Local Government Areas of New South Wales

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Map of Local Government Areas in New South Wales

Types of LGAs in New South Wales

The Local Government Areas of New South Wales, Australia have been subject to periodic bouts of restructuring and rationalisation by the State Government, involving voluntary and involuntary amalgamation of areas. This list is therefore subject to being made obsolete from time to time and should not be relied upon.

There are four classifications of local government in New South Wales:

Cities (predominantly urban or suburban areas)
Municipalities (predominantly inner-city suburban areas and smaller rural towns)
Shires (predominantly rural or outer suburban areas) and;
Regions (newly formed councils covering a large region usually dominated by a rural city).

There are no practical differences between these types of local governments - the differences are only in name and reflect historical differences between the different types of local government prior to the enactment of the current law that regulates local government in the state of New South Wales, the Local Government Act 1993. Many councils now choose not to use any of the four classifications, and simply refer to themselves as councils, e.g. Booroowa Council, Burwood Council. ("Council" in Australian English can refer to the geographical jurisdiction of a local government, and not just the elected board that governs local affairs.)

As of November 2005 there are 152 Local Government Areas in New South Wales. These are listed below in alphabetical order. In addition, there is also the Unincorporated Far West Region which is not part of any Local Government Area, in the sparsely inhabited Far West.