Gunnedah Shire
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Gunnedah Shire New South Wales |
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![]() Location in New South Wales
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Population | 12,066 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 2.4161/km2 (6.2577/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Area | 4,994 km2 (1,928.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Owen Hasler (Unaligned) | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Gunnedah[2] | ||||||||||||||
Region | North West Slopes | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Tamworth | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | New England | ||||||||||||||
Website | Gunnedah Shire | ||||||||||||||
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Gunnedah Shire is a local government area in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Liverpool Plains in the Namoi River valley and is traversed by the Oxley Highway and the Kamilaroi Highway.
The Shire includes the towns of Gunnedah, Curlewis, Breeza, Carroll, Mullaley, Emerald Hill, Tambar Springs and Kelvin.
The Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council is Cr. Owen Hasler, who is unaligned with any political party.
Contents
Geography
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Gunnedah Shire is situated 264 metres (866 ft) above sea level and is very flat; the tallest hills are 400 to 500 metres (1,300 to 1,600 ft) above sea level. The climate is hot in summer, mild in winter and dry, although heavy rain in catchment areas occasionally cause flooding of the Namoi River. Major floods cut transport links to Gunnedah, briefly isolating it from the outside world. The Gunnedah area is noted for its abundance of native wildlife, including kangaroos, echidnas and koalas. Koalas can often be found in trees within the town, as well as in the surrounding countryside with the help of signs placed by the local tourist centre.
Demographics
At the 2011 census, there were 12,066 people in the Gunnedah local government area, of which there was an equal number of males and females. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 11.3% of the population which is four-and-a-half times higher than both the national and state averages. The median age of people in the Gunnedah Shire was 40 years; slightly higher than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 21.1% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 18.4% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, half were married and 9.9% were either divorced or separated.[1]
Population growth in the Gunnedah Shire between the 2001 census and the 2011 census was nominal. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in the Gunnedah local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[3] The median weekly income for residents within the Gunnedah Shire was significantly below the national average.[1][4]
At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Gunnedah local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 87% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 72% of all residents in the Gunnedah Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Gunnedah local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.3%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and a significantly higher proportion (92.9%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%).[1]
Selected historical census data for Gunnedah Shire local government area | |||||
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Census year | 2001[3] | 2006[4] | 2011[1] | ||
Population | Estimated residents on Census night | 11,976 | 11,525 | 12,066 | |
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | |||||
% of New South Wales population | 0.17% | ||||
% of Australian population | 0.06% | ![]() |
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Cultural and language diversity | |||||
Ancestry, top responses |
Australian | 37.6% | |||
English | 30.5% | ||||
Irish | 8.8% | ||||
Scottish | 7.6% | ||||
German | 3.2% | ||||
Language, top responses (other than English) |
Mandarin | n/c | n/c | ![]() |
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German | 0.1% | ![]() |
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Portuguese | n/c | n/c | ![]() |
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Cantonese | 0.1% | ![]() |
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Italian | 0.2% | ![]() |
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Religious affiliation | |||||
Religious affiliation, top responses |
Anglican | 39.3% | ![]() |
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Catholic | 27.5% | ![]() |
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No Religion | 6.7% | ![]() |
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Presbyterian and Reformed | 6.9% | ![]() |
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Uniting Church | 6.5% | ![]() |
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Median weekly incomes | |||||
Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$366 | A$485 | ||
% of Australian median income | 78.5% | 84.1% | |||
Family income | Median weekly family income | A$915 | A$1,200 | ||
% of Australian median income | 78.1% | 81.0% | |||
Household income | Median weekly household income | A$714 | A$937 | ||
% of Australian median income | 69.5% | 75.9% |
Council
Current composition and election method
Gunnedah Shire Council is composed of nine Councillors elected proportionally as a single ward. All Councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is elected by the Councillors at the first meeting of the Council. The most recent election was held on 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the Council is as follows:[5]
Party | Councillors | |
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Independents and Unaligned | 9 | |
Total | 9 |
The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election, is:[5]
Councillor | Party | Notes | |
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Gae Swain | Unaligned | Deputy Mayor[6] | |
Colleen Fuller | Independent | ||
Steve Smith | Independent | ||
Hans Allgayer | Independent | ||
Owen Hasler | Unaligned | Mayor[6] | |
Rebecca Ryan | Unaligned | ||
Tim Duddy | Independent | ||
David Quince | Unaligned | ||
Gwen Griffen | Unaligned |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.