Wakool Shire

Shire of Wakool New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	35°05′S 144°02′E / 35.083°S 144.033°ECoordinates: 35°05′S 144°02′E / 35.083°S 144.033°E
Population	4,033 (2012)[1]
• Density	0.53623/km^2 (1.38883/sq mi)
Area	7,521 km^2 (2,903.9 sq mi)
Mayor	Neil Gorey (unaligned)
Council seat	Moulamein
Region	Riverina
State electorate(s)	Murray
Federal Division(s)	Farrer
Website	Shire of Wakool
LGAs around Shire of Wakool: Balranald Hay Conargo Swan Hill (Vic) Shire of Wakool Conargo Swan Hill (Vic) Gannawarra (Vic) Murray

Wakool Shire is a local government area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located between the Murray River and the Murrumbidgee River and adjacent to the Sturt Highway. Towns in the Shire are Barham, Moulamein, Tooleybuc, Wakool and Koraleigh.

The mayor of Wakool Shire is Clr Neil Gorey, an unaligned politician.

Proposed amalgamation

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Wakool Shire merge with the Murray Shire to form a new council with an area of 11,865 square kilometres (4,581 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 11,500.^[2] The outcome of an independent review is expected by mid–2016.

Council

Council chambers at Moulamein

Current composition and election method

Wakool Shire Council is composed of six councillors elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing two councillors. 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. In the B and C Wards, only two candidates, being those below, nominated for election. There being no additional candidates, the election for these wards was uncontested.^[3] In the A Ward, an election was held. The makeup of the Council is as follows:^[4][5][6]

Party		Councillors
	Independents and Unaligned	6
	Total	6

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

Ward	Councillor		Party	Notes
A Ward		Lois Lockhart	Unaligned	[4]
		Anne Crowe	Independent
B Ward		Anthony Jackson	Unaligned	[5]
		Katarni Lipp	Unaligned
C Ward		Neil Gorey	Unaligned	[6]
		Colin Membrey	Unaligned

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. "Merger proposal: Murray Shire Council, Wakool Shire Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
3. "No council vote in some Riverina shires". ABC News (Australia). 10 August 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
4. "The Council of the Shire of Wakool - A Ward". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
5. "The Council of the Shire of Wakool - B Ward". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
6. "The Council of the Shire of Wakool - C Ward". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.