Walcha Shire is a
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
located in the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
region of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia. The Shire is situated adjacent to the junction of the
Oxley Highway
Oxley Highway is a rural highway in New South Wales, Australia, linking Nevertire, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Tamworth, New South Wales, Tamworth, and Walcha, New South Wales, Walcha to Port Macquarie, on the coast of the Tasman Sea. It was name ...
and
Thunderbolts Way
Thunderbolts Way (and at its northern end as Bundarra Road) is a country road located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, linking Inverell via Bundarra, Uralla and Walcha to Gloucester The road is partially seal ...
and is east of the
Main North railway line passing through
Walcha Road. The shire was formed on 1 June 1955 through the amalgamation of
Apsley Shire
Apsley Shire was a local government area in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.
Apsley Shire was proclaimed on 7 March 1906, one of 134 shires created after the passing of the ''Local Government (Shires) Act 1905''.
The shire ...
and the
Municipality of Walcha
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
.
The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Walcha Shire Council is
Cr. James Fermanis an
unaligned politician.
Main towns and villages
The towns and villages of Walcha Council include
Walcha,
Walcha Road,
Niangala,
Nowendoc and
Woolbrook. Settlements include:
Brackendale,
Yarrowitch
Yarrowitch is a small rural locality on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the picturesque Yarrowitch River Valley on the Oxley Highway 48 kilometres east of Walcha. The settlement is included in the W ...
,
Tia
TIA or Tia may refer to:
Aviation
* Tampa International Airport, US, IATA code TPA
* Texas International Airlines, US, ICAO code
* Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza, Albania, IATA code
* Trans International Airlines, former U.S. airl ...
and
Bendemeer.
Demographics
Incomes
According to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for statistical collection and analysis and for giving evidence-based advice to federal, state and territory governments ...
during 2003–04, there:
*were 927 wage and salary earners (ranked 146th in New South Wales and 470th in Australia, less than 0.1% of both New South Wales's 2,558,415 and Australia's 7,831,856)
*was a total income of $27,787,248 (around $28 million) (ranked 147th in New South Wales and 478th in Australia, less than 0.1% of both New South Wales's $107 billion and Australia's $304 billion)
*was an estimated average income per wage and salary earner of $29,975 (ranked 153rd in New South Wales and 517th in Australia, 72% of New South Wales's $41,407 and 77% of Australia's $38,820)
*was an estimated median income per wage and salary earner of $27,590 (ranked 154th in New South Wales and 517th in Australia, 78% of New South Wales's $35,479 and 81% of Australia's $34,149).
Heritage listings
There are heritage listings in Walcha, Walcha Road, and in Woolbrook.
The heritage-listed sites in Walcha are:
*
Ohio Homestead
* South Street:
St Andrew's Anglican Church
* Thee Street:
St Andrew's Anglican Rectory
The heritage-listed sites in are:
* Main Northern railway:
Walcha Road railway station
The heritage-listed sites in are:
*
Woolbrook rail bridge over Macdonald River
Council
Current composition and election method
Walcha Shire Council is composed of eight
councillor
A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries.
Canada
Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
s elected
proportionally as four separate
wards
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...
, each electing two councillors. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
is by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 10 September 2016. The makeup of the council is as follows:
[
The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election by ward, is:
At the 2012 local government elections, a ]referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
to abolish the four wards and elect councillors as one entire ward was defeated, with 56.1% voting against the resolution.
History
The Shire of Apsley, its predecessor, was constituted by proclamation on 7 March 1906 and is located in the Vernon, Hawes
Hawes is a market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, at the head of Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, and historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The River Ure north of the town is a touri ...
, and Inglis counties, and comprises about 60 parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
es. The area is . The Shire of Walcha was constituted by the union of the Municipality of Walcha and the Shire of Apsley on 1 June 1955.
On 28 and 29 November 2008, torrential rain that caused severe flooding in the Apsley River and Macdonald River led to the area being declared a natural disaster area. Walcha Council estimated that it will cost approximately $1.7 million to repair damage caused to roads and infrastructure across the shire.
Proposed amalgamation
A 2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the Walcha Shire merge with adjoining councils. The government considered two proposals. The first proposed a merger of Walcha Shire with the Tamworth Regional Council
Tamworth Regional Council is a local government area in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The area under administration is located adjacent to the New England Highway and the Main North railway line. It was established in Ma ...
to form a new council with an area of and support a population of approximately . An alternative proposal, submitted by the Armidale Dumaresq Council on 1 March 2016, was for an amalgamation of the Armidale Dumaresq, Guyra
Guyra is a town situated midway between Armidale and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is within Armidale Regional Council and at the 2016 census, it had a population of 1,983. M ...
, Uralla
Uralla is a town on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way, north of Sydney and about south west of the city of Armidale, New South Wales, Arm ...
and Walcha councils. On 12 May 2016, the merger proposal was struck down – leaving Walcha Council to stand alone as a solo entity.
References
{{Authority control
Local government areas of New South Wales
New England (New South Wales)
1955 establishments in Australia