Coolamon Shire

Summary

Coolamon Shire is a local government area in the Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Shire comprises 2,433 square kilometres (939 sq mi) and is located adjacent to the Newell Highway and the Burley Griffin Way. The Shire includes the towns of Coolamon, Ganmain, and Ardlethan, and the villages of Matong, Marrar, and Beckom.

Coolamon Shire
New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates34°50′S 147°12′E / 34.833°S 147.200°E / -34.833; 147.200
Population
 • Density1.7735/km2 (4.5934/sq mi)
Established6 March 1906
Area2,433 km2 (939.4 sq mi)
MayorDavid McCann (Independent)
Council seatCoolamon[3]
RegionRiverina
CountyBourke
State electorate(s)Cootamundra
Federal division(s)Riverina
WebsiteCoolamon Shire
LGAs around Coolamon Shire:
Bland Bland Temora
Narrandera Coolamon Shire Junee
Narrandera Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga

The mayor of the Coolamon Shire Council is Cr. David McCann, an independent politician.[4]

History edit

Coolamon Shire was first incorporated on 6 March 1906 by a Proclamation under the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905.[5] The boundaries of the Shire were defined as:

Commencing at the most westerly south-west corner of the parish of Elliott, county of Bourke; and bounded thence by the boundaries dividing the parishes of Berrembed, Lupton, Bourke, Fennel, and Boblegigbie from the parishes of Elliott, Ashbridge, Cowabbie, and Walleroobie generally northerly and westerly to the east boundary of the county of Cooper; by part of that boundary northerly to the south-west corner of Bygoo holding; by the southern boundary of that holding easterly, the western and northern boundaries of conditional lease 5,464, parish of Ramsay, county of Bourke, generally north-easterly; by the eastern boundary of the holding northerly, and the northern boundary of Ariah holding easterly to the eastern boundary of the parish of Ariah; by that boundary and the eastern boundary of the parish of Bungambil southerly, part of the northern and the eastern boundaries of the parish of Yarranjerry easterly and southerly; by the northern boundaries of the parishes of Methul and Robertson to the west boundary of the parish of Mimosa; thence by the western and southern boundaries of that parish south-easterly and easterly to the eastern boundary of the county; by that boundary southerly to the south boundary of the parish of Marror; by the south boundary of that parish and the parishes of Coolamon, Derry and Elliott generally westerly, to the point of commencement.

On 15 May 1906 a Temporary Council of five members was appointed by Proclamation. The temporary councillors were: Henry Doubleday, David Hannah, William Henry Rowston, William Steele and George Webb.[6]

The first meeting of the temporary Shire Council was held on 12 June 1906 in the Coolamon Court House. At this meeting Councillor William Rowston was elected as the chairman and the council resolved to nominate Mr J.E.A Florance as shire secretary, subject to ministerial approval.[7][8][9] The Council was initially divided into three "Ridings" each returning two councillors. The first elections to the council took place on Saturday 24 November 1906. With only the "A Riding" being contested.[10]

The councillors elected in the inaugural election were: Riding A - William Rowston and Thomas Joseph Kelly; Riding B - Henry Doubleday and Thomas E. Lucas; Riding C - John Poiner and Randal King Pike. [10]

The first meeting of the permanent Shire Council was held on 10 December 1906 at which Cr. Henry Doubleday was elected as the first President.[11]

On 01 May 1912 the Coolamon Urban Area was Proclaimed, increasing the Council's powers to that of a municipality in respect of that Urban Area.[12] Ganmain and Ardlethan were likewise proclaimed as Urban Areas on 14 Oct 1914.[13]

Council edit

Current composition and election method edit

Coolamon 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. In the most recent election held on 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows:[14]

Party Councillors
  Independents and Unaligned 8
  Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party 1
Total 9

The current Council, elected in 2021, is:[14]

Councillor Party Notes
  Jeremy Crocker Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
  David McCann Independent Mayor[4]
  Bronwyn Hatty Independent
  Kathy Maslin Unaligned
  Colin McKinnon Unaligned
  Bruce Hutcheon Unaligned
  Alan White Independent Deputy Mayor[4]
  Wayne Lewis Independent
  Garth Perkin Independent

2021 election results edit

2021 New South Wales local elections: Coolamon[15][16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Bronwyn Hatty (elected) 638 24.8
Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Jeremy Crocker (elected) 413 16.0
Independent Colin McKinnon (elected) 286 11.1
Independent David McCann (elected) 266 10.3
Independent Kathy Maslin (elected) 265 10.3
Independent Alan White (elected) 212 8.2
Independent Bruce Hutcheon (elected) 185 7.2
Independent Trevor Jose 118 4.6
Independent National Wayne Lewis (elected) 110 4.3
Independent Garth Perkin (elected) 82 3.2
Total formal votes 2,576 96.4
Informal votes 97 3.6
Turnout 2,673 82.5

References edit

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Coolamon (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. ^ "Coolamon Shire Council". Department of Local Government. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
  4. ^ a b c "Mayor & Councillors". Coolamon Shire Council. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 Proclamations". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW: 1901–2001). 7 March 1906. pp. 1593–1644. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Proclamation". Government Gazette of the State of NSW (Sydney, NSW: 1901-2001). 15 May 1906. p. 2981. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Temporary Shire Councils - Coolamon Shire Council". Wagga Wagga Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW: 1875–1910). 14 June 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Shire Councils". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW: 1883-1930). 21 June 1906. p. 11. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Shire Elections- Coolamon Shire". Wagga Wagga Express(Wagga Wagga, NSW: 1879–1917). 27 November 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  10. ^ a b "The Shire Councils - To-day's Elections". Wagga Wagga Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW: 1875–1910. 24 November 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Coolamon". Wagga Wagga Advertiser(Wagga Wagga, NSW: 1875-1910). 21 June 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Proclamation". Government Gazette of the State of NSW (Sydney, NSW: 1901-2001). 1 May 1912. p. 2621. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Proclamation". Government Gazette of the State of NSW (Sydney, NSW: 1901-2001). 14 October 1914. p. 6044. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Coolamon - Councillor Election results". NSW Electoral Commission. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Local Government Register of Candidates - in Name order" (PDF). New South Wales Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Coolamon". ABC News.
  17. ^ "MEET OUR NEW COOLAMON SHIRE COUNCILLOR". Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.