Walcha Shire

Walcha Shire is a local government area located in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is situated adjacent to the junction of the Oxley Highway and Thunderbolts Way and is 20 kilometres (12 mi) 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 and the Municipality of Walcha.[4]

This article is about the local government area. For the regional town, see Walcha, New South Wales.

Walcha Shire
New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates30°59′S 151°36′E
Population
 • Density0.49338/km2 (1.27784/sq mi)
Established1 June 1955 (1955-06-01)
Area6,267 km2 (2,419.7 sq mi)
MayorJanelle Archdale (Unaligned)
Council seatWalcha[3]
RegionNew England
State electorate(s)Tamworth
Federal division(s)New England
WebsiteWalcha Shire
LGAs around Walcha Shire:
Uralla Armidale Kempsey
Tamworth Walcha Shire Port Macquarie-Hastings
Upper Hunter Mid-Coast Council Mid-Coast Council

The mayor 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, Tia and Bendemeer.

Demographics
Selected historical census data for Hay Shire local government area
Census year2001[5]2006[6]2011[7]2016[1]
PopulationEstimated residents on census night3,102Increase 3,187Decrease 3,021Increase 3,092
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales120thSteady 120th
% of New South Wales population0.05%Steady 0.05%Decrease 0.04%Steady 0.04%
% of Australian population0.02%Steady 0.02%Decrease 0.01%Steady 0.01%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry,
top responses		Australian36.5%Decrease 36.4%
English33.0%Decrease 28.8%
Scottish9.2%Increase 9.3%
Irish9.1%Decrease 7.7%
German3.7%Decrease 2.8%
Language,
top responses
(other than English)		Maori (Cook Islands)0.3%Steady 0.3%Steady 0.3%Steady 0.3%
Swedishn/cSteady n/cSteady n/cIncrease 0.2%
Mandarinn/cSteady n/cIncrease 0.3%Decrease 0.2%
Tongann/cSteady n/cSteady n/cIncrease 0.2%
Germann/cSteady n/cIncrease 0.3%Decrease 0.1%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation,
top responses		Anglican44.8%Decrease 44.6%Decrease 42.4%Decrease 34.2%
Catholic21.2%Decrease 20.6%Increase 20.9%Decrease 19.4%
No Religion, so described6.7%Increase 8.3%Increase 12.8%Increase 18.0%
Not statedn/cSteady n/cSteady n/cIncrease 13.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed12.7%Increase 13.3%Decrease 12.0%Decrease 9.9%
Median weekly incomes
Personal incomeMedian weekly personal incomeA$377A$459A$577
% of Australian median income80.9%Decrease 79.5%Increase 87.2%
Family incomeMedian weekly family incomeA$920A$1,077A$1,329
% of Australian median income78.6%Decrease 72.7%Increase 76.6%
Household incomeMedian weekly household incomeA$686A$826A$1,054
% of Australian median income66.8%Increase 66.9%Increase 73.3%

Incomes

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics[8] 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:

The heritage-listed sites in Walcha Road are:

The heritage-listed sites in Woolbrook are:

Council
Walcha Shire Council
Welcome sign near the Shire boundary.

Current composition and election method

Walcha Shire Council is composed of eight councillors elected proportionally as four separate wards, each electing two councillors. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor 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:[14][15][16][17]

PartyCouncillors
  Unaligned 8
Total 8

The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election by ward, is:

WardCouncillorPartyNotes
Ward A[15]   Rachael Wellings Unaligned
  Peter Blomfield Independent
Ward B[16]   Eric Noakes Unaligned Mayor[18]
  Clint Lyon Unaligned Deputy Mayor[18]
Ward C[17]   Jennifer Kealey Unaligned
  Scott Kermode Unaligned
Ward D[14]   Bill Heazlett Unaligned
  Kevin Ferrier Unaligned

At the 2012 local government elections, a referendum to abolish the four wards and elect councillors as one entire ward was defeated, with 56.1% voting against the resolution.[19]

History

The Shire of Apsley, its predecessor, was constituted by proclamation on 7 March 1906 and is located in the Vernon, Hawes, and Inglis counties, and comprises about 60 parishes. The area is 1,605,590 acres (6,497.6 km2). The Shire of Walcha was constituted by the union of the Municipality of Walcha and the Shire of Apsley on 1 June 1955.[20]

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.[21]

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 to form a new council with an area of 16,146 square kilometres (6,234 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 64,000.[22] An alternative proposal, submitted by the Armidale Dumaresq Council on 1 March 2016, was for an amalgamation of the Armidale Dumaresq, Guyra, Uralla and Walcha councils.[23] On 12 May 2016, the merger proposal was struck down – leaving Walcha Council to stand alone as a solo entity.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Walcha (A)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  2. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 2018.
  3. "Walcha Council". Department of Local Government. Retrieved 3 December 2006.
  4. "Local Government Act 1919. Proclamation (49)". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 13 May 1955. p. 1331. Retrieved 9 January 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Walcha (A)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  6. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Walcha (A)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  7. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Walcha (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. "Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics, Australia (catalogue no.: 5673.055.003)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  9. "Ohio Homestead". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00463. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  10. "St. Andrew's Anglican Church (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00469. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  11. "St. Andrews Rectory (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00295. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  12. "Walcha Road Railway Station and yard group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01281. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  13. "Woolbrook rail bridge over McDonald River". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01067. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  14. "Walcha Council – D Ward: Summary of First Preference Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2016. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  15. "Walcha Council – A Ward: Summary of First Preference Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2016. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  16. "Walcha Council – B Ward: Summary of First Preference Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2016. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  17. "Walcha Council – C Ward: Summary of First Preference Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2016. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  18. "Walcha Shire mayor Eric Noakes elected to lead new council". Armidale Express. Australia. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  19. "Walcha Council – Referendum". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  20. Walcha 100 years of Local Government. Walcha: Walcha Shire Council. 1989.
  21. "Flood clean up". Walcha News. 11 December 2008.
  22. "Merger proposal: Tamworth Regional Council, Walcha Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  23. Armidale Dumaresq Council (1 March 2016). "Merger proposal: Armidale Dumaresq Council, Guyra Shire Council, Uralla Shire Council and Walcha Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
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