Wyong Shire

This article is about the local government area. For the city, see Wyong, New South Wales.

Wyong Shire New South Wales
File:Wyong LGA NSW.png Location in New South Wales
Coordinates
Population	149,746 (2011 census)
• Density	181.07/km2 (469.0/sq mi)
Established	1947
Area	827 km2 (319.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Doug Eaton (Independent)
Location	90 km (56 mi) N of Sydney 74 km (46 mi) SSW of Newcastle
Council seat	Wyong
Region	Central Coast
State electorate(s)	Wyong The Entrance Swansea
Federal Division(s)	Dobell Shortland
Website	Wyong Shire
LGAs around Wyong Shire: Cessnock Lake Macquarie Tasman Sea Hawkesbury Wyong Shire Tasman Sea Gosford Tasman Sea

Wyong Shire is a local government area located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney.

Wyong Shire is located around the coastal lake system of Tuggerah Lake, Budgewoi Lake and Lake Munmorah. The area includes a coastal strip from Bateau Bay to Budgewoi, some lakeside towns and residential areas, some inland towns on the coastal plain and a sparsely populated region to the west with the rural townships of Yarramalong, Dooralong, Jilliby, and regions of native bush surrounding Kulnura.

Wyong Shire's administrative centre is located in the town of Wyong, and the Council maintains service and information centres at The Entrance, Tuggerah and at Lakehaven Shopping Centre. Wyong Shire and the City of Gosford control the Gosford/Wyong Councils' Water Authority, that operates the Mangrove Creek Dam.

The Mayor of Wyong Shire is Cr. Doug Eaton, an independent politician.

Suburbs and localities in the local government area

Suburbs, towns and localities in the Wyong Shire are

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Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 149,746 people in the Wyong Shire local government area, of these 48.3% were male and 51.7% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.6% of the population which is higher than the national average. The median age of people in the Wyong Shire was 40 years; significantly higher than the national median age of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 20.2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 18.8% of the population; 34% higher than the national average in this age bracket. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 46.4% were married and 15.0% were either divorced or separated.

Population growth in the Wyong Shire between the 2001 Census and the 2006 Census was 7.10%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census, population growth was 7.11%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in the Wyong Shire local government area was on par with the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Wyong Shire was significantly lower than the national average.

At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Wyong Shire local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon approached 81% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 65.0% of all residents in the Wyong Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was significantly above the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Wyong Shire local government area had a lower than average proportion (6.0%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and a significantly higher proportion (91.8%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%).

Selected historical census data for Wyong Shire local government area
Census year			1991	1996	2001	2006	2011
Population		Estimated residents on Census night	100,643	115,999	130,536	139,801	149,746
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales				16th
		% of New South Wales population	1.76%	1.92%	2.05%		2.16%
		% of Australian population	0.60%	0.65%	0.70%	0.70%	0.70%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Australian					33.6%
		English					31.5%
		Irish					8.4%
		Scottish					7.0%
		German					2.3%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Italian			0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
		Spanish			0.2%	0.3%	0.3%
		Greek			0.2%	0.2%	0.2%
		German			0.2%	0.2%	0.2%
		Cantonese			0.2%	0.2%	0.2%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		Anglican			34.7%	32.0%	30.4%
		Catholic			27.0%	27.4%	27.5%
		No Religion			11.6%	14.5%	17.8%
		Uniting Church			5.2%	4.4%	3.9%
		Presbyterian and Reformed			3.9%	3.6%	3.2%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income				A$381	A$469
		% of Australian median income				81.8%	81.3%
Family income		Median weekly family income				A$770	A$1,171
		% of Australian median income				75.0%	79.1%
Household income		Median weekly household income				A$1,013	A$934
		% of Australian median income				86.5%	75.7%

Council

Current composition and election method

Wyong Shire Council is composed of ten Councillors elected proportionally as two separate wards (previously known as "ridings"), each electing five 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 8 September 2012, and the composition of the Council is:

Party		Councillors
	Independents	3
	Australian Labor Party	3
	Liberal Party of Australia	2
	Save Tuggerah Lakes	2
	Total	10

The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election by ward, is:

Ward	Councillor		Party	Notes
A Ward		Doug Vincent	Labor
		Luke Nayna	Liberal
		Greg Best	Independent
		Adam Troy	Save Tuggerah Lakes
		Ken Greenwald	Labor
B Ward		Lynne Webster	Liberal	Deputy Mayor
		Bob Graham	Independent
		Lisa Matthews	Labor
		Lloyd Taylor	Save Tuggerah Lakes
		Doug Eaton	Independent	Mayor

A referendum was held on 8 September 2012 and an absolute majority of voters resolved in favour of the election of the Mayor by electors for a four-year term which necessarily increases the number of Councillors by one. The change will take effect at the next elections in 2016 unless changed by another referendum before then.

Mayors

Main article: List of mayors of Wyong Shire

History

The area now known as Wyong Shire was developed in modern times alongside the Putty Road, connecting Sydney and Hunter Valley. Progressively people started to establish timber cutting and from there dairy and citrus farming in the valleys of the shire. On the opening of the railway in 1889 to Newcastle the focus of commercial activity shift eastward to Wyong town. As Wyong town developed this was marked by the opening of the Royal Hotel and the first post office was established. The development of railways locally and within the state was an important aspect in the ongoing sustainment of the local timber industry. In 1903 the Lighthouse at Norah Head was built and the first few houses and tourist accommodations began to appear at The Entrance. In 1947, Wyong Shire was created following the division of the former Erina Shire into two, the other being Gosford Shire.

Industries and services

Tourism is an important industry, with the region attracting visitors mainly from within the state. The shire Tourist Information Office is located at The Entrance.

• University of Newcastle (Australia) has a campus at Ourimbah, Wyong Shire
• NSW Police Assistance Line (PAL) call centre operates from Tuggerah Business Park, Wyong Shire
• Woolworths has one of two state distribution centres in the Shire, located at Warnervale
• ING Bank Australia has its main call centre, training facility and backup recovery site at Tuggerah Business Park, Wyong Shire
• Belkin Australia (multinational computer & audiovisual supplier) has its Australian headquarters at Tuggerah Business Park, Wyong Shire

Sister cities

Wyong Shire was a sister city to Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan and Southland District, New Zealand until 2010 when ties were severed for financial reasons.

External links

• Wyong Shire Council website
• Central Coast tourism
• Central Coast Regional Development Organisation
• Suburbs and Towns in Wyong Council - NSW Department of Local Government (includes map)