Bellingen Shire is a Local Government Area on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is on the Pacific Highway

Pacific Highway (Australia)

The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...

, Waterfall Way

Waterfall Way

The Waterfall Way is a road and State Highway 78 in New South Wales, Australia. It runs east-west from the Pacific Highway to the New England Highway at Armidale. The route passes through some of New South Wales' most scenic countryside and has become well known as New South Wales best and...

 and the North Coast railway line

North Coast railway line, New South Wales

The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....

.

Towns and localities

• Bellingen
  Bellingen, New South Wales
  Bellingen is a small town on Waterfall Way on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately halfway between the major Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane...
  
  
• Bostobrick
• Brierfield
• Cascade
• Darkwood
• Deer Vale
• Dorrigo
  Dorrigo, New South Wales
  Dorrigo is a small town located on the Waterfall Way in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately 580 kilometres north of the state capital, Sydney via the Pacific Highway, and 60 kilometres from the coastal city of Coffs Harbour. The town is situated on the Dorrigo Plateau near the...
  
  
• Fernmount
• Gleniffer
• Hydes Creek
• Leigh
• Megan
• Mylestom
  Mylestom, New South Wales
  Mylestom is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, located on the coast near the mouth of the Bellinger River. At the 2006 census, Mylestom had a population of 338.It has a surf lifesaving club, a caravan park, a hotel, and shops....
  
  
• Orama
• Raleigh
  Raleigh, New South Wales
  Raleigh is a small town on in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, in Bellingen Shire Council. At the 2006 census, Raleigh had a population of 259. The town is south of Coffs Harbour and Sawtell and north of Nambucca Heads. It is located in Raleigh County and is perhaps...
  
  
• Repton
  Repton, New South Wales
  Repton is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, located near the mouth of the Bellinger River. At the 2006 census, Repton had a population of 620 people....
  
  
• Tarkeeth
• Thora
• Urunga
  Urunga, New South Wales
  Urunga is a small town on in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, in Bellingen Shire. It is famous for its surf spots . At the 2006 census, Urunga had a population of 1,919. The town is south of Coffs Harbour and Sawtell and north of Nambucca Heads...
  
  
• Valery

Demographics

In the 2006 Census of Population and Housing there were 12,416 usual residents living in Bellingen Shire. Of this count, 6,050 (or 49%) were males and 6,366 (or 51%) were females.

By age, 20% of the population was under 15 years old, 62% were between 15 and 65, and 18% were over 65 years old.

Most people living in Bellingen Shire were born in Australia (83%). The median age was 44 years.

Council

Bellingen Shire Council is composed of six councillors elected proportionally. The mayor is directly elected. The current makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows:

Party		Councillors
	Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...  and Unaffiliated	6
	The Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...	1
	Total	7

The current council, elected in 2008, is:

Councillor		Party	Notes
	Mark Troy	Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...	Mayor
	Ian Coe	Unaffiliated
	Gordon Braithwaite	Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
	Bruce Cronin	Unaffiliated
	Kerry Child	Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
	Sean Tuohy	Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
	David Scott	Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...	Elected on Mark Troy's ticket

Economy

According to the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, the median invididual income was $336 per week (equal to approximately $17,520 per year). The median family income in 2006 was $777 per week (equal to approximately $40,515 per year); and, the median household income in 2006 was $622 per week (equal to approximately $32,433 per year).

There were 4,502 people employed in 2006 (to give an employment to working age population ratio of 0.59), and 526 people unemployed. The most common occupations were Professionals (20%); Managers (16%); and, Technicians and Trades Workers (15%). The top 5 industries for employment were School Education (7.2%); Sheep, Beef Cattle and Grain Farming (4.0%); Hospitals (4.0%); Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food Services (3.7%); and, Supermarket and Grocery Stores (2.6%).

Housing

In the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, the median housing loan repayment was $1,015 per month. This equated to marginally under 41% of median household income.

The median rent in 2006 was $165 per week. This equated to just under 27% of median household income.

The average household size was 2.4 persons.