Wikipedia

Clarence Valley Council

Clarence Valley Council is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia.

Clarence Valley
New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Population
 • Density4.85308/km2 (12.5694/sq mi)
Established24 February 2004 (2004-02-24)
Area10,441 km2 (4,031.3 sq mi)
MayorPeter Johnstone
Council seatGrafton and Maclean
RegionNorthern Rivers
State electorate(s)Clarence
Federal division(s)Page
WebsiteClarence Valley
LGAs around Clarence Valley:
Tenterfield Richmond Valley Tasman Sea
Glen Innes Severn Clarence Valley Tasman Sea
Armidale Bellingen Coffs Harbour

The council services an area of 10,441 square kilometres (4,031 sq mi) and draws its name from the Clarence River, which flows through most of the council area. The area under management is adjacent to the Pacific Highway, the Gwydir Highway and the North Coast railway line. The Clarence Valley region includes the coastal plain and lower valleys of the Clarence and Nymboida river. Most of the valley is agricultural; however, the oceanside towns of Yamba and Iluka are popular holiday resorts.[3]

The council was formed in February 2004 by the merger of the City of Grafton and Maclean Shire, and parts of Copmanhurst, Pristine Waters and Richmond Valley local government areas, and the activities of North Coast Water and Clarence River County Council.[4]

The mayor of Clarence Valley Council is Peter Johnstone.[5]

Towns and localities edit

Towns and localities in the Clarence Valley Council are:

Heritage listings edit

The Clarence Valley Council has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Demographics edit

At the 2011 census, there were 49,665 people in the Clarence Valley local government area, of these 49.4 per cent were male and 50.6 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.7 per cent of the population which is more than double the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Clarence Valley Council area was 46 years; some 10 years higher than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.6 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21.3 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 49.3 per cen% were married and 14.6% were either divorced or separated.[7]

Population growth in the Clarence Valley Council area between the 2006 census and the 2011 Census was 3.15 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same period, being 8.32 per cent, population growth in the Clarence Valley local government area was lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Clarence Valley Council area was significantly below the national average,[7][8] being one of the factors that place the Clarence Valley Council area in an area of social disadvantage.

At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Clarence Valley local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Celtic exceeded 82 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 64 per cent of all residents in the Clarence Valley Council area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was above the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Clarence Valley local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (3.1 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (94.0 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).[7]

Selected historical census data for Clarence Valley local government area
Census year 2006[8] 2011[7] 2016[1]
Population Estimated residents on census night 48,146 49,665 50,671
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales 46th   45th
% of New South Wales population 0.72%   0.68%
% of Australian population 0.24%   0.23%   0.22%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry,
top responses		 Australian 34.6%   33.2%
English 31.9%   31.4%
Irish 9.0%   9.1%
Scottish 8.3%   8.6%
German 3.4%   3.4%
Language,
top responses
(other than English)		 German 0.2%   0.2%   0.2%
Cantonese 0.1%   0.1%   0.1%
Spanish n/c   0.1%   0.1%
Mandarin n/c   n/c   0.1%
Dutch 0.1%   0.2%   0.1%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation,
top responses		 No religion 15.3%   19.0%   26.4%
Anglican 32.0%   30.6%   25.7%
Catholic 22.5%   22.1%   20.0%
Not stated n/c   n/c   10.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed 7.4%   6.7%   6.0%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income Median weekly personal income A$333 A$396 A$477
% of Australian median income 71.5%   68.6%   72.1%
Family income Median weekly family income A$631 A$924 A$1133
% of Australian median income 61.4%   62.4%   65.3%
Household income Median weekly household income A$781 A$768 A$910
% of Australian median income 66.7%   62.2%   63.3%

Council edit

Current composition and election method edit

Clarence Valley Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as one entire 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 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows:[9]

Party Councillors
  Independents 8
  Greens 1
Total 9

The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:[9]

Councillor Party Notes
  Jeff Smith Independent Deputy Mayor[5]
  Debrah Novak Independent
  Ian Tiley Independent
  Alison Whaites Independent
  Bill Day Independent
  Greg Clancy Greens
  Peter Johnstone Independent Mayor
  Karen Toms Independent
  Steve Pickering Independent

2021 election results edit

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2021 New South Wales local elections § Clarence Valley.[edit]
2021 New South Wales local elections: Clarence Valley[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jeff Smith (elected) 6,022 19.6
Independent Debrah Novak (elected) 3,622 11.8
Independent Ian Tiley (elected) 2,637 8.6
Independent National Allison Whaites (elected) 2,403 7.8
Independent Bill Day (elected) 2,039 6.7
Greens Greg Clancy (elected) 2,592 8.5
Independent National Peter Johnstone (elected) 2,212 7.2
Independent Karen Toms (elected) 1,658 5.4
Independent Steve Pickering (elected) 1,536 5.0
Independent Labor Peter Ellem 1,494 4.9
Independent Ash Gibbons 1,189 3.9
Independent Pete Hanson 1,189 3.9
Independent National Donald Scott 702 2.3
Independent Phil Belletty 661 2.2
Independent Jeffrey Fuller 357 1.2
Independent Warren Lang 348 1.1
Total formal votes 30,661 92.9
Informal votes 2,358 7.1
Turnout 85.7
Party total votes
Independent 23,850 77.8
Independent National 5,317 17.3
Independent Labor 1,494 4.9
Party total seats Seats ±
  Independent 7  
  Independent National 2   1
  Independent Labor 0   1

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Clarence Valley (A)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 July 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. ^ "Clarence Valley Social Plan". Clarence Valley Council. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2006.
  4. ^ "About Council and the Clarence Valley". About Council. Clarence Valley Council. 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Cr Peter Johnstone voted new Clarence Valley Mayor". Clarence Valley Council. 2023.
  6. ^ "High Conservation Value Old Growth forest". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01487. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  7. ^ a b c d Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Clarence Valley (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 November 2012.  
  8. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Clarence Valley (A)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Clarence Valley Council: Summary of First Preference Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2016. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Clarence Valley". ABC News.

External links edit

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