# City of Onkaparinga

The City of Onkaparinga (/ˌɒŋkəpəˈrɪŋɡə/) is a local government area (LGA) located on the southern fringe of Adelaide, South Australia. It is named after the Onkaparinga River, whose name comes from Ngangkiparinga, a Kaurna word meaning women's river. It is the largest LGA in South Australia, with a population of over 170,000 people in both urban and rural communities and is also geographically expansive, encompassing an area of 518.3 km$^2$. The council is headquartered in the Noarlunga Centre with area offices situated in Aberfoyle Park, Woodcroft and Willunga.

## History

The council was formed on 1 July 1997 as the City of Happy Valley, Noarlunga and Willunga from the amalgamation of the former City of Happy Valley and City of Noarlunga with part of the District Council of Willunga. It adopted the City of Onkaparinga name from 22 December 1997.

### Mayors

* 1997–2006: Ray Gilbert
* 2006–2018: Lorraine Rosenberg
* 2018–2022: Erin Thompson
* 2022 (acting): Simon McMahon
* 2022–present: Moira Were

## Culture

The South Australian Writers' Centre and the City of Onkaparinga co-hosted the biennial South Australian Writers' Festival (2001–2011), renamed the South Australian Readers' and Writers' Festival from 2013 to 2015.

## Demographics

Selected historical census data for Onkaparinga local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 143,143 | 144,407 | 159,576 | 166,766 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within South Australia | | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Population | Population | % of South Australia population | 9.81% | 9.54% | 10.00% | 9.95% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.76% | 0.73% | 0.74% | 0.71% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 35.4% | 34.9% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 28.9% | 27.4% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | | | 6.8% | 7.0% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 5.8% | 6.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | German | | | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Polish | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | German | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Greek | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Dutch | 0.43% | 0.3% | | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Arabic | | | 0.3% | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin | | | | 0.5% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | 25.5% | 29.6% | 34.5% | 43.1% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 17.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% | 11.6% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 16.2% | 15.6% | 15.5% | 13.9% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Uniting | 10.3% | 9.2% | 8.4% | 6.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Lutheran | 3.1% | 3.0% | | |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | A$439 | A$542 | A$593 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 98.4% | 93.9% | 95.3% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$1088 | A$1311 | A$1448 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 92.9% | 88.5% | 83.5% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | A$922 | A$1080 | A$1194 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 89.8% | 87.5% | 83.0% |

## Governance

The council meets at the chambers in Noarlunga Centre on Hannah Road once a month on a Tuesday at 6.30pm.
The City of Onkaparinga has 13 elected members (including the mayor). The city is divided into six electoral wards, with two councillors representing each. The mayor is elected at large by all electors.
The current council was elected in 2022 for a four-year term.
| Ward | Party | Councillor |
| Mayor | | Moira Were AM |
| Knox | Liberal | Cr Heidi Greaves |
| Knox | | Cr Colt Stafford |
| Mid Coast | | Cr Dan Platten (Deputy Mayor) |
| Mid Coast | | Cr Gretel Wilkes |
| Pimpala | | Cr Kim Davis |
| Pimpala | | Cr Michael Fisher |
| South Coast | | Cr Lauren Jew |
| South Coast | | Cr Paul Yeomans |
| Southern Vales Coast | | Cr Marisa Bell |
| Southern Vales Coast | | Cr Jordan Pritchard |
| Thalassa | | Cr Geoff Eaton |
| Thalassa | Liberal | Cr Marion Themeliotis |

## Suburbs

* Aberfoyle Park - 5159
* Aldinga - 5173
* Aldinga Beach – 5173
* Blewitt Springs - 5171
* Chandlers Hill - 5159
* Cherry Gardens - 5157
* Christie Downs - 5164
* Christies Beach - 5165
* Clarendon – 5157
* Coromandel East - 5157
* Coromandel Valley - 5051
* Darlington - 5047
* Dorset Vale - 5157
* Flagstaff Hill - 5159
* Hackham - 5163
* Hackham West - 5163
* Happy Valley - 5159
* Huntfield Heights - 5163
* Ironbank - 5153
* Kangarilla - 5157
* Kuitpo (part) - 5201
* Lonsdale - 5160
* Maslin Beach - 5170
* McLaren Flat - 5171
* McLaren Vale - 5171
* Moana - 5169
* Morphett Vale – 5162
* Noarlunga Centre - 5168
* Noarlunga Downs - 5168
* O'Halloran Hill - 5158
* O'Sullivan Beach - 5166
* Old Noarlunga - 5168
* Old Reynella - 5161
* Onkaparinga Heights - 5163
* Onkaparinga Hills - 5163
* Port Noarlunga – 5167
* Port Noarlunga South - 5167
* Port Willunga - 5173
* Reynella - 5161
* Reynella East - 5161
* Seaford - 5169
* Seaford Heights - 5169
* Seaford Meadows - 5169
* Seaford Rise - 5169
* Sellicks Beach - 5174
* Sellicks Hill - 5174
* Tatachilla - 5171
* The Range - 5172
* Whites Valley - 5172
* Willunga - 5172
* Willunga South - 5172
* Woodcroft – 5162
That is, postcodes 5047, 5051, 5153, and 5157–74 (inclusive).

## Freedom of the City

The Freedom of the City is reserved for military units which have, through their command, a significant attachment to the City of Onkaparinga. Freedom of the City is the highest honour the City can confer on a military unit.

### Recipients

Three military units have been awarded Freedom of the City:
* 1998 - 40th Regional Cadet Unit Noarlunga
* 2004 - Squadron 605 Australian Air Force Cadets and Australian Navy Cadets TS Noarlunga
* 2016 - 619 Squadron, Australian Air Force Cadets

## Key to the City

The Key to the City recognises exceptional, outstanding achievement and is Council’s most prestigious award. The award acknowledges the outstanding contribution of an individual or organisation in furthering the ideals of the city or to recognise outstanding achievement.

### Recipients

* 1998 - Dr Andrew "Andy" Sydney Withiel Thomas AO
* 2006 - Mayor Ray Gilbert OAM JP & Edith Gilbert JP
* 2019 - Richard "Richie" Julian Porte