Walgett Shire


Walgett Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The northern boundary of the Shire is located adjacent to the border between New South Wales and Queensland. The town of Walgett is located on the Namoi River, nearby to its junction with the Barwon River and at the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Castlereagh Highway.
The Shire is divided between the agricultural areas, which are near the Barwon and Namoi rivers or south-east of the Barwon River, and the outback country north-west of the Barwon River, including the black opal mining and fossicking town of Lightning Ridge. Prior to 1957, when Lightning Ridge was established as a significant settlement, the outback country was part of the Western Division.
The mayor of Walgett Shire Council is Jasen Ramien who is unaligned with any political party.

Towns and villages

Walgett Shire includes Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Collarenebri, Pokataroo, Rowena, Burren Junction, Cryon, Cumborah, Glengarry and Carinda. Come By Chance was established in 1840, before all of the above towns and villages.

Heritage listings

Walgett Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics during 2003–04 there:
  • were 1,726 wage and salary earners
  • was a total income of $55 million
  • was an estimated average income per wage and salary earner of $31,980
  • was an estimated median income per wage and salary earner of $29,155.

    Council

Between 2004 and 2008, the council was controlled by an Administrator, Vic Smith, appointed by the New South Wales Minister for Local Government. The previous Walgett Shire Council was split between factions representing Lightning Ridge and the rest of the Shire and apparently became unworkable as a result. In 2004, a public inquiry investigated the dispute, among other things, under the. Other matters investigated included poor administration, failure to properly inform councillors in relation to some matters, apparently illegal walkouts by some Councilors to frustrate votes and, in particular, events surrounding a failed project to build a community centre in Lightning Ridge.

Current composition and election method

Walgett Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single 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 22 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows:
The current Council, elected in 2024, in order of election, is:

Election results

2024