Bellingen Shire

Towns and localities in the Bellingen Shire are:

• Bellingen
• Bostobrick
• Brierfield
• Cascade
• Darkwood
• Deer Vale
• Dorrigo
• Fernmount
• Gleniffer
• Hydes Creek
• Leigh
• Megan
• Mylestom
• Orama
• Raleigh
• Repton
• Tarkeeth
• Thora
• Urunga
• Valery

At the 2011 census, there were 12,518 people in the Bellingen local government area, of these 48.5 per cent were male and 51.5 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.0 per cent of the population which is higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Bellingen Shire was 46 years; some 10 years higher than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 19.5 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 19.9 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 46.1 per cent were married and 17.4 per cent were either divorced or separated.[4]

Population growth in the Bellingen Shire between the 2001 census, 2006 census, and the 2011 census was marginal. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Bellingen local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[5] The median weekly income for residents within the Bellingen Shire was significantly below the national average,[4][6] being one of the factors that place the Bellingen Shire in an area of social disadvantage.

At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Bellingen 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 69 per cent of all residents in the Bellingen Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was significantly above the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Bellingen local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (4.7 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (94.1 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).[4]

Selected historical census data for Bellingen local government area
Census year			2001[5]	2006[6]	2011[4]	2016[1]
Population		Estimated residents on census night	12,171	12,416	12,518	12,668
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales			85th	84th
		% of New South Wales population			0.18%
		% of Australian population	0.06%	0.06%	0.06%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		English			32.3%
		Australian			31.5%
		Irish			10.3%
		Scottish			8.7%
		German			3.4%
Language, top responses (other than English)		German	0.8%	0.6%	0.7%
		Dutch	0.2%	0.2%	0.4%
		Spanish	n/c	0.1%	0.3%
		French	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
		Cantonese	0.2%	0.2%	0.1%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		No Religion	20.5%	26.0%	31.5%
		Anglican	26.8%	24.9%	23.4%
		Catholic	18.0%	17.4%	16.1%
		Uniting Church	9.1%	7.7%	6.8%
		Presbyterian and Reformed	3.4%	2.9%	3.1%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income		A$336	A$416
		% of Australian median income		72.1%	72.1%
Family income		Median weekly family income		A$622	A$938
		% of Australian median income		60.6%	63.3%
Household income		Median weekly household income		A$777	A$787
		% of Australian median income		66.4%	63.8%

Bellingen Shire Council is composed of seven Councillors, including the Mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is directly elected while the six other Councillors are elected proportionally as one entire ward. The most recent election was held on 10 September 2016, and the makeup of the Council, including the Mayor, is as follows:[3][7]

The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election, is:[8]

• Local government areas of New South Wales