Liverpool Plains Shire

This article is about the local government area. For the regional plains, see Liverpool Plains.
Liverpool Plains Shire
New South Wales

Location in New South Wales
Coordinates 31°29′S 150°41′E / 31.483°S 150.683°E / -31.483; 150.683Coordinates: 31°29′S 150°41′E / 31.483°S 150.683°E / -31.483; 150.683
Population 7,759 (2015 est)[1]
 • Density 1.55/km2 (4.0/sq mi)
Established 2004
Area 5,086 km2 (1,963.7 sq mi)
Mayor Andrew Hope
Council seat Quirindi
Region North West Slopes
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s) New England
Website Liverpool Plains Shire
LGAs around Liverpool Plains Shire:
Gunnedah Gunnedah Tamworth Regional
Warrumbungle Liverpool Plains Shire Tamworth Regional
Warrumbungle Upper Hunter Upper Hunter

Liverpool Plains Shire is a local government area located in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed on 17 March 2004 by the amalgamation of Quirindi Shire with parts of Parry, Murrurundi and Gunnedah shires.

The Mayor of Liverpool Plains Shire Council is Cr. Andrew Hope.

Main towns

The main town and Council seat is located in Quirindi. Other towns and villages in the Shire include Ardglen, Blackville, Caroona, Currabubula, Premer, Spring Ridge, Wallabadah, Werris Creek, and Willow Tree.

Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 7,480 people in the Liverpool Plains Shire local government area, of these 50.4 per cent were male and 49.6 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 10.9 per cent of the population, which was three times higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Liverpool Plains Shire was 44 years, which was significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 19.5 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 20.2 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 50.8 per cent were married and 12.1 per cent were either divorced or separated.[2]

Population growth in the Liverpool Plains Shire between the 2006 census and the 2011 census was −0.80 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same period, being 8.32 per cent, population growth in the Liverpool Plains Shire local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[3] The median weekly income for residents within the Liverpool Plains Shire was significantly lower than the national average.[2]

At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Liverpool Plains Shire local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 88 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 75% of all residents in the Liverpool Plains Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was much higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Liverpool Plains Shire local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.1 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (94.5 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).[2]

Selected historical census data for the Liverpool Plains Shire local government area
Census year 2001 2006[3]2011[2]
Population Estimated residents on Census night n/a 7,540 7,480
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales
% of New South Wales population 0.11%
% of Australian population n/a 0.04% Decrease 0.03%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry,
top responses
Australian 38.4%
English 30.6%
Irish 8.8%
Scottish 7.5%
German 2.8%
Language,
top responses
(other than English)
Italian nom Increase 0.1%
Cantonese 0.3% Decrease 0.1%
Vietnamese n/c Increase 0.1%
German n/c Increase 0.1%
Afrikaans n/c Increase 0.1%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation,
top responses
Anglican 42.7% Decrease 42.5%
Catholic 23.9% Steady 23.9%
No Religion 8.4% Increase 11.8%
Uniting Church 6.3% Decrease 5.8%
Presbyterian and Reformed 3.6% Steady 3.6%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income Median weekly personal income A$438 A$433
% of Australian median income 94.0% Increase 75.0%
Family income Median weekly family income A$1,090 A$988
% of Australian median income 93.1% Increase 66.7%
Household income Median weekly household income A$882 A$797
% of Australian median income 85.9% Increase 64.6%

Council

Liverpool Plains Shire Council offices in Quirindi.

Current composition and election method

Liverpool Plains Shire Council is composed of seven 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 10 September 2016, and the makeup of the Council is as follows:[4]

PartyCouncillors
  Independents and Unaligned 7
Total 7

The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election, is:[4]

CouncillorPartyNotes
  Andrew Hope Unaligned Mayor[5]
  Ian Lobsey Independent
  Virginia Black Independents
  Ken Cudmore Unaligned
  Doug Hawkins Unaligned Deputy Mayor[5]
  Paul Moules Independent
  Rob Webster Independent

Geography

Main article: Liverpool Plains

The Liverpool Plains have a generally flat to undulating terrain formed from the remnants of old volcanoes such as that of the Liverpool Ranges to the southwest. To the south and east, it merges into the higher and cooler Northern Tablelands.

The Liverpool Plains is generally regarded as the richest agricultural region in Australia owing to its rich black soils, which originally supported a mixed grassland vegetation containing both annual and perennial grasses, which early in the region's history were used to feed cattle and sheep.

Wheat and cotton are the chief crops, although production fluctuates wildly according to rainfall and soil erosion is a major problem occurring both after droughts and floods. The climate is hot in summer, mild in winter, and of moderate rainfall. The average is generally around 635 millimetres (25.0 in) with a slight summer maximum, but is quite erratic and can vary from 1,150 millimetres (45 in) in very wet years to as little as 370 millimetres (15 in). Temperatures in summer frequently exceed 35 °C (95 °F) and make cropping without irrigation risky without sophisticated meteorological forecasting techniques.

References

  1. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Liverpool Plains (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Liverpool Plains (A)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Liverpool Plains Shire Council: Election of Councillors". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 User, Super. "Councillors & Management Staff". Retrieved 2016-11-06.
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