Eurobodalla Shire is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

located in the South Coast region of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The Shire is located in a largely mountainous coastal region and situated adjacent to the ''

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

'', the

Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...

and the Kings Highway. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Eurobodalla Shire Council is Cr. Mathew Hatcher, an unaligned politician. He is also the youngest mayor, in the modern-era, ever for the Eurobodalla. The Deputy Mayor, Cllr Alison Worthington, is the first female Deputy Mayor for the Eurobodalla.

Towns and localities

The shire chambers are located in the town of Moruya in the central part of the Shire. Other major towns within the shire include

Batemans Bay Batemans Bay is a town in the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Batemans Bay is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council. The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets the ...

and Narooma. Smaller towns, suburbs and hamlets include:

History

The area which is now Eurobodalla Shire was originally the home of the South Coast Bugelli-Manji and Yuin Aboriginal peoples. The council signed a Commitment to Indigenous Australians and a Local Agreement with the Aboriginal Community. The Eurobodalla Shire Council was formed in 1913 with the responsibility for administering local government functions along of the NSW coast between Durras and Wallaga Lake. The council administers only about 30% of the area of the Shire as the remaining 70% is non-rateable

crown land Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...

held as national park and state forest: 40% of the shire is national park, 30% is state forest, 20% is productive farmland and 10% is urban settlement. The Shire is unusual in that nearly half of ratepayers are non-residents. Just over 17% of ratepayers are residents of

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

. Although the permanent population is around 34,100, the visiting population (who stay more than 3 nights) is 3.1 million per year.

Heritage listings

The Eurobodalla Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Bergalia, Lakeview Homestead Complex * Montague Island, Montague Island Light * Moruya, Moruya and District Historical Society 85 Campbell Street: Abernethy and Co Stonemason's Lathe * Moruya, 13 Page Street: Moruya Mechanics' Institute

Economy

The main growth industries in the area are construction, government services, real estate, retail, retirement, aged care, tourism, while dairy farming, forestry, sawmilling and commercial fishing are traditional industries in decline. Eurobodalla Shire is serviced by two highways – the Princes Highway between

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

(part of Highway One around Australia), and the Kings Highway (National Route 52) linking Batemans Bay to Canberra. Moruya Airport, just east of the township of Moruya, is serviced by regular scheduled commuter flights to Sydney and Melbourne. There are no railways or major seaports in Eurobodalla Shire.

Census 2021 statistics

Demographics

In the , the Local Government Area of Eurobodalla recorded a population of 40,593 people. The area of 3,428 square kilometre gives a population density 11.8 people per square kilometre.

Age distribution

*Median age: 54, compared to the national median on 38. *Children aged under 15 years: 13.9%. *People aged 65 years and over: 32.9%.

Nation of birth

* Australia – 77.9%, compared to the national average of 66.9% * England – 4.8% * New Zealand – 1.3% * Germany – 0.7% * Scotland – 0.6% * Netherlands – 0.5% * Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders: 6.1%

Languages spoken at home

* English only – 88.5% * German – 0.3% * Italian – 0.3% * Croatian – 0.2% * Spanish – 0.2% * Greek – 0.2%

Religion

* No Religion – 41.9% * Catholic – 18.9% * Anglican – 17.3% * Uniting Church – 2.5%

Housing

*Median weekly rent: $325 *Median monthly home loan repayments: $1,517 *Median weekly individual income: $618 *Median weekly household income: $1,167

Household motor vehicle ownership

*No vehicle – 4.3% *One vehicle – 38.3% *Two vehicles – 37.7% *Three or more vehicles – 17.9%

Housing tenure

* Owned outright – 49.3% * Owned with a mortgage – 23.8% * Rented – 22.5%

Structure of inhabited dwellings

* Separate houses – 83.6% * Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc. – 8.3% * Flats, units or apartments – 5.9% * Other dwellings – 1.9%

Employment

* Worked full-time – 47.6% * Worked part-time – 40.4% * Away from work – 7.9% * Unemployed – 4.1%

Council

Current composition and election method

Eurobodalla Shire Council is composed of nine

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

s, including the

, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is directly elected while the eight other councillors are elected proportionally as one entire ward. The most recent election was held on 25 October 2021, and the makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows: The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:

Election results

2024

2021

References

External links

Eurobodalla population planning link

Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association
{{Coord, 35, 55, S, 150, 06, E, region:AU-NSW, display=title Local government areas of the South Coast (New South Wales)