Berrigan Shire

Berrigan Shire New South Wales
Berrigan Shire Office, Chanter Street, Berrigan.
Location of Berrigan Shire, on map of New South Wales.
Coordinates	35°38′S 145°48′E / 35.633°S 145.800°ECoordinates: 35°38′S 145°48′E / 35.633°S 145.800°E
Population	8,337 (2012)[1]
• Density	4.0353/km^2 (10.4515/sq mi)
Established	1906
Area	2,066 km^2 (797.7 sq mi)
Mayor	Cr. Bernard Curtin (Unaligned)[2]
Council seat	Berrigan
Region	Riverina
State electorate(s)	Murray
Federal Division(s)	Farrer
Website	Berrigan Shire
LGAs around Berrigan Shire: Conargo Jerilderie Urana Murray Berrigan Shire Corowa Moira (Vic) Moira (Vic) Moira (Vic)

Berrigan Shire is a local government area in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire lies on the New South Wales State border with Victoria formed by the Murray River. The Shire is adjacent to the Newell and Riverina Highways.

The mayor of Berrigan Shire is Cr. Bernard Curtin, an unaligned politician.^[2]

Towns and localities

Towns in the shire are:

• Berrigan, where the Council office is based
• Finley
• Tocumwal, and
• Barooga.

Proposed amalgamation

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Berrigan Council merge with parts of the Jerilderie Shire to form a new council with an area of 4,022 square kilometres (1,553 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 10,000.^[3] The Jerilderie Shire Council submitted an alternate proposal to the Minister for Local Government that the entire Jerilderie Shire amalgamate with the Murrumbidgee Shire.^[4] The outcome of an independent review is expected by mid–2016.

Geography

The major transport routes through the Shire are the Newell and Riverina Highways. The Shire is a mainly agricultural region, with dairying, cattle raising, woolgrowing and cropping the main activities. The vast majority of the Shire is irrigated. Tourism is another major activity, concentrated on the river towns of Tocumwal and Barooga.

Council

Current composition and election method

Berrigan Shire Council is composed of eight councillors elected proportionally as a single 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 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the council is as follows:^[5]

Party		Councillors
	Independents and Unaligned	8
	Total	8

The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election, is:^[5]

Councillor		Party	Notes
	John Bruce	Unaligned
	Colin Jones	Unaligned
	Matthew Hannan	Unaligned
	Andrea O'Neill	Unaligned
	Bernard Curtin	Unaligned	Mayor[2]
	Daryll Morris	Unaligned
	Denis Glanville	Unaligned
	Brian Hill	Independent	Deputy Mayor[2]

External links

Media related to Berrigan Shire at Wikimedia Commons

• Berrigan Shire Council website

References

1. "3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2014. Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 2012.
2. "Berrigan's Curtin, shire mayor". mmg.com.au (McPherson Media Group). 26 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
3. "Merger proposal: Berrigan Shire Council, Jerilderie Shire Council (part)" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
4. Jerilderie Shire Council (26 January 2016). "Merger proposal: Jerilderie Shire Council and Murrumbidgee Shire Council" (PDF). Council Boundary Review. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
5. "Berrigan Shire Council: Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.