Gloucester Shire

Gloucester Shire (/ˈɡlɒstər/ (listen) GLOS-tər) was a local government area in the Mid North Coast and Upper Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was situated adjacent to the Bucketts Way and the North Coast railway line.

Gloucester Shire
New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates32°00′S 151°58′E
Population4,877 (2011 census)[1]
 • Density1.6521/km2 (4.2789/sq mi)
Abolished2016
Area2,952 km2 (1,139.8 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST)AEDT (UTC+11)
MayorJohn Rosenbaum[2]
Council seatGloucester
RegionHunter[3]
State electorate(s)Upper Hunter[4]
Federal Division(s)Lyne[5]
WebsiteGloucester Shire
LGAs around Gloucester Shire:
Tamworth Walcha Greater Taree
Upper Hunter Gloucester Shire Greater Taree
Dungog Great Lakes Greater Taree

The last mayor of the Gloucester Shire Council was Cr. John Rosenbaum, an independent politician.[2]

Towns and localities

The Shire included the following towns and localities:

Amalgamation

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Gloucester Shire merge with adjoining councils. The government considered two proposals. The first proposed a merger of Gloucester Shire and Dungog Shire councils to form a new council with an area of 5,200 square kilometres (2,000 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 14,000.[6] Following the lodging of an alternate proposal by Gloucester Shire Council to amalgamate the Gloucester, Great Lakes and Greater Taree councils, the NSW Minister for Local Government proposed a merger between the Dungog Shire and City of Maitland.[7]

The Council was dissolved on 12 May 2016 and the area included in the Mid-Coast Council, along with City of Greater Taree and Great Lakes Council.[8]

Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 4,877 people in the Gloucester Shire local government area, of these 49.8 per cent were male and 50.2 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.7 per cent of the population, which was significantly higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Gloucester Shire was 50 years, which was significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 16.0 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 26.0 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 54.7 per cent were married and 13.1 per cent were either divorced or separated.[1]

Population growth in the Gloucester Shire between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 2.54 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 1.56 per cent. 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 Gloucester Shire local government area was approximately one-third of the national average.[9][10] The median weekly income for residents within the Gloucester Shire was significantly lower than the national average.[1]

At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Gloucester Shire local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 86 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 66% of all residents in the Gloucester Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Gloucester Shire local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.0 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (96.0 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).[1]

Selected historical census data for the Gloucester Shire local government area
Census year2001[9]2006[10]2011[1]
PopulationEstimated residents on Census night4,6834,8024,877
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales
% of New South Wales population0.07%
% of Australian population0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry,
top responses
Australian36.3%
English34.8%
Scottish9.0%
Irish6.7%
German3.5%
Language,
top responses
(other than English)
German0.3% 0.1% 0.3%
Cantonesen/c 0.1% 0.2%
Dutch0.1% 0.1% 0.2%
Italiann/c n/c 0.2%
French0.1% 0.2% 0.1%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation,
top responses
Anglican40.4% 37.5% 36.3%
No Religion9.8% 12.1% 16.5%
Catholic16.5% 15.7% 15.5%
Presbyterian and Reformed8.9% 8.0% 7.7%
Uniting Church8.1% 7.3% 7.3%
Median weekly incomes
Personal incomeMedian weekly personal incomeA$343A$422
% of Australian median income73.6% 73.1%
Family incomeMedian weekly family incomeA$846A$971
% of Australian median income72.2% 65.6%
Household incomeMedian weekly household incomeA$665A$810
% of Australian median income64.8% 65.6%

Council

Composition and election method

At the time of dissolution, Gloucester Shire Council was composed of seven councillors, elected proportionally as a single ward. All councillors were elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor was elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The last election was held on 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the council was as follows:[11]

PartyCouncillors
  Independents and Unaligned 7
Total 7

The last Council, elected in 2012 and dissolved in 2016, in order of election, was:[11]

CouncillorPartyNotes
  Frank Hooke Unaligned Deputy Mayor[2]
  Aled Hoggett Independent
  John Rosenbaum Independent Mayor[2]
  Jim Henderson Unaligned
  James Hooke Unaligned
  Tony Tersteeg Independent
  Katheryn Smith Independent

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Gloucester (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  2. "Councillors & Profiles". Council. Gloucester Shire Council. September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  3. "Suburb Search - Local Council Boundaries - Hunter (HT) - Gloucester Shire Council". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  4. "Upper Hunter". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. "Lyne". Australian Electoral Commission. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  6. "Merger proposal: Dungog Shire Council, Gloucester Shire Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  7. Toole, Paul (March 2016). "Dungog and Maitland councils Proposal" (PDF). Minister for Local Government. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  8. "Mid-Coast Council". Stronger Councils. Government of New South Wales. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  9. Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Gloucester (A)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  10. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Gloucester (A)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  11. "Gloucester Shire Council: Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
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