# Clarence Valley Council

Clarence Valley Council is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia.
The council services an area of 10,441 square kilometres (4,031 sq mi) and draws its name from the Clarence River, which flows through most of the council area. The area under management is adjacent to the Pacific Highway, the Gwydir Highway and the North Coast railway line. The Clarence Valley region includes the coastal plain and lower valleys of the Clarence and Nymboida river. Most of the valley is agricultural; however, the oceanside towns of Yamba and Iluka are popular holiday resorts.
The council was formed in February 2004 by the merger of the City of Grafton and Maclean Shire, and parts of Copmanhurst, Pristine Waters and Richmond Valley local government areas, and the activities of North Coast Water and Clarence River County Council.
The mayor of Clarence Valley Council is Ray Smith. The Deputy Mayor is Greg Clancy.

## Towns and localities

Towns and localities in the Clarence Valley Council are:
* Alice
* Alumy Creek
* Angourie
* Ashby
* Ashby Heights
* Ashby Island
* Banyabba,
* Barretts Creek,
* Baryulgil
* Billys Creek
* Blaxlands Creek
* Braunstone
* Brooms Head
* Brushgrove
* Buccarumbi
* Bulldog
* Calamia
* Calliope
* Cangai
* Carnham
* Carrs Creek
* Carrs Island
* Carrs Peninsula
* Chambigne
* Chatsworth
* Clarenza
* Clifden
* Coaldale
* Coldstream
* Coombadjha
* Coongbar
* Copmanhurst
* Coutts Crossing
* Cowper
* Dalmorton
* Deep Creek (Clarence Valley)
* Deep Creek (Kyogle)
* Diggers Camp
* Dilkoon
* Dirty Creek
* Dundurrabin
* Eatonsville
* Eighteen Mile
* Elland
* Ewingar
* Fine Flower
* Fortis Creek
* Gilletts Ridge
* Glenreagh
* Glenugie
* Goodwood Island
* Grafton
* Great Marlow
* Gulmarrad
* Gurranang
* Halfway Creek
* Harwood
* Heifer Station
* Hernani
* Ilarwill
* Iluka
* Jackadgery
* Jacky Bulbin
* Jacky Bulbin Flat
* James Creek
* Junction Hill
* Kangaroo Creek
* Keybarbin
* Koolkhan
* Kremnos
* Kungala
* Kyarran
* Lanitza
* Lavadia
* Lawrence
* Levenstrath
* Lilydale
* Lionsville
* Louisa Creek
* Lower Southgate
* Maclean
* Malabugilmah
* Marengo
* Micalo Island
* Minnie Water
* Moleville Creek
* Mookima Wybra
* Moonpar
* Mororo
* Mountain View
* Mylneford
* Newbold
* Newton Boyd
* Nymboida
* Palmers Channel
* Palmers Island
* Pikapene
* Pillar Valley
* Pulganbar
* Punchbowl
* Ramornie
* Rushforth
* Sandon
* Sandy Crossing
* Seelands
* Shannondale
* Shark Creek
* Sherwood
* Smiths Creek
* South Arm
* South Grafton
* Southampton
* Southgate
* Stockyard Creek
* Swan Creek
* Taloumbi
* The Freshwater
* The Pinnacles
* The Sandon
* The Whiteman
* Townsend
* Trenayr
* Tucabia
* Tullymorgan
* Tyndale
* Tyringham
* Ulmarra
* Upper Copmanhurst
* Upper Corindi
* Upper Fine Flower
* Warragai Creek
* Warregah Island
* Waterview
* Waterview Heights
* Wells Crossing
* Whiteman Creek
* Winegrove
* Wombat Creek
* Woodford Island
* Woody Head
* Wooli
* Wooloweyah
* Woombah
* Yamba

## Heritage listings

The Clarence Valley Council has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* High Conservation Value Old Growth forest

## Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 49,665 people in the Clarence Valley local government area, of these 49.4 per cent were male and 50.6 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.7 per cent of the population which is more than double the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Clarence Valley Council area was 46 years; some 10 years higher than the national median. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.6 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21.3 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 49.3 per cen% were married and 14.6% were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the Clarence Valley Council area between the 2006 census and the 2011 Census was 3.15 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same period, being 8.32 per cent, population growth in the Clarence Valley local government area was lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Clarence Valley Council area was significantly below the national average, being one of the factors that place the Clarence Valley Council area in an area of social disadvantage.
At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Clarence Valley 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 64 per cent of all residents in the Clarence Valley Council area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was above the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Clarence Valley local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (3.1 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (94.0 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).
Selected historical census data for Clarence Valley local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 48,146 | 49,665 | 50,671 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | 46th | 45th |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | 0.72% | 0.68% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.24% | 0.23% | 0.22% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | 34.6% | 33.2% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | 31.9% | 31.4% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | 9.0% | 9.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | | 8.3% | 8.6% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | German | | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | German | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Cantonese | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Spanish | n/c | 0.1% | 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) | Dutch | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | 15.3% | 19.0% | 26.4% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 32.0% | 30.6% | 25.7% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 22.5% | 22.1% | 20.0% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Not stated | n/c | n/c | 10.4% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Presbyterian and Reformed | 7.4% | 6.7% | 6.0% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$333 | A$396 | A$477 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | 71.5% | 68.6% | 72.1% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | A$631 | A$924 | A$1133 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | 61.4% | 62.4% | 65.3% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | A$781 | A$768 | A$910 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | 66.7% | 62.2% | 63.3% |

## Council
### Current composition and election method

Clarence Valley Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as one entire ward. 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 14 September 2024, and the makeup of the council is as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Independents | 6 |
| Independent National | 2 |
| Greens | 1 |
| Total | 9 |
The current Council, elected in 2024, in order of election, is:
| Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Cristie Yager | Independent | Councillor |
| Peter Johnstone | Independent National | Councillor |
| Greg Clancy | Greens | Deputy Mayor |
| Ray Smith | Independent | Mayor |
| Alison Whaites | Independent National | Councillor |
| Shane Causley | Independent | Councillor |
| Lynne Cairns | Independent | Councillor |
| Debrah Novak | Independent | Councillor |
| Karen Toms | Independent | Councillor |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Clarence Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Cristie Yager (elected) | 4,773 | 15.0 | |
| | Independent National | Peter Johnstone (elected) | 3,832 | 12.0 | +4.8 |
| | Greens | Greg Clancy (elected) | 2,998 | 9.4 | +0.9 |
| | Independent | Ray Smith (elected) | 2,486 | 7.8 | |
| | Independent | Shane Causley (elected) | 2,432 | 7.6 | |
| | Independent National | Allison Whaites (elected) | 2,318 | 7.3 | −0.5 |
| | Independent | Lynne Cairns (elected) | 2,057 | 6.5 | |
| | Independent | Debrah Novak (elected) | 1,893 | 6.0 | −5.8 |
| | Independent | Amanda Brien | 1,556 | 4.9 | |
| | Independent | Karen Toms (elected) | 1,435 | 4.5 | −0.9 |
| | Independent | Andrew Baker | 1,173 | 3.7 | |
| | Independent | Steve Pickering | 1,144 | 3.6 | −1.4 |
| | Independent | Melissa Hellwig | 1,043 | 3.3 | |
| | Independent | James Allan | 904 | 2.8 | |
| | Independent | Des Schroder | 833 | 2.6 | |
| | Independent | Justin James | 723 | 2.3 | |
| | Independent | Phillip Provest | 234 | 0.7 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 31,834 | 90.8 | −2.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 3,227 | 9.2 | +2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,061 | 83.7 | −2.0 |

### 2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Clarence Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Jeff Smith (elected) | 6,022 | 19.6 | |
| | Independent | Debrah Novak (elected) | 3,622 | 11.8 | |
| | Independent | Ian Tiley (elected) | 2,637 | 8.6 | |
| | Independent National | Allison Whaites (elected) | 2,403 | 7.8 | |
| | Independent | Bill Day (elected) | 2,039 | 6.7 | |
| | Greens | Greg Clancy (elected) | 2,592 | 8.5 | |
| | Independent National | Peter Johnstone (elected) | 2,212 | 7.2 | |
| | Independent | Karen Toms (elected) | 1,658 | 5.4 | |
| | Independent | Steve Pickering (elected) | 1,536 | 5.0 | |
| | Independent Labor | Peter Ellem | 1,494 | 4.9 | |
| | Independent | Ash Gibbons | 1,189 | 3.9 | |
| | Independent | Pete Hanson | 1,189 | 3.9 | |
| | Independent National | Donald Scott | 702 | 2.3 | |
| | Independent | Phil Belletty | 661 | 2.2 | |
| | Independent | Jeffrey Fuller | 357 | 1.2 | |
| | Independent | Warren Lang | 348 | 1.1 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 30,661 | 92.9 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,358 | 7.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 85.7 | |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Independent | Independent | 23,850 | 77.8 | |
| | Independent National | Independent National | 5,317 | 17.3 | |
| | Independent Labor | Independent Labor | 1,494 | 4.9 | |
| Party total seats | Party total seats | Party total seats | Party total seats | Seats | ± |
| | Independent | Independent | Independent | 7 | |
| | Independent National | Independent National | Independent National | 2 | 1 |
| | Independent Labor | Independent Labor | Independent Labor | 0 | 1 |