City of Penrith

City of Penrith
New South Wales

Population: 184,611(2009)[1]
• Density: 446/km² (1,155.1/sq mi)
Established: 1871
Area: 404.9 km² (156.3 sq mi)
Mayor: Kevin Crameri
Council Seat: Penrith
Region: Metropolitan Sydney
State District: Penrith, Londonderry, Mulgoa, Smithfield
Federal Division: Lindsay, McMahon, Fowler
Website: http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au
LGAs around City of Penrith:
Hawkesbury Hawkesbury Hawkesbury
Blue Mountains City of Penrith Blacktown
Wollondilly Liverpool Fairfield

The City of Penrith is a Local Government Area in Sydney, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Sydney's central business district.

Contents

History

The Municipality of Penrith was incorporated on 12 May 1871 under the Municipalities Act 1858. On 3 March 1890, St Marys was separately incorporated, and on 26 July 1893 and 9 September 1895, Mulgoa and Castlereagh followed respectively. In 1913, Mulgoa became the "A" Riding of the neighbouring Nepean Shire.[2]

On 1 January 1949, the Municipalities of Penrith, St Marys and Castlereagh and part of the Nepean Shire amalgamated to form a new Municipality of Penrith. It was declared a City on 21 October 1959, and expanded westwards to include Emu Plains and Emu Heights, formerly part of the City of Blue Mountains, on 25 October 1963.[2]

Demographics

The City of Penrith's overall medians on the key measures of advantage/disadvantage, unemployment and income vary little from metropolitan Sydney's median. The 2006 SEIFA index was 999.4 for the City overall, whilst the median individual and household incomes ($517 and $1,147 respectively) are almost the same as metropolitan Sydney's ($518 and $1,166). However, the median age of the City's residents was 32 compared to 35 in metropolitan Sydney, and more Penrith residents by proportion had TAFE certificates (55.8% vs 40.1%), whilst less held bachelor or higher degrees (18.4% vs 35.0%).[3][4]

At census district level, the SEIFA scores in Penrith ranged from 769 (2nd percentile) to 1167 (96th percentile). The lowest scores were in St Marys in the east whilst the highest were in Glenmore Park and Orchard Hills in the south.[5]

Suburbs and localities

Wards and structure

The City is divided into three wards, each electing five councillors. The mayor is not directly elected.[6]

Current council

The current makeup of the council is as follows:[6]

Party Councillors
  Australian Labor Party 6
  Liberal Party of Australia 5
  Independents 4
Total 15

The current council, elected in 2008, is:[6]

Ward Councillor Party Notes
East Ward   Greg Davies Labor
  Tanya Davies Liberal
  Jackie Greenow Independent
  Kaylene Allison Labor
  Marko Malkoc Independent
North Ward   Ross Fowler Liberal Deputy Mayor
  John Thain Labor
  Kevin Crameri Independent Mayor
  Ben Goldfinch Liberal
  Kath Presdee Labor
South Ward   Mark Davies Liberal
  Karen McKeown Labor
  Jim Aitken Independent
  Robert Ardill Liberal
  Prue Guillaume Labor

Sister cities

Since it signed its first agreement with Fujieda, Japan in 1984, Penrith City has gradually expanded its sister cities and international links programme. Presently Penrith has links with:

The partnerships enable educational, business and cultural links between the cities.

Media

The City of Penrith has three major newspapers (Western Weekender, Penrith Star and Penrith Press) and three radio stations (VINTAGE 87.6 FM, FUSION 87.8 FM and Cool Country 2KA). A fourth newspaper, Nepean News, bulk drops in the area. Other publications produced locally include Family Life and In Nepean.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (30 March 2010). "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008–09". http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3218.0Main%20Features42008-09?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2008-09&num=&view=. Retrieved 3 June 2010. 
  2. ^ a b Penrith City Council (25 May 2009). "History of Local Government development in the Penrith and Surrounding Districts". http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/index.asp?id=1743. Retrieved 12 November 2009. 
  3. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Penrith (C) (Local Government Area)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=LGA16350&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 12 November 2009. 
  4. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Sydney (Major Statistical Region)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=11&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 12 November 2009. 
  5. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 March 2009). "2033.0.55.001 - Census of Population and Housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia - Data only, 2006". http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2033.0.55.001/. Retrieved 12 November 2009. 
  6. ^ a b c "Penrith City Council". 2008 Election results. Electoral Commission NSW. http://www.lg.elections.nsw.gov.au/LGE2008/result.Penrith.html. Retrieved 2009-08-03. 

External links

Regions of Sydney
Suburbs of the City of Penrith | Western Sydney | Sydney