Surf Coast Shire

The Surf Coast Shire is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-western part of the state. It covers an area of 1,553 square kilometres (600 sq mi) and in June 2018 had a population of 32,251.[1] It includes the towns of Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Lorne, Moriac, Torquay and Winchelsea. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Winchelsea, Shire of Barrabool and part of the former City of South Barwon, which was, at that point, part of the City of Greater Geelong.[2][3]

Surf Coast Shire
Victoria
Location in Victoria
Population37,623 (2021)[1]
 • Density24.226/km2 (62.745/sq mi)
Established1994
Gazetted9 March 1994[2]
Area1,553 km2 (599.6 sq mi)[1]
MayorCr Liz Pattison
Council seatTorquay
RegionBarwon South West
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
WebsiteSurf Coast Shire
LGAs around Surf Coast Shire:
Golden Plains Golden Plains Greater Geelong
Colac Otway Surf Coast Shire Bass Strait
Colac Otway Bass Strait Bass Strait

The Shire is governed and administered by the Surf Coast Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Torquay. The Shire is named after its location on the popular surf coast of Victoria.

Post-2008, following an electoral representation review, the decision was made to re-subdivide the municipality into four wards, the current wards are Torquay, Anglesea, Winchelsea and Lorne. Between 2004 and 2008, the Shire was an unsubdivided municipality and as a result, the entire municipality voted to elect nine councillors. Between 1996 and 2004, the municipality was subdivided into six wards, where three councillors per ward were elected from the Torquay and Anglesea wards, and one councillor per ward was elected from the Lorne, Winchelsea, Moriac and Aireys Inlet wards. A position of Deputy Mayor was created in 2004, but it was abolished for the 2005 mayoral election.

Council

Current composition

The council is composed of four wards and nine councillors, with four councillors elected to represent the Torquay Ward, two councillors per ward elected to represent each of the Anglesea and Winchelsea wards, and one councillor elected to represent the Lorne Ward.[4]

WardCouncillorAffiliationNotes
Anglesea  Libby StapletonIndependent
 Mike BodsworthIndependentDeputy Mayor
Lorne  Gary AllenIndependent
Torquay  Liz PattisonIndependentMayor
 Paul BarkerLiberal Democrats
 Rose HodgeLabor
 Kate GazzardGreens
Winchelsea  Adrian SchonfelderIndependent
 Heather WellingtonIndependent

List of former and current mayors
  • Cr Noel Bates (1995–1997)
  • Cr Henry Love (1997–1998)
  • Cr Julie Hansen (1998–2000)
  • Cr Mike Barrow (2000–2001)
  • Cr Beth Davidson (2001–2004)
  • Cr Keith Grossman (2004–2005)
  • Cr Libby Mears (2005–2006)
  • Cr Rose Hodge (2006–2007)
  • Cr Dean Webster (2007–2008)
  • Cr Libby Mears (2008–2009)
  • Cr Libby Coker (2009–2010)
  • Cr Dean Webster (2010–2011)
  • Cr Brian McKiterick (2011–2012)
  • Cr Libby Coker (2012–2013)
  • Cr Rose Hodge (2013–2014)
  • Cr Margot Smith (2014–2015)
  • Cr Rose Hodge (2015–2016)
  • Cr Brian McKiterick (2016-2017)
  • Cr David Bell (2017-2018)
  • Cr Rose Hodge (2018–2020)
  • Cr Libby Stapleton (2020–2022)
  • Cr Liz Pattison (2022 -Present)

Administration and Governance

The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Torquay Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at its Municipal Office in Torquay.

Elections

Surf Coast Shire holds elections every 4 years to determine the composition of the council. Lorne Ward was uncontested at the 2016 election, with Councillor Clive Goldsworthy being re-elected unopposed.

2016 election
Surf Coast Shire: Anglesea Ward
Party Candidate Votes  % ±%
  Labor Libby Coker 2,504 48.50
  Independent Margot Ann Smith 1,393 27.00
  Independent Jenna Robinson 1,268 24.6
Turnout 6,891 76.20%
  Labor hold Swing
  Independent hold Swing
Surf Coast Shire: Torquay Ward
Party Candidate Votes  % ±%
  Labor Rose Hodge 2,866 27.20
  Independent David Bell 1,962 18.60
  Liberal Brian McKiterick 1,268 16.00
  Greens Marian Smedley 1,529 14.50
  Independent Martin Paul Duke 1,522 14.20
  Independent Joe Remenyi 993 9.40
Turnout 19,367 68.96%
  Labor hold Swing
  Independent hold Swing
  Liberal hold Swing
  Independent gain from Greens Swing

Townships and localities

The 2021 census, the shire had a population of 37,694 up from 29,397 in the 2016 census[5]

Population
Locality20162021
Aireys Inlet802979
Anglesea2,5453,208
Bambra101115
Barrabool235247
Bellbrae8651,346
Bells Beach130151
Benwerrin59
Big Hill261281
Birregurra^828942
Population
Locality20162021
Boonah2118
Breamlea^162151
Buckley211228
Connewarre^788953
Deans Marsh269368
Eastern View3547
Fairhaven296390
Freshwater Creek414454
Gherang370391
Population
Locality20162021
Gnarwarre267297
Inverleigh^1,4741,746
Jan Juc3,6834,151
Lorne1,1141,327
Modewarre276277
Moggs Creek89120
Moriac782852
Mount Duneed^1,5786,182
Mount Moriac240251
Population
Locality20162021
Ombersley^9793
Paraparap151167
Pennyroyal^86110
Torquay13,25818,534
Wensleydale10795
Winchelsea^1,9542,456
Winchelsea South179171
Wurdiboluc138147

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

See also

References
  1. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "Orders estg the Surf Coast Shire: S8 of 1994". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 9 March 1994). pp. 1–9. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "Order altg (Part 8) the Surf Coast Shire: S63 of 1994". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 23 September 1994). p. 6. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  4. Local Government in Victoria. "Surf Coast Shire Council". Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  5. "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.

38°18′00″S 144°00′00″E

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