City of Shoalhaven

"Shoalhaven" redirects here. For the river, see Shoalhaven River.
City of Shoalhaven
New South Wales

Location in NSW
Coordinates 35°07′S 150°30′E / 35.117°S 150.500°ECoordinates: 35°07′S 150°30′E / 35.117°S 150.500°E
Population 97,694 (2013 est)[1]
 • Density 21.3913/km2 (55.403/sq mi)
Area 4,567 km2 (1,763.3 sq mi)
Mayor Joanna Gash
Council seat Nowra[2]
Region Illawarra - South Coast
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s) Gilmore
Website City of Shoalhaven
LGAs around City of Shoalhaven:
Goulburn Mulwaree Wingecarribee Kiama
Goulburn Mulwaree City of Shoalhaven Tasman Sea
Palerang Eurobodalla Tasman Sea

The City of Shoalhaven is a local government area in the south-eastern coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Sydney. The area is located adjacent to the Tasman Sea. The Princes Highway passes through the area and the South Coast railway line traverses the northern section of the area and terminates at Bomaderry. At June 2012, the population of City of Shoalhaven was 96,927.[3]

The Mayor of Shoalhaven City Council is Cr. Joanna Gash, who is a member of the Liberal Party, however, was elected as mayor as an independent politician.

History

The Shoalhaven region in New South Wales is the southern part of the traditional homelands of the Tharawal people.[4]

George Bass explored the area in 1797, following Seven Mile Beach. He crossed the shoals at the entrance to the river, calling it 'Shoals Haven' due to the shallowness of the river mouth. This river is now known as the Crookhaven,[5] but the name was adopted for the Shoalhaven area and the Shoalhaven River.

Towns and localities

A large part of Shoalhaven can be seen from the Drawing Room Rocks area in Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. Mount Coolangatta is in the centre, with Jervis Bay in background and Berry in the right front

Shoalhaven, although designated a city, is a dispersed region spread over 125 kilometres (78 mi) of coastline, with the vast majority of its population located in the north-east around Nowra, Jervis Bay and Sussex Inlet.

It includes the following towns, suburbs and localities:

Nowra suburbs
  • Bangalee
  • Bomaderry
  • Cambewarra
  • Cambewarra Village
  • Mundamia
  • North Nowra
  • Nowra East
  • Nowra Hill
  • South Nowra
  • Tapitallee
  • Terara
  • West Nowra
  • Worrigee
Suburbs near Jervis Bay
Sussex Inlet
  • Berrara
  • Cudmirrah
  • Swanhaven
Ulladulla
North of Shoalhaven River
South of Shoalhaven River
Far South

Council

Current composition and election method

Shoalhaven City Council is composed of thirteen Councillors, including the Mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is directly elected while the twelve other Councillors are elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing four Councillors. The most recent election was held on 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the Council, including the Mayor, is as follows:[6][7][8][9][10]

PartyCouncillors
  Team Gash 8
  Shoal Independents 3
  Independents 1
  Greens 1
Total 13

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

WardCouncillorPartyNotes
Mayor[6]   Joanna Gash Team Gash
Ward One[7]   John Wells Team Gash
  Lynette Kearney Team Gash Elected on John Wells' ticket
  Andrew Guile Independent
  James McCrudden Shoal Independents
Ward Two[8]   Gemma Tribe Team Gash Elected on Joanna Gash's ticket
  Clive Robertson Team Gash Elected on Joanna Gash's ticket
  Karen Anstiss Team Gash Elected on Joanna Gash's ticket
  Greg Watson Shoal Independents
Ward Three[9]   Allan Baptist Team Gash
  Mark Kitchener Shoal Independents
  Patricia White Team Gash Elected on Allan Baptist's ticket
  Amanda Findley Greens

Tourism

The Shoalhaven can be reached from Sydney by car via the Princes Highway and by rail via the South Coast Line which terminates just north of Nowra in Bomaderry. The Shoalhaven is adjacent to the well known Jervis Bay area. The area is approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) long along the coastline, including 109 beaches, which allegedly possesses the whitest sand in the world, as well as pristine natural Australian bushland. The Shoalhaven area is home to numerous species of native Australian flora and fauna.[11]

Culture

The area is well known for its strong commitment to the arts and music, featuring the See Change and See Celebrations festivals in the Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin areas, as well as the EscapeArtfest festival and Blessing of the Fleet in the Ulladulla area.[12]

See also

References

  1. "3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia. Table 1. Estimated Resident Population, Local Government Areas, New South Wales". 3 April 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  2. "Shoalhaven City Council". Department of Local Government. Retrieved 2006-11-26.
  3. "3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2014. Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 2012.
  4. Tindale Tribes, Tharawal
  5. "Nowra Police Station". NSW Police Regions and History. Retrieved on 2008-04-29
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Mayor Tally Sheet" (PDF). Shoalhaven City Council Election 2012. Australian Election Company. September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Final Result in Order of Standing: Ward One" (PDF). Shoalhaven City Council Election 2012. Australian Election Company. 19 September 2012. p. 25. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Final Result in Order of Standing: Ward Two" (PDF). Shoalhaven City Council Election 2012. Australian Election Company. 19 September 2012. p. 25. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Final Result in Order of Standing: Ward Three" (PDF). Shoalhaven City Council Election 2012. Australian Election Company. 19 September 2012. p. 21. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  10. Arnold, Alex (21 September 2012). "Team Gash to control Shoalhaven council". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  11. "Jervis Bay & Shoalhaven". Visit NSW. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  12. "Arts in Shoalhaven". Geoff Bolton. October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.