# Bellingen Shire

Bellingen Shire is a local government area in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The shire is located adjacent to the Pacific Highway, Waterfall Way and the North Coast railway line.
The mayor of the Bellingen Shire is Cr. Steve Allan, an independent.

## Towns and localities

Towns and localities in the Bellingen Shire are:
* Bellingen
* Bostobrick
* Brierfield
* Cascade
* Darkwood
* Deer Vale
* Dorrigo
* Fernmount
* Gleniffer
* Hydes Creek
* Leigh
* Megan
* Mylestom
* Orama
* Raleigh
* Repton
* Tarkeeth
* Thora
* Urunga
* Valery

## Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 12,518 people in the Bellingen local government area, of these 48.5 per cent were male and 51.5 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.0 per cent of the population which is higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Bellingen Shire was 46 years; some 10 years higher than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 19.5 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 19.9 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 46.1 per cent were married and 17.4 per cent were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the Bellingen Shire between the 2001 census, 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 respectively, population growth in the Bellingen local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Bellingen Shire was significantly below the national average, being one of the factors that place the Bellingen Shire in an area of social disadvantage.
At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Bellingen local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Celtic exceeded 82 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 69 per cent of all residents in the Bellingen Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was significantly above the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Bellingen local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (4.7 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (94.1 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).
Selected historical census data for Bellingen local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 12,171 | 12,416 | 12,518 | 12,668 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | | 85th | 84th |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | | 0.18% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.06% | 0.06% | 0.06% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 32.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 31.5% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 10.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | | | 8.7% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | German | | | 3.4% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | German | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Dutch | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Spanish | n/c | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | French | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Cantonese | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No Religion | 20.5% | 26.0% | 31.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 26.8% | 24.9% | 23.4% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 18.0% | 17.4% | 16.1% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Uniting Church | 9.1% | 7.7% | 6.8% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Presbyterian and Reformed | 3.4% | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | A$336 | A$416 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 72.1% | 72.1% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$622 | A$938 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 60.6% | 63.3% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | A$777 | A$787 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 66.4% | 63.8% |

## Council

Bellingen Shire Council is composed of seven councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is directly elected while the six other councillors are elected proportionally as one entire ward. The most recent election was held on 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Waterfall Way Independents | 3 |
| The Greens | 2 |
| Independents | 1 |
| Stephen Glyde Group | 1 |
| Total | 7 |
The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:
| Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Steve Allan | Waterfall Way Independents | Mayor |
| Dominic King | Greens | |
| Jo Brotherton | Waterfall Way Independents | |
| Ellie Tree | Waterfall Way Independents | |
| Joanne Cook | Independent | Deputy mayor |
| Stephen Glyde | Stephen Glyde Group | |
| Jennie Fenton | Greens | |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Bellingen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Waterfall Way Inds | 1. Steve Allan 2. Eleanor Tree (elected 1) 3. Jo Brotherton (elected 3) 4. Andrew O'Keefe (elected 6) 5. Linda Coomber 6. Steve Ryan | 4,342 | 53.6 | +19.8 |
| | Greens | 1. Dominic King (elected 2) 2. Jennie Fenton (elected 4) 3. Gary Fry 4. Wendy Firefly | 2,481 | 30.6 | +4.7 |
| | Community First | 1. Graeme Shephard (elected 5) 2. Joanne Cook 3. Cathryn McGuire 4. Stephen Glyde | 1,273 | 15.7 | +1.7 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 8,096 | 95.3 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 404 | 4.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,500 | 81.5 | |

### 2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Bellingen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Waterfall Way Inds | 1. Steve Allan 2. Jo Brotherton 3. Eleanor Tree 4. Lee Grundy 5. Janette Fairleigh 6. Steve Ryan | 2,800 | 33.9 | +33.9 |
| | Greens | 1. Dominic King 2. Jennie Fenton 3. Alison Heeley 4. Toni Wright-Turner | 2,145 | 25.9 | −2.5 |
| | Team Joanne Cook | 1. Joanne Cook 2. Graeme Shephard 3. Tabitha Vanzanten 4. Christopher Shirley 5. Philip Kennedy | 1,163 | 14.1 | |
| | Stephen Glyde Group | 1. Stephen Glyde 2. Vanessa Machon 3. James Anderson | 990 | 12.0 | |
| | Labor | 1. Andrew Woodward 2. Paul Hemphill 3. Paul Mulally 4. Danielle Matignier-Babb | 838 | 10.1 | |
| | Independent | 1. Steve Klipin 2. Boaz Keeda 3. Robin Ashley | 334 | 4.0 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 8,270 | 95.9 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 352 | 4.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,622 | 83.8 | |