Wentworth Shire

Wentworth Shire New South Wales
Coordinates	34°05′S 141°54′E / 34.083°S 141.900°ECoordinates: 34°05′S 141°54′E / 34.083°S 141.900°E
Population	6,609 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	0.25/km^2 (0.65/sq mi)
Established	23 January 1879[2]
Area	26,269 km^2 (10,142.5 sq mi)
Mayor	Don McKinnon (Unaligned)
Council seat	Wentworth
Region	Far West
State electorate(s)	Murray
Federal Division(s)	Farrer
Website	Wentworth Shire
LGAs around Wentworth Shire: OACDT (SA) Unincorporated Far West Central Darling OACDT (SA) Wentworth Shire Balranald Renmark Paringa (SA) Mildura (Vic) Mildura (Vic)

Wentworth Shire is a local government area in the far south-west Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. This Shire is located adjacent to the Murray and Darling Rivers. The Shire's major roads are the Sturt and the Silver City Highways. The Shire includes the towns of Wentworth, Buronga, Gol Gol, Dareton and Pooncarie.

The Mayor of Wentworth Shire Council is Cr. Don McKinnon, an unaligned politician.

Council

The area of Wentworth was proclaimed a municipality on 23 January 1879.^[2] The first Mayor was Mr. W. Gunn who held office from 1879 to 1880.^[3]

Current composition and election method

Wentworth Shire Council is composed of nine 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:^[4]

Party		Councillors
	Independents and Unaligned	9
	Total	9

The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election, is:^[4]

Councillor		Party	Notes
	Brian Wakefield	Unaligned
	Don McKinnon	Unaligned	Mayor[5]
	Bill Wheeldon	Unaligned
	Melisa Hederics	Unaligned	Deputy Mayor;[5] elected on Brian Wakefield's ticket
	Brad Clarke	Independent
	Ian Whitfield	Unaligned
	Peter Nunan	Unaligned	Elected on Don McKinnon's ticket
	Paul Cohrs	Independent
	Bob Wheeldon	Independent	Elected on Bill Wheeldon's ticket

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Wenthworth (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
2. "Wentworth History". Wentworth Shire Council. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
3. "Former Councillors of the Wentworth Shire". Wentworth Shire Council. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
4. "Wentworth 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 29 September 2012.
5. Piscioneri, Ben (5 October 2012). "Wentworth Shire ‘open for business,’ McKinnon vows". Mildura Weekly. Retrieved 10 December 2012.

External links

• Wentworth Shire Council home page