Bland Shire
| Bland Shire New South Wales | |||||||||||||
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 Location in New South Wales | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°56′S 147°15′E / 33.933°S 147.250°ECoordinates: 33°56′S 147°15′E / 33.933°S 147.250°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 6,407 (2009)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.7485/km2 (1.9386/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Area | 8,560 km2 (3,305.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Mayor | Neil Pokoney (Unaligned) | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | West Wyalong[2] | ||||||||||||
| Region | Central West | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Murrumbidgee | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | |||||||||||||
| Website | www.blandshire.nsw.gov.au | ||||||||||||
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Bland Shire is a local government area located on the boundary between the central west and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located adjacent to the Newell and Mid-Western highways.
The council's name honours William Bland.[3]
The largest town and council seat is West Wyalong. The region also includes the towns of Wyalong, Barmedman, Tallimba, Ungarie, Weethalle and Mirrool. The major economic activities of the Shire are agriculture, mining, transport, tourism and wholesale distribution.
The Mayor of Bland Shire Council is Cr. Neil Pokoney, who is unaligned with any political party.
Council
Current composition and election method
Bland 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 Monaghan | Unaligned | ||
| Liz McGlynn | Unaligned | Deputy Mayor[5] | |
| Kerry Keatley | Unaligned | ||
| Tony Lord | Unaligned | ||
| Neil Pokoney | Unaligned | Mayor[5] | |
| Peter Grellman | Unaligned | ||
| Robert Bland | Independent | ||
| Peter Templeton | Unaligned | ||
| Leanne Hampton | Independent | ||
Environment
Average annual rainfall is 482 millimetres (19.0 in). Average temperature are: maximum 23.3 °C (73.9 °F), minimum 9.5 °C (49.1 °F). Prevailing wind direction is: AM: north east; PM: south west, with predominantly calm conditions. Topography is generally undulating or flat, with the altitude ranging from 200 to 486 metres (656–1,594 ft). Main tree species include: kurrajong, cypress pine, mallee, box, ironbark, belah and wilga. Native fauna include: water fowl, red and grey kangaroos, echidnas, goannas, possums, bats and mallee fowls. Soil are predominantly clay with some granite soil and red brown earth, mostly neutral in pH. Native pasture plants include: wallaby grasses, Queensland blue grass and plains and wire grass.
History
The history of Bland Shire has, in part, been documented by West Wyalong Movies.
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (30 March 2010). "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008–09". Retrieved 3 June 2010.
- ↑ "Bland Shire Council". Division of Local Government. Retrieved 1 December 2006.
- ↑ Scascighini, Jonh. "West Wyalong". West Wyalong Town Crier. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Bland Shire Council: Summary of First Preference Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Neil Pokoney returned as Bland Shire Mayor" (PDF) (Press release). Bland Shire Council. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
External links
Media related to Bland Shire at Wikimedia Commons
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