Shire of Baw Baw

Shire of Baw Baw
Shire of Baw Baw; Victoria
	Location in Victoria
Population	52,015 (2018)[1]
• Density	12.9134/km2 (33.445/sq mi)
Established	1994
Gazetted	2 December 1994[2]
Area	4,028 km2 (1,555.2 sq mi)[1]
Mayor	Cr Danny Goss
Council seat	Warragul
Region	Eastern Victoria
State electorate(s)	Narracan
Federal Division(s)	Monash
Website	Shire of Baw Baw
	LGAs around Shire of Baw Baw:

The Shire of Baw Baw is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, in the eastern part of the state. It covers an area of 4,028 square kilometres (1,555 sq mi) and in June 2018 had a population of 52,015.[1]

Thorpdale, one of the towns administered by the Shire of Baw Baw

It includes the towns of Drouin, Longwarry, Neerim South, Trafalgar, Warragul and Yarragon. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Buln Buln, Shire of Narracan, Rural City of Warragul, and some parts of the Shire of Upper Yarra.[2]

The Shire is governed and administered by the Baw Baw Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Drouin, and it has a service centre located in Warragul. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, the Baw Baw Plateau with Mount Baw Baw being the second highest peak in the region. A small alpine ski resort on the mountain is an unincorporated area forming an enclave surrounded by the Shire.

Location and geography

The more densely populated southern half of the Shire consists of low rolling hills given over primarily to dairy farming and other agriculture. The northern half lies in the Great Dividing Range and its foothills, where forestry remains an important industry. Tourism is also important in the region, aided by its proximity to and easy access from Melbourne. The shire is known for its rural scenery and natural environment, as well as gourmet foods and wines. The historic gold-mining town of Walhalla is located in the northeast of the shire is a major tourist drawcard. The major electricity-producing region of the Latrobe Valley lies immediately to the shire's east and south.

Many of the Shire's larger towns are located along the Princes Highway and main Gippsland Railway line, which cross the southern part of the shire. From west to east these include: Longwarry, Drouin, Warragul, Darnum, Yarragon, and Trafalgar. North of Warragul are Buln Buln, Neerim South, and Noojee, while south of Trafalgar in the Strzelecki Ranges lies the town of Thorpdale. The towns of Rawson, Erica, and Parkers Corner are located near Walhalla amongst the foothills of the Baw Baw Plateau. Aberfeldy is located in the far north east of the shire above the Thomson Dam, which supplies 50% of Melbourne's water.

Council

Composition up to November 2016

The council was composed of four wards and nine councillors, with three councillors elected to represent the Warragul Ward and two councillors per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.[3]

Ward		Councillor	Notes
Drouin	Independent	Tricia Jones
Drouin	Independent	Terry Williamson
Mount Worth	Independent	Murray Cook	Mayor 2012-2014
Mount Worth	Independent	Peter Kostos
North	Independent	David Balfour
North	Independent	Deborah Brown	Mayor 2014-2015
Warragul	Independent	Joe Gauci	Mayor 2015-2016
	Independent	Gerard Murphy
	Independent	Mikaela Power

Current composition

The council was changed to a three-ward structure with three councillors per ward, with the new council sworn in on 2 November 2016. The new wards are West (primarily Drouin with some rural areas north/south), Central (Warragul) and East.

Ward		Councillor
West	Independent	Tricia Jones
	Independent	Ben Lucas
	Independent	Annemarie McCabe
East	Independent	Darren Wallace
	Independent	Peter Kostos
	Independent	Michael Leaney
Cemtral	Independent	Joe Gauci
	Independent	Danny Goss
	Independent	Jazmin Tauru

Administration and governance

The council meets in the council chambers in Trafalgar (former Shire of Narracan). The council's administrative activities are centred in Drouin in the former offices of the Buln Buln Shire. It also provides customer services at both Warragul and the council offices in Drouin. Service centres in Trafalgar and on Smith Street in Warragul were closed in 2015.[4] The council chambers moved to Trafalgar in March 2017 as the Warragul chambers were consumed as part of the renovations for the West Gippsland Arts Centre.

Towns and localities

In June 2018 the shire had a population of 52,015.[1]

Population
Locality	Total
Aberfeldy	0
Ada	0
Allambee	19
Allambee Reserve	95
Allambee South	76
Amor	0
Athlone	122
Baw Baw	0
Bona Vista	109
Boola	0
Brandy Creek	100
Bravington	17
Buln Buln	548
Buln Buln East	164
Caringal	19
Coalville	49
Childers	106
Cloverlea	192
Crossover	158
Darnum	751
Drouin	12,349

Population
Locality	Total
Drouin East	182
Drouin South	335
Drouin West	330
Ellinbank	236
Erica	191
Ferndale	37
Fumina	11
Fumina South	67
Gainsborough	45
Gentle Annie	0
Hallora	126
Heath Hill	161
Hill End	166
Icy Creek	11
Jacob Creek	23
Jericho	0
Jindivick	491
Labertouche	356
Lardner	117
Lillico	86
Loch Valley	0

Population
Locality	Total
Longwarry	2,004
Longwarry North	215
Modella	148
Moondarra	46
Mountain View	90
Narracan	253
Nayook	75
Neerim	200
Neerim East	192
Neerim Junction	127
Neerim North	42
Neerim South	1,305
Nilma	342
Nilma North	319
Noojee	157
Rawson	296
Ripplebrook	221
Rokeby	180
Seaview	125
Shady Creek	180
Tanjil	0

Population
Locality	Total
Tanjil Bren	14
Tanjil South	544
Tetoora Road	66
Thomson	0
Thorpdale	471
Thorpdale South	30
Toombon	0
Toorongo	0
Torwood	50
Trafalgar	3,912
Trafalgar East	426
Trafalgar South	276
Vesper	42
Walhalla	20
Warragul	15,757
Warragul West	19
Warragul South	253
Westbury	157
Willow Grove	590
Yarragon	1,650
Yarragon South	164

References

"3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S94 of 1994: Order estg (Part 3) the Shire of Baw Baw". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 2 December 1994). p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
Local Government in Victoria. "Baw Baw Shire Council". Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
"Customer Service Centre Locations". Baw Baw Shire. Baw baw Shire. Retrieved 20 April 2016.

External links

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[ABSLGA-1] "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.

[Gazette-2] Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S94 of 1994: Order estg (Part 3) the Shire of Baw Baw". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 2 December 1994). p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2014.

[Council-3] Local Government in Victoria. "Baw Baw Shire Council". Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 10 January 2014.

[4] "Customer Service Centre Locations". Baw Baw Shire. Baw baw Shire. Retrieved 20 April 2016.