Ballina Shire
Ballina Shire New South Wales | |||||||||||||
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Location in New South Wales | |||||||||||||
Coordinates | 28°50′S 153°32′E / 28.833°S 153.533°ECoordinates: 28°50′S 153°32′E / 28.833°S 153.533°E | ||||||||||||
Population | 41,828 (2015 est)[1] | ||||||||||||
• Density | 86.42/km2 (223.83/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
Established | 1976 | ||||||||||||
Area | 484 km2 (186.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
Mayor | David Wright | ||||||||||||
Council seat | Ballina[2] | ||||||||||||
Region | Northern Rivers | ||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Ballina | ||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Page | ||||||||||||
Website | Ballina Shire | ||||||||||||
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Ballina Shire is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed in 1976 by the amalgamation of the Municipality of Ballina and Tintenbar Shire. The Shire is located adjacent to the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Highway. The Council seat is located in the town of Ballina.
The Mayor of Ballina Shire Council is David Wright, an independent politician.
Towns and localities
- Ballina
- Cumbalum
- East Ballina
- Lennox Head
- Skennars Head
- West Ballina
- Alstonvale
- Alstonville
- Bagotville (shared with Lismore)
- Brooklet
- Cabbage Tree Island
- Dalwood
- Empire Vale
- Fernleigh
- Knockrow
- Lynwood
- Marom Creek (shared with Lismore)
- McLeans Ridge
- Meerschaum Vale
- Newrybar (shared with Byron)
- Pimlico
- Rous
- South Ballina
- Teven
- Tintenbar
- Tuckombil
- Uralba
- Wardell
- Wollongbar
Demographics
At the 2011 census, there were 39,274 people in the Ballina local government area, of these 48.0 per cent were male and 52.0 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.1 per cent of the population, which was higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Ballina Shire area was 45 years, which was significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 17.9 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21.5 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 49.8 per cent were married and 14.1 per cent were either divorced or separated.[3]
Population growth in the Ballina Shira area between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 3.89 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 2.11 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Ballina local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[4][5] The median weekly income for residents within the Ballina Shire area was significantly lower than the national average.[3]
At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Ballina local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 85 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 60% of all residents in the Ballina nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Ballina local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (4.7 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (93.1 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).[3]
Selected historical census data for the Ballina Shire local government area | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Census year | 2001[4] | 2006[5] | 2011[3] | ||
Population | Estimated residents on Census night | 37,017 | 38,461 | 39,274 | |
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | |||||
% of New South Wales population | 0.56% | ||||
% of Australian population | 0.20% | 0.19% | 0.18% | ||
Cultural and language diversity | |||||
Ancestry, top responses | English | 32.0% | |||
Australian | 31.2% | ||||
Irish | 10.5% | ||||
Scottish | 8.1% | ||||
German | 3.1% | ||||
Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | |
German | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ||
Dutch | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | ||
Spanish | n/c | n/c | 0.2% | ||
Japanese | n/c | n/c | 0.2% | ||
Religious affiliation | |||||
Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 25.1% | 25.5% | 25.1% | |
Anglican | 28.4% | 26.1% | 24.2% | ||
No Religion | 13.4% | 17.4% | 21.4% | ||
Uniting Church | 7.4% | 6.3% | 5.6% | ||
Presbyterian and Reformed | 6.4% | 5.6% | 5.2% | ||
Median weekly incomes | |||||
Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$397 | A$496 | ||
% of Australian median income | 85.2% | 86.0% | |||
Family income | Median weekly family income | A$1,017 | A$1,153 | ||
% of Australian median income | 86.8% | 77.9% | |||
Household income | Median weekly household income | A$779 | A$930 | ||
% of Australian median income | 75.9% | 75.4% | |||
Council
Current composition and election method
Ballina Shire Council is composed of ten Councillors, including the Mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is directly elected while the nine other Councillors are elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing three Councillors. The most recent election was held on 10 September 2016, and the makeup of the Council, including the Mayor, is as follows:[6][7][8][9]
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Independents | 10 | |
Total | 10 |
The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election by ward, is:
Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mayor[6] | David Wright | Independent | ||
Ward A[7] | Phil Meehan | Independent | ||
Stephen McCarthy | Independent | |||
Nathan Willis | Independent | |||
Ward B[8] | Jeff Johnson | Independent | ||
Sharon Cadwallader | Independent | |||
Keith Williams | Independent | |||
Ward C[9] | Ben Smith | Independent | ||
Eoin Johnson | Independent | |||
Sharon Parry | Independent |
References
- ↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ "Ballina Shire Council". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
- 1 2 3 4 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Ballina (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Ballina (A)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Ballina (A)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- 1 2 "Ballina Shire Council - Mayoral Election". Local Government Election 2016. New South Wales Electoral Commission. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- 1 2 "Ballina Shire Council - A Ward: Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Election 2012. New South Wales Electoral Commission. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- 1 2 "Ballina Shire Council - B Ward: Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Election 2016. New South Wales Electoral Commission. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- 1 2 "Ballina Shire Council - C Ward: Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Election 20126. New South Wales Electoral Commission. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.