Eurobodalla Shire

Eurobodalla Shire New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Population	37,234 (2013)
• Density	10.86109/km2 (28.1301/sq mi)
Established	1913
Area	3,428.2 km2 (1,323.6 sq mi)
Mayor	Lindsay Brown
Council seat	Moruya
Region	South Coast
State electorate(s)	Bega
Federal Division(s)	Eden-Monaro
Website	Eurobodalla Shire
LGAs around Eurobodalla Shire: Palerang Shoalhaven Shoalhaven Cooma-Monaro Eurobodalla Shire Tasman Sea Bega Valley Bega Valley Tasman Sea

Eurobodalla Shire is a local government area located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located in a largely mountainous coastal region and situated adjacent to the Tasman Sea, the Princes Highway and the Kings Highway.

The Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire Council is Cr. Lindsay Brown, an independent politician.

Towns and localities

The shire chambers are located in the town of Moruya in the central part of the Shire. Other major towns within the shire include Batemans Bay and Narooma. Smaller towns and hamlets include Durras, Nelligen, Mogo, Malua Bay, Tomakin, Broulee, Mossy Point, Rosedale, Bodalla, Potato Point, Nerrigundah, Mystery Bay, Central Tilba, Wallaga Lake Koori Village and Congo.

History

The area which is now Eurobodalla Shire was originally the home of the South Coast Bugelli-Manji and Yuin Aboriginal peoples. The Council signed a Commitment to Indigenous Australians and a Local Agreement with the Aboriginal Community.

The Eurobodalla Shire Council was formed in 1913 with the responsibility for administering local government functions along 110 kilometres (68 mi) of the NSW coast between Durras and Wallaga Lake. The Council administers only about 30% of the area of the Shire as the remaining 70% is non-rateable crown land held as national park and state forest: 40% of the shire is national park, 30% is state forest, 20% is productive farmland and 10% is urban settlement.

The Shire is unusual in that nearly half of ratepayers are non-residents. Just over 17% of ratepayers are residents of Canberra. Although the permanent population is around 34,100, the visiting population (who stay more than 3 nights) is 3.1 million per year.

Economy

The main growth industries in the area are construction, government services, real estate, retail, retirement, aged care, tourism, while dairy farming, forestry, sawmilling and commercial fishing are traditional industries in decline. Eurobodalla Shire is serviced by two highways - the Princes Highway between Sydney and Melbourne (part of Highway One around Australia), and the Kings Highway (National Route 52) linking Batemans Bay to Canberra. Moruya Airport, just east of the township of Moruya, is serviced by regular scheduled commuter flights to Sydney and Melbourne. There are no railways or major seaports in Eurobodalla Shire.

Census 2011 statistics

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the Local Government Area of Eurobodalla recorded a population of 35,741 people. The area of 3,422 square kilometre gives a population density 9.8 people per square kilometre.

Age distribution

• Median age: 50, compared to the national median on 37.
• Children aged under 15 years: 16.5%.
• People aged 65 years and over: 25.8%.

Nation of birth

• Australia - 80.0%, compared to the national average of 69.8%
• England - 5.3%
• New Zealand - 1.2%
• Germany - 0.9%
• Scotland - 0.7%
• Netherlands - 0.6%
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders: 4.2%

Languages spoken at home

• English only - 91.2%
• German - 0.6%
• Italian - 0.4%
• Croatian - 0.4%
• Greek - 0.3%
• Dutch - 0.2%

Religion

• Anglican - 27.9%
• Catholic - 23.0%
• No Religion - 22.6%
• Uniting Church - 4.3%
• Presbyterian and Reformed - 3.8%

Housing

• Median weekly rent: $220
• Median monthly home loan repayments: $1,430
• Median weekly individual income: $424
• Median weekly household income: $784
• Mean household size: 2.3

Household motor vehicle ownership

• Vehicles per dwelling - 1.6
• No vehicle - 6.2%
• One vehicle - 43.5%
• Two vehicles - 34.2%
• Three or more vehicles - 12.5%

Housing tenure

• Owned outright - 46.3%
• Owned with a mortgage - 23.8%
• Rented - 25.8%

Structure of inhabited dwellings

• Separate houses - 84.3%
• Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc. - 7.2%
• Flats, units or apartments - 6.2%
• Other dwellings - 2.2%

Employment

• Worked full-time - 47.3%
• Worked part-time - 38.4%
• Away from work - 6.8%
• Unemployed - 7.5%

Council

Offices of the Eurobodalla Shire Council at Moruya.

Current composition and election method

Eurobodalla Shire Council is composed of nine Councillors, including the Mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is directly elected while the eight other Councillors are elected proportionally as one entire ward. The most recent election was held on 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the Council, including the Mayor, is as follows:

Party		Councillors
	Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association	4
	Independents	3
	Eurobodalla First	1
	Australian Greens	1
	Total	9

The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election, is:

Councillor		Party	Notes
	Lindsay Brown	Independent	Mayor
	Peter Schwarz	Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association
	Milton Leslight	Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association
	Rob Pollock	Eurobodalla First
	Gabi Harding	Greens
	Neil Burnside	Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association
	Danielle Brice	Independent	Elected on Lindsay Brown's ticket
	Liz Innes	Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association	Elected on Peter Schwarz's ticket
	Fergus Thompson	Independent

External links

• Eurobodalla population planning link
• District history
• Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association