City of Parramatta
The City of Parramatta Council is a local government area located west of central Sydney in the Greater Western Sydney region. Parramatta Council is situated between the City of Ryde and Cumberland, where the Cumberland Plain meets the Hornsby Plateau, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
| City of Parramatta Council New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Greater Western Sydney, 2016 to date | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°49′S 151°00′E | ||||||||||||||
| Population |
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| • Density | 2,692/km2 (6,970/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 27 November 1861 (Municipality) 27 October 1938 (City) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2153, 2146, 2145, 2152, 2151, 2150, 2142, 2128, 2127, 2122, 2121, 2119, 2118, 2117, 2116, 2115, 2114 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 84 km2 (32.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||||||||
| Lord Mayor | Bob Dwyer[3] | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Parramatta Town Hall | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Greater Western Sydney | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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| Website | City of Parramatta Council | ||||||||||||||
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The City occupies an area of 84 square kilometres (32 sq mi) spanning across suburbs in Greater Western Sydney including the Hills District, and a small section of Northern Sydney to the far north east of its area. According to the 2016 census, City of Parramatta Council had an estimated population of 226,149.[1] The City houses the Parramatta central business district which is one of the key suburban employment destinations for the region of Greater Western Sydney.
The Lord Mayor of the City of Parramatta Council since 23 September 2019 is The Right Worshipful Bob Dwyer, a member of the Liberal Party.[4]
History
First incorporated on 27 November 1861 as the "Municipality of Parramatta",[5] the first Mayor was emancipated convict John Williams who arrived in the colony in 1835. The council became known as the "Borough of Parramatta" on 23 December 1867 following the enactment of the Municipalities Act, 1867, and became a Municipality again following the 1906 Local Government Act. On 27 October 1938, the Local Government (City of Parramatta) Act was passed by the Parliament of New South Wales and proclaimed by the Governor, Lord Wakehurst, making the town the "City of Parramatta".[6][7]
From 1 January 1949 the "City of Parramatta" was re-formed following the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, when the councils of Ermington and Rydalmere (incorporated 1891), Dundas (incorporated 1889) and Granville (incorporated 1885) were merged into the council area. The Parramatta local government area was further expanded through the transfer of 10.7 km2 from the Municipality of Blacktown in 1972.[8] In recognition of Parramatta's role Bi-centennial (coinciding with the Australian Bi-centennial), the title of 'Lord Mayor' was granted on 12 December 1988 by Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of Premier Nick Greiner. This made Parramatta the third Australian city that was not a capital to receive such an honour, after Newcastle and Wollongong.
2016 amalgamation
A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Parramatta be reformed, adding areas from several adjoining councils. The NSW Government subsequently proposed a merger of parts of Parramatta (Woodville Ward), Auburn and Holroyd and a second merger of parts of the rest of Parramatta and parts of Auburn, The Hills, Hornsby, and Holroyd to form a new council.[9][10]
On 12 May 2016, Parramatta City Council was abolished by the NSW Government. Parts of Auburn City Council (south of the M4 Western Motorway) and Parramatta City Council (Woodville Ward), and Holroyd City Council merged to form the Cumberland Council as a new local government area and the remainder of the Parramatta City Council, Auburn City Council north of the M4 Western Motorway (including Sydney Olympic Park), and small parts of Hornsby Shire, Holroyd and The Hills Shire were merged into the reformed "City of Parramatta Council".[11][12]
Suburbs in the local government area
Suburbs in the City of Parramatta Council are:[12]
- Baulkham Hills (shared with The Hills Shire)
- Beecroft (shared with Hornsby Shire)
- Camellia
- Carlingford
- Clyde
- Constitution Hill
- Dundas
- Dundas Valley
- Eastwood (shared with City of Ryde)
- Epping
- Ermington
- Granville (shared with Cumberland Council)
- Harris Park
- Lidcombe (shared with Cumberland Council)
- Mays Hill (shared with Cumberland Council)
- Newington
- North Parramatta
- Northmead
- North Rocks (shared with The Hills Shire)
- Oatlands
- Old Toongabbie
- Parramatta
- Pendle Hill (shared with Cumberland Council)
- Rosehill
- Rydalmere
- Seven Hills (shared with City of Blacktown)
- Silverwater
- Sydney Olympic Park [Autonomous]
- Telopea
- Toongabbie (shared with City of Blacktown and Cumberland Council)
- Winston Hills
- Wentworth Point
- Wentworthville (shared with Cumberland Council)
- Westmead (shared with Cumberland Council)
Facilities
The City of Parramatta Council has a central library, heritage centre and six branch libraries at Carlingford, Constitution Hill, Dundas Valley, Epping, Ermington and Wentworth Point. It also provides a public swimming pool at Epping, five childcare centres and over ten community centres.[13][14] The heritage-listed Parramatta Town Hall was completed in 1883 and houses the original Council chamber meeting rooms as well as other function rooms.[15]
Demographics
At the 2016 Census, there were 226,149 people in the City of Parramatta local government area that comprised 84 square kilometres (32 sq mi), of these 50% were male and 50% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.7% of the population. The median age of people in the City of Parramatta was 34 years; notably below the national median of 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 12.2% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 55.4% were married and 9% were either divorced or separated.[1] At the 2016 Census, the Parramatta local government area was linguistically diverse, with a significantly higher than average proportion (54.2%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 22.2%); and a significantly lower proportion (41.47) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.7%). The most commonly reported religious affiliation was "No Religion", at 24.5%. The proportion of residents who stated a religious affiliation with Hinduism was approximately six times the national average, with the median weekly income for residents slightly above the national average.[1]
| Selected historical census data for Parramatta local government area | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census year | 2001[16] | 2006[17] | 2011[18] | 2016[1] | ||
| Population | Estimated residents on census night | 143,143 | 148,323 | 166,858 | 226,149 | |
| LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 11th |  11th |  5th | |||
| % of New South Wales population | 2.41% | 3.02% | ||||
| % of Australian population | 0.76% |  0.75% | 0.78% | 0.97% | ||
| Cultural and language diversity | ||||||
| Ancestry, top responses | Australian | 23.9% | 22.9% | 18.1% | 13.1% | |
| English | 21.8% | 17.8% | 16.8% | 13.7% | ||
| Chinese | 9.4% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 16.4% | ||
| Lebanese | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.5% | |||
| Indian | 3.4% | 5.9% | 9.1% | 10.1% | ||
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Arabic | 10.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% | 3.2% | |
| Mandarin | 3.0% | 4.7% | 5.9% | 10.5% | ||
| Cantonese | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 6.5% | ||
| Korean | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 5.0% | ||
| Hindi | 1.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.6% | ||
| Religious affiliation | ||||||
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 27.1% | 26.0% | 23.4% | 20.8% | |
| No religion | 10.7% | 12.8% | 15.0% | 24.5% | ||
| Anglican | 15.8% | 12.9% | 10.3% | 8.3% | ||
| Islam | 7.0% | 8.2% | 9.7% | |||
| Hinduism | 2.8% | 5.3% | 8.8% | 11.3% | ||
| Median weekly incomes | ||||||
| Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$443 | A$544 | A$722 | ||
| % of Australian median income | 95.1% | 94.3% | 109.1% | |||
| Family income | Median weekly family income | A$1,043 | A$1,451 | A$1,933 | ||
| % of Australian median income | 101.6% | 98.0% | 111.5% | |||
| Household income | Median weekly household income | A$1,172 | A$1,288 | A$1,759 | ||
| % of Australian median income | 100.0% | 104.4% | 122.3% | |||
| Dwelling structure | ||||||
| Dwelling type | Separate house | 61.2% | 56.2% | 52.8% | 45.7% | |
| Semi-detached, terrace or townhouse | 10.7 | 12.4% | 13.4% | 15.2% | ||
| Flat or apartment | 26.8% | 30.7% | 33.5% | 38.4% | ||
Council
Between May 2016 and September 2017, the council was managed by an Administrator appointed by the Government of New South Wales, Amanda Chadwick, until an election for councillors took place on 9 September 2017.[12] The City of Parramatta Council comprises fifteen Councillors elected proportionally, with three Councillors in each ward. All Councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The Lord Mayor is elected for a two-year term, with the Deputy Lord Mayor for one year, by the Councillors at the first meeting of the council.
| Office-holder | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Mayor | Bob Dwyer | 23 September 2019 – present | [4] |
| Andrew Wilson | 25 September 2017 – 23 September 2019 | [19] | |
| Deputy Lord Mayor | Michelle Garrard | 25 September 2017 – present | [19] |
| Administrator | Amanda Chadwick | 12 May 2016 – 25 September 2017 | [12][20] |
| CEO[21] | Term | Notes | |
| Brett Newman | 16 September 2019 – present | CEO, Property NSW[22] | |
| Rik Hart (Acting) | 11 March 2019 – 16 September 2019 | General Manager Warringah and Inner West Councils[23] | |
| Mark Stapleton | 10 July 2018 – 11 March 2019 | Director of Property and Significant Assets[24] | |
| Sue Coleman (interim) | 19 January 2018 – 10 July 2018 | Group Manager City Services | |
| Greg Dyer | 12 May 2016 – 19 January 2018 | CEO, Parramatta City Council 3 February 2014 – 12 May 2016[12][25][26][27][28] | |
Current composition
The most recent election was held on 9 September 2017, and the makeup of the council, in order of election by ward, is as follows:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Party of Australia | 6 | |
| Australian Labor Party | 5 | |
| Our Local Community | 2 | |
| Lorraine Wearne Independents | 1 | |
| The Greens | 1 | |
| Total | 15 | |
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundas Ward[29] | Benjamin Barrak | Liberal | ||
| Pierre Esber | Labor | Elected 1999 (Parramatta City Council) | ||
| Michelle Garrard | Our Local Community | Deputy Lord Mayor 2017–date | ||
| Epping Ward[30] | Bill Tyrrell | Liberal | ||
| Donna Davis | Labor | |||
| Lorraine Wearne | Lorraine Wearne Independents | Elected 1995 (Parramatta City Council) | ||
| North Rocks Ward[31] | Andrew Jefferies | Liberal | Elected 2008 (The Hills Shire Council) | |
| Paul Han | Labor | |||
| Bob Dwyer | Liberal | Lord Mayor 2019-date | ||
| Parramatta Ward[32] | Martin Zaiter | Liberal | ||
| Samir Pandey | Labor | |||
| Phil Bradley | Greens | |||
| Rosehill Ward[33] | Steven Issa | Liberal | Elected 2012 (Parramatta City Council) | |
| Patricia Prociv | Labor | |||
| Andrew Wilson | Our Local Community | Lord Mayor 2017–2019 | ||
Sister cities
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Parramatta (C)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2018-19". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020. Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 2019.
- "Councillor Bob Dwyer elected new Lord Mayor of Parramatta".
- "Councillor Bob Dwyer elected new Lord Mayor of Parramatta | City of Parramatta". www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- "MUNICIPALITY OF PARRAMATTA". New South Wales Government Gazette (265). New South Wales, Australia. 28 November 1861. p. 2552. Retrieved 30 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- Arfanis, Peter (22 October 2013). "Parramatta No Longer a Town!". Research Services. City of Parramatta Council. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- "PARRAMATTA AS A CITY". The Sun (8984). New South Wales, Australia. 21 October 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 29 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Local Government Act 1919 - Proclamation". New South Wales Government Gazette (35). New South Wales, Australia. 30 March 1972. p. 1104. Retrieved 14 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Merger proposal: Auburn City Council (part), Holroyd City Council (part), Parramatta City Council (part)" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- "Merger proposal: Parramatta City Council (part), Auburn City Council (part), The Hills Shire Council (part), Hornsby Shire Council (part), Holroyd City Council (part)" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- Saulwick, Jacob; Kembrey, Melanie; McKenny, Leisha (14 May 2016). "NSW council amalgamations announced". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- "Local Government (City of Parramatta and Cumberland) Proclamation 2016 [NSW] - Schedule 1 - Provisions for City of Parramatta Council". NSW Government. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Book a Venue". Halls, Community Centres & Meeting Rooms. City of Parramatta Council. 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- "Childcare | City of Parramatta". www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- "Town Hall and Potential Archaeological Site". NSW Heritage Register. NSW Office of Environment & Heritage. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Parramatta (C)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Parramatta (C)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Parramatta (C)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- Stevens, Kylie (26 September 2017). "Return of democracy". Parramatta Sun. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
- Deare, Steven (17 June 2016). "Parramatta Council administrator Amanda Chadwick keen to meet Epping residents". Northern District Times. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- General Manager until August 2017.
- "City of Parramatta announces new Chief Executive Officer appointment | City of Parramatta". www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- "City of Parramatta Council Appoints New Acting CEO | City of Parramatta". www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- "City of Parramatta appoints new Chief Executive Officer | City of Parramatta". www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- "Parramatta appoints Greg Dyer as new CEO". Western Sydney Business Access. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR GREG DYER" (Media Release). City of Parramatta. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- Taouk, Maryanne (15 December 2017). "Parramatta Council general manager Greg Dyer resigns". Parramatta Advertiser. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- "GREG DYER TO DEPART AS CITY OF PARRAMATTA CEO" (Media Release). City of Parramatta Council. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- "City of Parramatta - Dundas Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2017. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "City of Parramatta - Epping Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2017. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "City of Parramatta - North Rocks Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2017. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "City of Parramatta - Parramatta Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2017. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "City of Parramatta - Rosehill Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2017. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Rama renews ties with Xiamen City". philstar.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- "Vietnamese flag raised in Australian city". Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- Minh Thanh (3 May 2005). "Parramatta always supports Vung Tau policies of development, says Lord Mayor of Parramatta". Bao Ba Ria Vung Tau. Retrieved 21 March 2017.