# City of Blue Mountains

The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains, on the Great Dividing Range at the far western fringe of the Greater Sydney area. Major settlements include Katoomba, Lawson, Springwood, and Blaxland.
The mayor of Blue Mountains City Council is Councillor Mark Greenhill, a member of the Labor Party.

## Towns and villages in the local government area

The urban part of the city consists of a ribbon of close or contiguous towns which lie on the Main Western railway line, served by NSW TrainLink's Blue Mountains Line, and Great Western Highway between Emu Plains and Lithgow. About 70% of the city's area is within the Blue Mountains National Park which lies north and south of the ribbon of towns. The National Park is part of the much larger Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site and the city brands itself as "The City Within a World Heritage National Park". The towns and villages are generally grouped into lower, mid, and upper mountains. The economy of the upper mountains is dependent almost entirely on tourism. The road to Sydney, the Great Western Highway, is mostly dual carriageway but is relatively slow due to the urban development and hilly terrain. The electric train service integrates into Sydney Trains, Sydney's suburban rail network.
The main towns and villages in the City of Blue Mountains are:
* Bell
* Blackheath
* Blaxland
* Bullaburra
* Faulconbridge
* Glenbrook
* Hawkesbury Heights
* Hazelbrook
* Katoomba
* Lapstone
* Lawson
* Leura
* Linden
* Medlow Bath
* Mount Irvine
* Mount Riverview
* Mount Victoria
* Mount Wilson
* Springwood
* Sun Valley
* Valley Heights
* Warrimoo
* Wentworth Falls
* Winmalee
* Woodford
* Yellow Rock

## Demographics

Selected historical census data for the City of Blue Mountains local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 73,675 | 74,067 | 75,942 | 76,904 | 78,121 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | 28 | 27 | 31 | |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | 1.1% | 1.09% | 0.99% | 0.94% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.39% | 0.37% | 0.35% | 0.33% | 0.30% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | n/r | n/r | 30.1% | 30.5% | 44.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | n/r | n/r | 28.7% | 26.3% | 38.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | n/r | n/r | 10.2% | 11.1% | 16.0% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | n/r | n/r | 8.3% | 8.6% | 13.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | German | n/r | n/r | 3.2% | 3.3% | 4.8% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | German | n/r | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Spanish | n/r | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin | n/r | n/r | n/r | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | French | n/r | n/r | n/r | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion (excluding not stated) | 18.0% | 22.0% | 26.8% | 35.7% | 46.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 22.6% | 22.5% | 21.5% | 19.7% | 17.2% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 24.6% | 22.5% | 20.9% | 17.0% | 13.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Not stated | n/r | n/r | n/r | 8.4% | 4.9% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Christian (nfd) | n/r | n/r | n/r | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | n/r | $501 | $590 | $688 | $817 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | n/r | 107.5% | 102.2% | 103.9% | 101.4% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | n/r | $1,345 | $1,624 | $1,866 | $2,235 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | n/r | 114.9% | 109.6% | 107.6% | 105.4% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | n/r | $1,093 | $1,270 | $1,468 | $1,756 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | n/r | 106.4% | 102.9% | 102.1% | 100.5% |

## Council
### Current composition and election method

Blue Mountains City Council is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally as four 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 general election was held on 14 September 2024.
| Party | Councillors |
| Labor Party | 9 |
| The Greens | 2 |
| Independents | 1 |
| Total | 12 |
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes |
| First Ward | Sarah Redshaw | Greens | Elected 2021. |
| First Ward | Suzie van Opdorp | Labor | Elected 2021. |
| First Ward | Suzanne Jamieson | Labor | Elected 2024. |
| Second Ward | Romola Hollywood | Labor | Elected 2012. Deputy Mayor 2021–date. |
| Second Ward | Claire West | Labor | Elected 2021. |
| Second Ward | Brent Hoare | Greens | Elected 2016. |
| Third Ward | Daniel Myles | Independent | Elected 1999. Deputy Mayor 2004–2005. Mayor 2010–2013. |
| Third Ward | Darren Rodrigo | Labor | Elected 2024. |
| Third Ward | Mick Fell | Labor | Elected 2012. |
| Fourth Ward | Mark Greenhill | Labor | Elected 1999–2004, 2008–date. Deputy Mayor 2010–2012. Mayor 2013–date. |
| Fourth Ward | Nyree Fisher | Labor | Elected 2021. |
| Fourth Ward | Margaret Buckham | Labor | Elected 2024. |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Blue Mountains :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Labor | Labor | 29,052 | 63.9 | +14.7 | 9 | 3 |
| | Greens | Greens | 11,000 | 24.2 | +9.3 | 2 | |
| | Independents | Independents | 4,329 | 9.5 | −2.3 | 1 | |
| | Libertarian | Libertarian | 1,082 | 2.4 | | 0 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 45,463 | 90.0 | −6.5 | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 5,049 | 10.0 | +6.5 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 50,512 | | | | |

### 2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Blue Mountains :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Labor | Labor | 24,032 | 49.2 | +11.4 | 6 | 1 |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 11,750 | 24.1 | −1.1 | 3 | 1 |
| | Greens | Greens | 7,296 | 14.9 | −4.3 | 2 | |
| | Independent | Independent | 5,755 | 11.8 | −5.9 | 1 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 48,833 | 96.48 | | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,784 | 3.52 | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 50,617 | 100.00 | | | |

## Mayors

| # | Mayor | Mayor | Party | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| 1 | | William Freelander | Independent | 2 October 1947 | 7 December 1948 | 1 year, 66 days |
| 2 | | Frank Walford | Independent | 7 December 1948 | 12 December 1950 | 2 years, 5 days |
| 3 | | Percy Edward Galwey | Independent | 12 December 1950 | 5 December 1953 | 2 years, 358 days |
| 4 | | Aubrey Murphy | Independent | 15 December 1953 | December 1955 | 1 year, 351 days |
| – | | Frank Walford | Independent | December 1955 | December 1956 | 1 year, 0 days |
| – | | Aubrey Murphy | Independent | December 1956 | December 1959 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 5 | | Leslie Corne | Independent | December 1959 | December 1960 | 352 days |
| – | | Frank Walford | Independent | December 1960 | December 1961 | 1 year, 0 days |
| 6 | | Keith Bates | Independent | December 1961 | December 1966 | 4 years, 351 days |
| 7 | | Tom Hunter | Independent | December 1966 | December 1967 | 351 days |
| 8 | | Ern Lesslie | | December 1967 | December 1969 | 1 year, 351 days |
| 9 | | Jack Powell | | December 1969 | September 1971 | 1 year, 274 days |
| 10 | | Ian Dash | | September 1971 | September 1974 | 3 years, 0 days |
| – | | Ern Lesslie | | September 1974 | September 1976 | 2 years, 0 days |
| 11 | | William Lloyd | | September 1976 | September 1977 | 1 year, 0 days |
| – | | Ern Lesslie | | September 1977 | 19 December 1979 | 2 years, 109 days |
| – | John James Wickham (Administrator) | John James Wickham (Administrator) | John James Wickham (Administrator) | 19 December 1979 | December 1981 | 1 year, 347 days |
| 12 | | Peter Quirk | | December 1981 | September 1987 | 5 years, 274 days |
| 13 | | James C. Angel | | September 1987 | September 1988 | 1 year, 0 days |
| 14 | | Ralph Williams | | September 1988 | September 1991 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 15 | | Peter O'Toole | | September 1991 | February 1992 | 153 days |
| 16 | | Bob Clarke | | February 1992 | September 1994 | 2 years, 212 days |
| 17 | | Joy Anderson | | September 1994 | September 1995 | 1 year, 0 days |
| 18 | | Michael Neall | | September 1995 | September 1999 | 4 years, 0 days |
| 19 | | Jim Angel | Labor | September 1999 | 13 September 2008 | 9 years, 12 days |
| 20 | | Adam Searle | Labor | 30 September 2008 | 21 September 2010 | 1 year, 356 days |
| 21 | | Daniel Myles | Liberal | 21 September 2010 | 17 September 2013 | 2 years, 361 days |
| 22 | | Mark Greenhill | Labor | 17 September 2013 | Incumbent | 11 years, 102 days |

## Council services
### Cemeteries

The City of Blue Mountains Council maintains cemeteries at Blackheath, Faulconbridge, Katoomba, Lawson, Megalong Valley, Mount Irvine, Mount Victoria, Mount Wilson, Springwood, and Wentworth Falls.

### Libraries

Blue Mountains Library operates three full-time branches, three part-time branches and a service for train commuters at Springwood and Katoomba stations two days a week.

### Leisure centres

Blue Mountains Leisure Centres operate from five locations. All five locations have pools and the Katoomba and Springwood locations have gyms and offer various fitness classes.

## Heritage listings

The City of Blue Mountains has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register:
* Blue Mountains National Park: Blue Mountains walking tracks
* Blackheath, Main Western railway: Blackheath railway station
* Faulconbridge, 14-20 Norman Lindsay Crescent: Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum
* Glenbrook, Great Western Highway: Glenbrook railway residence
* Glenbrook, Great Western Highway: Glenbrook Tunnel
* Glenbrook, Mitchells Pass: Lennox Bridge, Glenbrook
* Katoomba, 10-14 Civic Place: Mount St Marys College and Convent
* Katoomba, Katoomba Street: Carrington Hotel
* Katoomba, 59-61 Katoomba Street: Katoomba Post Office
* Katoomba, 63-69 Katoomba Street: Paragon Cafe, Katoomba
* Katoomba, Main Western railway: Katoomba railway station
* Katoomba, 10-16 Panorama Drive: Lilianfels, Katoomba
* Lawson, Main Western railway: Lawson railway station
* Leura, 37 – 49 Everglades Avenue: Everglades, Leura
* Linden, 91 – 111 Glossop Road: Linden Observatory Complex
* Linden, off Railway Parade: Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Linden, Linden Precinct
* Medlow Bath, Beauchamp Road: Medlow Dam
* Medlow Bath, Great Western Highway: Medlow Bath railway station
* Mount Victoria, Main Western railway: Mount Victoria railway station
* Mount Victoria, Mount York Road (off): Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Mount York, Cox's Pass Precinct
* Mount Wilson, 68-78 The Avenue: Wynstay Estate
* Springwood, 345-347 Great Western Highway: Christ Church Anglican Church, Springwood
* Springwood, 39 Hawkesbury Road: Buckland Convalescent Home
* Springwood, Main Western railway: Springwood railway station
* Valley Heights, 110 and 112 Green Parade: Valley Heights railway gatehouse
* Valley Heights, Main Western railway: Valley Heights railway station
* Warragamba, Coxs River Arms: Coxs River track
* Wentworth Falls, 63-67 Falls Road: Davisville, Wentworth Falls
* Wentworth Falls, 1-15 Matcham Avenue: Weatherboard Inn archaelological site
* Woodford, 90-92 Great Western Highway: Woodford Academy
* Woodford, Old Bathurst Road: Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Woodford, Old Bathurst Road Precinct
* Woodford, The Appian Way (off): Cox's Road and Early Deviations - Woodford, Appian Way Precinct

## Sister cities

The City of Blue Mountains has sister city relationships with the following cities:
* Sanda, Hyōgo, Japan
* Flagstaff, Arizona, US