# Glen Innes Severn

Glen Innes Severn is a local government area in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The council serves an area of 5,487 square kilometres (2,119 sq mi) and is located adjacent to the New England Highway. The council was formed by the amalgamation of Severn Shire and Glen Innes City Council.

## Main towns and villages

The council area includes the town of Glen Innes and villages including Emmaville, Deepwater, Wellingrove, Glencoe, Stonehenge and Red Range and several hamlets including Diehard, Gibraltar Range, Kingsgate and Wellington Vale.

## Heritage listings

The Glenn Innes Servern has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* High Conservation Value Old Growth forest

## Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 8,656 people in the Glen Innes Severn local government area, of these 49.5 per cent were male and 50.5 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.6 per cent of the population which is approximately double both the national and state averages. The median age of people in the Glen Innes Severn Council area was 46 years; nearly ten years higher than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.1 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 22.0 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 48.7 per cent were married and 14.1 per cent were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the Glen Innes Severn Council area between the 2001 census, the 2006 census, and the 2011 census was marginal. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent for each five–year period respectively, population growth in the Glen Innes Severn local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Glen Innes Severn Council area was below the national average.
At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Glen Innes Severn local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 92 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 69 per cent of all residents in the Glen Innes Severn Council area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Glen Innes Severn local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.7 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (93 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).
Selected historical census data for Glen Innes Severn local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on Census night | 8,488 | 8,780 | 8,656 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | 103rd | 96th |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | | 0.13% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 34.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 31.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 9.8% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | | | 9.4% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | German | | | 3.9% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Dutch | n/c | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | German | n/c | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Finnish | n/c | n/c | 0.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin | n/c | n/c | 0.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Japanese | n/c | n/c | 0.1% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | n/c | 37.3% | 35.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | n/c | 22.3% | 21.8% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | n/c | 10.4% | 14.0% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Uniting Church | n/c | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Presbyterian and Reformed | n/c | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | A$337 | A$395 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 72.3% | 68.5% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$765 | A$915 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 65.3% | 61.8% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | A$613 | A$734 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 59.7% | 59.5% |

## Council
### Current composition and election method

Glen Innes Severn Council is composed of seven councillors elected proportionally as a single ward. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The councillors elect the mayor at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held in September 2024, and the makeup of the council is as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Independents and unaligned | 6 |
| The Greens | 1 |
| Total | 7 |
The Council elected in 2024, in order of election, is:
| Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Rob Banham | Independent | |
| Troy Arandale | Independent | |
| Tim Alt | Independent | |
| Carol Sparks | The Greens | Deputy Mayor |
| Margot Davis | Independent National | Mayor |
| Max Elphick | Independent | |
| Andrew Parsons | Independent | |
Councillor Rob Banham announced his resignation after the first council meeting from the Glen Innes Severn Council, effective immediately, citing concerns about leadership and a breach of the Council's core values (respect, integrity, courage, honesty, and transparency).
Mr. Banham criticised the current councillors for failing to prioritise the community's needs. "Despite the clear support from the community for our leadership, many of the current councillors have not prioritised the best interests of the community in their decision-making. This lack of alignment between community sentiment and Councillors' actions is troubling," he said.

### Previous composition and election method

This election took place in December 2021, and the council makeup was as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Independents and unaligned | 6 |
| The Greens | 1 |
| Total | 7 |
The Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:
| Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Rob Banham | Independent | Mayor |
| Troy Arandale | Independent | Deputy Mayor |
| Tim Alt | Independent | |
| Lara Gresham | Independent | |
| Carol Sparks | The Greens | |
| Jack Parry | Independent | |
| Andrew Parsons | Independent | |

## Election results
### 2024 Glen Innes Severn Shire - Preferences Results

The following are the results based on the preferences from the Preference Data File
| | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote | Preference Vote |
| Candidate | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| BANHAM Rob | 1555 | 720 | 542 | 462 | 132 | 91 | 71 | 68 | 64 | 71 |
| ARANDALE Troy | 822 | 1272 | 706 | 567 | 131 | 80 | 67 | 59 | 77 | 107 |
| ALT Timothy | 760 | 777 | 746 | 602 | 222 | 135 | 106 | 76 | 53 | 29 |
| SPARKS Carol | 559 | 321 | 303 | 288 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 108 | 174 | 315 |
| DAVIS Margot | 444 | 482 | 519 | 645 | 167 | 150 | 177 | 102 | 73 | 93 |
| ELPHICK Max | 400 | 441 | 611 | 642 | 218 | 182 | 120 | 113 | 55 | 23 |
| PARSONS Andrew | 352 | 618 | 710 | 718 | 205 | 141 | 135 | 89 | 94 | 61 |
| SCOTT David | 239 | 334 | 522 | 751 | 206 | 195 | 188 | 93 | 88 | 41 |
| WEATHERALL Elena | 162 | 319 | 591 | 463 | 155 | 131 | 146 | 182 | 146 | 80 |
| VOSPER Anne | 251 | 256 | 287 | 397 | 107 | 124 | 127 | 167 | 204 | 146 |
2024 New South Wales local elections: Glen Innes Severn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Rob Banham (elected 1) | 1,555 | 28.0 | +8.6 |
| | Independent | Troy Arandale (elected 2) | 822 | 14.8 | +3.2 |
| | Independent | Timothy Alt (elected 3) | 760 | 14.7 | +3.6 |
| | Greens | Carol Sparks (elected 4) | 559 | 10.1 | −1.5 |
| | Independent National | Margot Davis (elected 5) | 444 | 8.0 | +8.0 |
| | Independent | Max Elphick (elected 6) | 400 | 7.2 | +7.2 |
| | Independent | Andrew Parsons (elected 7) | 352 | 6.3 | +0.6 |
| | Independent | Anne Vosper | 251 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| | Independent National | David Scott | 239 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| | Independent | Elena Weatherall | 162 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,544 | 94.8 | −2.4 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 302 | 5.2 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,846 | 86.5 | −3.9 |

### 2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Glen Innes Severn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Rob Banham (elected) | 1,066 | 19.4 | |
| | Greens | Carol Sparks (elected) | 638 | 11.6 | +2.7 |
| | Independent | Troy Arandale (elected) | 637 | 11.6 | |
| | Independent | Timothy Alt (elected) | 612 | 11.1 | |
| | Independent | Jack Parry (elected) | 534 | 9.7 | |
| | Independent | Lara Gresham (elected) | 389 | 7.1 | |
| | Independent | Andrew Parsons (elected) | 311 | 5.7 | |
| | Independent | Jeff Smith | 298 | 5.4 | |
| | Independent | Benjamin Thorpe | 223 | 4.1 | |
| | Independent | Richard Moon | 207 | 3.8 | |
| | Independent | Dianne Newman | 177 | 3.2 | |
| | Independent | Sheryn Nourse | 177 | 3.2 | |
| | Independent | Rosemary Curtis | 173 | 3.1 | |
| | Independent | David Renn | 54 | 1.0 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 5,496 | 97.2 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 161 | 2.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,657 | 90.4 | |

## Past councillors
### 2016−present

| Year | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor |
| 2016 | | Steve Toms (Ind.) | | Andrew Parsons (Ind.) | | Colin Price (Ind.) | | Dianne Newman (Ind.) | | Carol Sparks (Greens) | | Jeff Smith (Ind.) | | Glenn Frendon (Ind.) |
| 2021 | | Rob Banham (Ind.) | | Andrew Parsons (Ind.) | | Troy Arandale (Ind.) | | Timothy Alt (Ind.) | | Carol Sparks (Greens) | | Jack Parry (Ind.) | | Lara Gresham (Ind.) |