1,437	A$1,632
		% of Australian median income	97%	94%
Household income		Median weekly household income	A$1,142	A$1,310
		% of Australian median income	93%	91%

Council[]

Current composition and election method[]

Bathurst Regional Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single 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, and in September annually. The most recent election of councillors was held on 9 September 2017, and the makeup of the council is as follows:^[5]

The current Council, elected in 2017, in order of election, is:^[5]

History[]

Bathurst was proclaimed a city in 1885.^[8] The Bathurst Region was created on 26 May 2004 as a result of a merger of Bathurst City and Evans Shire.

A 2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the Bathurst Region merge with the Oberon Shire to form a new council with an area of 7,443 square kilometres (2,874 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 47,000.^[9] The outcome of an independent review was expected to be completed by mid–2016.

Sister cities[]

Bathurst has sister city relations with the following city:^[10]

• Ōkuma, Japan, since 1991

References[]

External links[]

• Official website