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Bathurst Regional Council

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

Bathurst Regional Council
New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Bathurst Civic Centre
Coordinates33°25′S 149°34′E / 33.417°S 149.567°E / -33.417; 149.567
Population43,567 (LGA 2021)[1]
Established26 May 2004
Area3,820 km2 (1,474.9 sq mi)
MayorDr Jess Jennings
Council seatBathurst
RegionCentral West
State electorate(s)Bathurst
Federal division(s)Calare
WebsiteBathurst Regional Council
LGAs around Bathurst Regional Council:
Cabonne Mid-Western Mid-Western
Orange Bathurst Regional Council Lithgow
Blayney Upper Lachlan Oberon

Bathurst Regional Council is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located adjacent to the Great Western Highway, Mid-Western Highway, Mitchell Highway and the Main Western railway line. At the 2021 census, the Bathurst Region had a population of 43,567.[3]

The administrative centre of the area is located in the city of Bathurst, approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Sydney.

The mayor of Bathurst is Cr. Dr Jess Jennings, Deputy Mayor being Cr. Benjamin Fry, both unaligned politicians.[4]

Bathurst Civic Centre at new year's eve (31/12/2021)

City, towns and localities

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In addition to the city of Bathurst, the LGA contains the villages of Eglinton, Freemantle, Perthville, Rockley, Raglan, Georges Plains, Trunkey Creek, Brewongle, Vittoria, Peel, Wattle Flat, Sofala, Hill End, Meadow Flat, Sallys Flat, Caloola and Kelso

Demographics

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Selected historical census data for Bathurst Regional local government area
Census year 2011[5] 2016[3] 2021[6]
Population Estimated residents on census night 38,519 Increase 41,300 Increase 43,567
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales 52nd Increase 51st
% of New South Wales population 0.56% Decrease 0.55% Decrease 0.53%
% of Australian population 0.18% Steady 0.18% Decrease 0.17%
Estimated ATSI population on census night 1,634 Increase 2,244 Increase 3,153
% of ATSI population to residents 4.20% Increase 5.40% Increase 7.2%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry,
top responses		 Australian 32.9% Decrease 31.5% Increase 42.1%
English 30.1% Decrease 29.5% Increase 40.9%
Irish 10.9% Increase 11.1% Increase 14.3%
Scottish 7.3% Increase 7.5% Increase 10.6%
German 2.6% Steady 2.6% –
Australian Aboriginal – – 6.4%
Language,
top responses
(other than English)		 Mandarin 0.2% Increase 0.3% Decrease 0.2%
Arabic 0.3% Decrease 0.2% Increase 0.3%
Cantonese 0.2% Steady 0.2% –
Punjabi n/a Increase 0.2% Increase 0.4%
German 0.2% Steady 0.2% –
Nepali – – 0.4%
Tagalog – – 0.3%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation,
top responses		 Catholic 34.1% Decrease 31.1% Decrease 28.4%
No religion, so described 16.0% Increase 22.4% Increase 32.4%
Anglican 23.2% Decrease 19.1% Decrease 15.7%
Not stated n/a 11.3% Decrease 8.0%
Presbyterian and Reformed 4.6% Decrease 4.2% Decrease 3.4%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income Median weekly personal income $544 Increase $646 Increase $796
% of Australian median income 94.28% Increase 97.58% Increase 98.88%
Family income Median weekly family income $1,437 Increase $1,632 $2,026
% of Australian median income 97.02% Decrease 94.11% Increase 95.56%
Household income Median weekly household income $1,142 Decrease $1,310 Increase $1,585
% of Australian median income 93% Decrease 92.54% Decrease 90.77%

Council

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Current composition and election method

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Bathurst Regional 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 of councillors was held on 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows:[7]

Party Councillors
  Independents 9
Total 9

The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:[7]

Councillor Party Notes
  Ben Fry Balanced Bathurst[8] Deputy Mayor
  Robert 'Stumpy' Taylor Back Bathurst[9] Mayor 2022-2023[10]
  Ian North Independent Mayor 2021-2021
  Marg Hogan Marg Hogan Team[11]
  Kirralee Burke Balanced Bathurst[8]
  Graeme Hanger OAM Team Hanger[12] Mayor 2017-2019[13]
  Jess Jennings Better Bathurst[14] Mayor - 2023-Current
  Andrew (Struthy) Smith Back Bathurst[9]
  Warren Aubin Team Aubin[15]

Election results

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2024

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 New South Wales local elections in Central West § Bathurst results.[edit]
2024 New South Wales local elections: Bathurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Figuring It Out 1. Sophie Wright (elected 1)
2. Natalie Cranston (elected 4)
3. Anne Balcomb
4. Jeffery Muir
5. Rowan Bracken
6. Gavin Press
7. Fiona Carlisle 		7,520 29.7
Balanced Bathurst 1. Ben Fry (elected 2)
2. Jaclyn Underwood (elected 7)
3. Beau Yates
4. Jasmyn Nankervis
5. Kirralee Burke 		4,565 18.0 −2.0
Better Bathurst 1. Jess Jennings (elected 3)
2. Nick Packham
3. Sharon Sewell
4. Shona Kennedy
5. Angus Thompson 		2,972 11.7 +3.4
Team Back Bathurst 1. Robert (Stumpy) Taylor (elected 6)
2. Timothy Fagan
3. Kelly Richardson
4. James Connors
5. Rebecca Mathie 		1,866 7.4 −10.1
Independent Tony Gullifer (elected 5) 1,844 7.3
Greens 1. Elaine West (elected 9)
2. Elizabeth Barrett
3. Cath Jackson
4. Steph Luke
5. Julie Kramer 		1,455 5.8
Bathurst United 1. Warren Aubin (elected 8)
2. Lachlan Host
3. Andrew Sherlock
4. Teodora Todorova
5. Warren McCaull 		1,292 5.1 +0.5
Responsible Financial Management 1. Geoff Fry
2. Juanita Kwok
3. Margaret Hargans
4. Michael McCormick
5. Rob Quinn 		877 3.5 +1.9
Commitment To Our Community 1. Graeme Hanger
2. Luisa Simeonidis 		669 2.6 −4.4
Bathurst Matters 1. Stuart Pearson
2. Ingrid Pearson
3. Pauline Graf
4. Irene Hancock
5. Timothy Herbert 		616 2.4 −0.8
Independent Ian North 547 2.2 −7.8
Independent Liam O'Hara 534 2.1
Together We Can Fix This 1. Stuart Driver
2. Larry Lewis 		306 1.2 0.0
Independent Marilyn Osborne 168 0.7
Independent Gordon Crisp 78 0.3
Total formal votes 25,309 91.8 −0.9
Informal votes 2,255 8.2 +0.9
Turnout 27,564 87.1 +0.8

2021

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2021 New South Wales local elections in Central West § Bathurst.[edit]
Elected councillor Party
  Ben Fry Balanced Bathurst
  Kirralee Burke Balanced Bathurst
  Ian North TEAM NORTH
  Marg Hogan Marg Hogan Team
  Graeme Hanger Team Hanger
  Jess Jennings Better Bathurst
  Robert 'Stumpy' Taylor Back Bathurst
  Andrew 'Struthy' Smith Back Bathurst
  Warren Aubin Bathurst First
2021 New South Wales local elections: Bathurst[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Balanced Bathurst 4,943 20.0
Back Bathurst 4,334 17.5
TEAM NORTH 2,475 10.0
Marg Hogan Team 2,119 8.6
Better Bathurst 2,057 8.3
Team Hanger – Working Together for Bathurst 1,737 7.0
The Restore Bathurst Team 1,458 5.9
Nick Packham for Bathurst 1,244 5.0
Bathurst First 1,125 4.6
Bathurst Matters 792 3.2
Independent Alex Christian 733 3.0
TEAM BOURKE Bobby Bourke 456 1.8
Independent (Group J) 393 1.6
Independent Stuart Driver 292 1.2
Team Singleton 214 0.9
Independent Catherine Strods 129 0.5
Independent Steve Semmens 105 0.4
TEAM BOURKE Jeff Muir 42 0.2
TEAM BOURKE Steve Ellery 25 0.1
TEAM BOURKE Ken Hope 21 0.1
TEAM BOURKE Michael Forde 10 0.0
Total formal votes 24,704 92.7
Informal votes 1,939 7.3
Turnout 86.3

2017

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2017 New South Wales local elections § Bathurst.[edit]
Elected councillor Party
  Bobby Bourke TEAM BOURKE
  Jacqui Rudge TEAM BOURKE
  Ian North TEAM NORTH
  Warren Aubin Bathurst First
  Alex Christian Ind. SFF
  Graeme Hanger Independent
(Group G)
  Jess Jennings Independent
(Group C)
  John Fry Greens
  Monica Morse Independent
(Group B)
2017 New South Wales local elections: Bathurst[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
TEAM BOURKE 4,745 20.4
Independent (Group G) 4,634 19.9
Bathurst First 2,571 11.1
Independent SFF Alex Christian 2,190 9.4
TEAM NORTH 2,093 9.0
Independent (Group C) 2,118 9.1
Independent (Group B) 1,945 8.4
Greens 1,617 7.0
Independent Labor Nick Packham 926 4.0
Independent (Group F) 421 1.8
Total formal votes 23,260 93.55
Informal votes 1,605 6.45
Turnout 24,865 84.86

History

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See also: Bathurst, New South Wales § History

Bathurst was proclaimed a city in 1885.[18] The Bathurst Region was created on 26 May 2004 as a result of a merger of Bathurst City and Evans Shire.

A 2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the Bathurst Region merge with the Oberon Shire to form a new council with an area of 7,443 square kilometres (2,874 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 47,000.[19] The outcome of an independent review was expected to be completed by mid–2016. Bathurst Regional Council was officially notified on 6 March 2017 by the NSW State Government that the proposed merger between Bathurst Regional Council and Oberon Council will not proceed. The letter from the Minister for Local Government Gabrielle Upton advising Council of the decision can be viewed on the Bathurst Regional Council official website.

Sister cities

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Bathurst has had a sister city relationship with Ohkuma (Japan) since March 1991.The relationship provides an opportunity for both Bathurst and Ohkuma residents to learn about each other's culture and language. As part of the relationship Council coordinates the Sister City Working Party. This group is made up of different community members who have an interest in Japan and further developing the strong relationship that already exists between Bathurst and Ohkuma. Bathurst has sister city relations with the following city:[20]

References

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  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bathurst Regional (Local Government Area)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  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. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bathurst Regional". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 July 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  4. ^ Therese, Ryan (15 January 2021). "Contact Bathurst Regional Councillors". Bathurst Regional Council. Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  5. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Bathurst Regional (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 December 2012. Edit this at Wikidata
  6. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bathurst Regional". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  7. ^ a b Green, Antony. "Bathurst Regional". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b "The Balanced Bathurst Team".
  9. ^ a b "Robert Taylor".
  10. ^ "What's in a nickname? How Stumpy became the Mayor of Bathurst". ABC News. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  11. ^ "BRC Elections 2021 interview with Marg Hogan & Gerarda Mader 10-11-21".
  12. ^ "Graeme Hanger's council team features strong working women".
  13. ^ "Graeme Hanger elected the new mayor of Bathurst". Western Advocate. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Platforms or objectives of registered candidates".
  15. ^ "Bathurst Regional Council candidate questionnaire: Warren Aubin".
  16. ^ "Bathurst Region". ABC News.
  17. ^ "Bathurst Regional". ABC News.
  18. ^ "Bathurst". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 May 2006. Edit this at Wikidata
  19. ^ "Merger proposal: Bathurst Regional Council, Oberon Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  20. ^ "Sister Cities". Community. Bathurst Regional Council. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
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