# Camden Council (New South Wales)

Camden Council is a local government area in the Macarthur region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located south west of the Sydney central business district and comprises 201 square kilometres (78 sq mi) with an estimated population at the 2021 census of 119,325. The mayor of Camden is Cr. Ashleigh Cagney, a member of the Labor Party.

## Suburbs in the local government area

Suburbs serviced by Camden Council are:
* Bickley Vale
* Camden
* Camden South
* Catherine Field
* Cobbitty
* Currans Hill
* Elderslie
* Ellis Lane
* Gledswood Hills
* Grasmere
* Gregory Hills
* Harrington Park
* Kirkham
* Leppington
* Mount Annan
* Narellan
* Narellan Vale
* Oran Park
* Smeaton Grange
* Spring Farm

## Demographics

At the 2021 census there were 119,325 people in the Camden local government area, of these 49.1 per cent were male and 50.9 per cents were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.2 per cent of the population; similar to the NSW and Australian averages of 3.4 and 3.2 per cent respectively. The median age of people in the Camden Council area was 33 years, which is significantly lower than the national median of 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 25.3 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 9.9 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 54.0 per cent were married and 10.9 per cent were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the Camden Council area between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 13.35 per cent; in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 14.25 per cent. At the 2016 census, the population in the Camden local government area increased by 37.9 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same period, being 8.8 per cent, population growth in Camden local government area was in excess of four times the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Camden Council area was generally slightly higher than the national average.
At the 2021 census, the proportion of residents in the Camden local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon approached 70% of all residents. In excess of 58.0% of residents in the Camden Council area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2021 census, compared with the national average of 43.9%; and the proportion of residents with no religion was about half the national average. Meanwhile, as at the 2021 census date, compared to the national average, households in the Camden local government area had a slighter higher proportion (22.5 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 22.3 per cent); and had a similar proportion (74.0 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.0 per cent).
Selected historical census data for Camden local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 43,799 | 49,645 | 56,720 | 78,218 | 119,325 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | | 39th | 28th | 24th |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | | 0.82% | 1.05% | 1.48% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.23% | 0.25% | 0.26% | 0.33% | 0.47% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | A$566 | A$690 | A$821 | A$984 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 121.5% | 119.6% | 124.0% | 122.2% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$1,353 | A$1,865 | A$2,161 | A$2,487 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 131.7% | 125.9% | 124.6% | 117.3% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | A$1,465 | A$1,727 | A$2,047 | A$2,353 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 125.1% | 140.0% | 142.4% | 134.8% |
Selected historical census data for Camden local government area :
| Ancestry, top responses ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2001 | 2006 | 2006 | 2011 | 2011 | 2016 | 2016 | 2021 | 2021 |
| No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | Australian | 31.1% | Australian | 27.0% | Australian | 32.7% |
| No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | English | 27.2% | English | 25.1% | English | 28.9% |
| No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | Irish | 7.2% | Irish | 7.4% | Irish | 7.6% |
| No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | Scottish | 6.1% | Scottish | 6.0% | Italian | 7.4% |
| No Data | No Data | No Data | No Data | Italian | 4.6% | Italian | 5.0% | Scottish | 6.7% |
| Country of Birth, top responses ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2001 | 2006 | 2006 | 2011 | 2011 | 2016 | 2016 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Australia | 79.8% | Australia | 79.8% | Australia | 80.2% | Australia | 77.4% | Australia | 74.1% |
| England | 4.9% | England | 4.3% | England | 4.0% | England | 3.1% | India | 2.4% |
| New Zealand | 1.3% | New Zealand | 1.0% | New Zealand | 1.1% | New Zealand | 1.3% | England | 2.3% |
| Italy | 0.9% | Italy | 0.9% | Italy | 0.9% | India | 0.9% | New Zealand | 1.5% |
| Scotland | 0.9% | Scotland | 0.8% | Scotland | 0.8% | Philippines | 0.7% | Philippines | 1.3% |
| China | 0.5% | China | 0.5% | China | 0.5% | Fiji | 0.7% | Iraq | 1.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2001 | 2006 | 2006 | 2011 | 2011 | 2016 | 2016 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Italian | 1.7% | Italian | 1.6% | Italian | 1.5% | Arabic | 1.4% | Arabic | 2.3% |
| Spanish | 0.7% | Spanish | 0.8% | Spanish | 0.9% | Italian | 1.3% | Spanish | 1.6% |
| Cantonese | 0.7% | Arabic | 0.7% | Arabic | 0.8% | Spanish | 1.3% | Hindi | 1.5% |
| Arabic | 0.6% | Cantonese | 0.7% | Cantonese | 0.6% | Hindi | 0.9% | Punjabi | 1.1% |
| Maltese | 0.5% | Croatian | 0.5% | Maltese | 0.4% | Mandarin | 0.7% | Italian | 1.1% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2001 | 2006 | 2006 | 2011 | 2011 | 2016 | 2016 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Catholic | 33.5% | Catholic | 34.7% | Catholic | 35.4% | Catholic | 34.4% | Catholic | 31.7% |
| Anglican | 30.9% | Anglican | 29.1% | Anglican | 28.3% | Anglican | 21.4% | No Religion | 25.1% |
| No Religion | 9.6% | No Religion | 11.3% | No Religion | 12.9% | No Religion | 18.9% | Anglican | 13.9% |
| United Church | 4.8% | United Church | 4.0% | United Church | 3.5% | Not Stated | 6.6% | Islam | 4.8% |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 3.0% | Presbyterian and Reformed | 2.6% | Presbyterian and Reformed | 2.4% | Uniting Church | 2.4% | Not Stated | 4.3% |

## Council
### Current composition and election method

Camden Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing three councillors. 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 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Liberal Party | 4 |
| Labor | 3 |
| Independents | 2 |
| Total | 9 |
The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election by ward, is:
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Central Ward | Therese Fedeli | Liberal | Deputy Mayor |
| Central Ward | Ashleigh Cagney | Labor | Mayor |
| Central Ward | Peter McLean | Independent | |
| North Ward | Lara Symkowiak | Liberal | |
| North Ward | Cindy Cagney | Labor | |
| North Ward | Usha Dommaraju | Liberal | |
| South Ward | Eva Campbell | Independent | |
| South Ward | Paul Farrow | Labor | |
| South Ward | Russel Zammit | Liberal | |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Camden :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Labor | Labor | 20,054 | 29.7 | −3.3 | 3 | |
| | Libertarian | Libertarian | 16,448 | 24.3 | | 2 | 2 |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 8,378 | 12.4 | −31.6 | 1 | 3 |
| | Camden Community First | Camden Community First | 3,677 | 5.4 | | 0 | |
| | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 568 | 0.8 | +0.3 | 0 | |
| | Independents | Independents | 18,491 | 27.3 | +4.8 | 3 | 1 |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | | | | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | | | | | |

### 2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Camden :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 27,148 | 44.0 | +12.0 | 4 |
| | Labor | Labor | 20,351 | 33.0 | +8.0 | 3 |
| | Independent | Independent | 13,913 | 22.5 | −20.5 | 2 |
| | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 314 | 0.5 | +0.5 | 0 |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 61,726 | 94.58 | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 3,537 | 5.42 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 65,263 | 100.0 | | |

## Mayors from 1896 to Present

| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
| Prior to 1896 requires further research ||||||
| − | James Rankin | 23 October 1895 | 4 May 1896 (res) | 194 days | |
| − | W.C. Furner | 4 May 1896 | 14 February 1899 | 2 years, 286 days | |
| − | George Furner | 14 February 1899 | 13 February 1901 | 1 year, 364 days | |
| − | E.F. Druitt | 13 February 1901 | 12 February 1902 | 364 days | |
| − | George Macarthur Onslow | 12 February 1902 | 10 February 1904 | 1 year, 363 days | |
| − | A.D. Little | 10 February 1904 | 12 February 1906 | 2 years, 2 days | |
| − | George Macarthur Onslow | 12 February 1906 | 1 March 1907 | 1 year, 17 days | |
| − | George Furner | 1 March 1907 | 1 March 1909 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| − | George Macarthur Onslow | 1 March 1909 | 1 March 1910 | 1 year, 0 days | |
| − | George Furner | 1 March 1910 | 7 February 1911 (res) | 343 days | |
| − | George Furner (acting) | 7 February 1911 | 1 March 1911 | 22 days | |
| − | Thomas Sheil | 1 March 1911 | 1 March 1913 | 2 years, 0 days | |
| − | R.E. Young | 1 March 1913 | 19 January 1915 (ret) | 1 year, 324 days | |
| − | George Furner | 19 January 1915 | 10 July 1917 | 2 years, 172 days | |
| − | W.F. Peters | 10 July 1917 | 1 March 1918 | 234 days | |
| − | George Furner | 1 March 1918 | 15 December 1925 | 7 years, 289 days | |
| − | Francis Macarthur Onslow | 15 December 1925 | 11 December 1928 | 2 years, 362 days | |
| − | William Larkin | 11 December 1928 | 12 December 1932 | 4 years, 1 day | |
| − | Robert Crookston | 12 December 1932 | 11 December 1933 | 364 days | |
| − | William Larkin | 11 December 1933 | 19 December 1938 | 5 years, 8 days | |
| − | Horace (Stan) Kelloway | 19 December 1938 | 14 December 1954 | 15 years, 360 days | |
| − | William Cruikshank | 14 December 1954 | Unknown | 1 year, 0 days | |
| 1955 - 1985 requires further research ||||||
| − | Elizabeth (Liz) Kernohan | 1980 | 1981 | 1 year, 0 days | |
| − | Elizabeth (Liz) Kernohan | 1985 | 1991 | 6 years, 0 days | |
| − | Theresa Testoni | 1991 | 27 September 1993 | 2 years, 26 days | * |
| – | Frank Brooking | 27 September 1993 | 1997 | 3 years, 339 days | * |
| – | Geoff Corrigan | 1998 | 1999 | 1 year, 0 days | * |
| – | Eva Campbell | 1999 | 2001 | 2 years, 0 days | * |
| – | Geoff Corrigan | 2001 | 2003 | 2 years, 0 days | * |
| - | Unknown | Approx 2003 | September 2006 | 3 years, 0 days | * |
| 30 | Chris Patterson | September 2006 | 14 June 2011 | 4 years, 286 days | * |
| *Above requires further research ||||||
| 31 | Greg Warren | 14 June 2011 | 9 October 2012 | 1 year, 12 days | |
| 32 | Lara Symkowiak | 9 October 2012 | 11 September 2018 | 5 years, 337 days | |
| 33 | Peter Sidgreaves | 11 September 2018 | 23 April 2019 | 224 days | |
| 34 | Therese Fedeli | 23 April 2019 | 9 May 2023 | 4 years, 16 days | |
| 35 | Ashleigh Cagney | 9 May 2023 | Present | 1 year, 181 days | |

## Development

In Camden Council area there were 2,168 residential buildings approved to be built in the financial year 2021–22. Being a significant part of the South-Western Sydney Growth Area, Camden Council represents a rapidly growing region which is expected to house a large portion of Sydney's population growth over the coming decade. To the north are residential developments including Oran Park (8,000 homes) and Gregory Hills (2,600 homes), whilst to the south are further developments of the Elderslie estate.
A Muslim group, the Quranic Society, made a development application in the Camden area for an A$19 million Muslim school with the capacity for 1,200 students. In May 2008 the Council voted unanimously to reject the application. After reducing its proposal to a school catering for 900 students, the Quranic Society took its case to the Land and Environment Court. The application was met with significant community protest; and the application rejected by the Court on the grounds that the land chosen was suited to rural uses.

## Heritage listings

The Camden Council has a number of heritage sites, including:
* Camden, 135 Argyle Street: Camden Post Office
* Camden, Aerodrome Road, Cobbitty: Macquarie Grove
* Camden, Exeter Street: Nant Gwylan and Garden
* Camden South, Elizabeth Macarthur Avenue: Camden Park Estate and Belgenny Farm
* Catherine Field, 1025 Camden Valley Way: Raby, Catherine Field
* Cobbitty, 421 The Northern Road: Denbigh, Cobbitty
* Gledswood Hills, 900 Camden Valley Way: Gledswood
* Harrington Park, 1 Hickson Circuit: Harrington Park (homestead)
* Harrington Park, 181 – 183 Northern Road: Orielton
* Narellan, Camden Valley Way: Studley Park, Narellan
* Narellan, Kirkham Lane: Camelot, Kirkham
* Narellan, Kirkham Lane: Kirkham Stables
* Oran Park, 112-130 Oran Park Drive: Oran Park (homestead)