The Cowra Shire is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Lachlan River, the Mid-Western Highway and the Lachlan Way.

Cowra Shire
New South Wales
Shire offices in Cowra
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates33°49′S 148°44′E / 33.817°S 148.733°E / -33.817; 148.733
Population12,724 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density4.528/km2 (11.728/sq mi)
Established1980
Area2,810 km2 (1,084.9 sq mi)
MayorRuth Fagan[2]
Council seatCowra[3]
RegionCentral West
State electorate(s)Cootamundra
Federal division(s)Riverina
WebsiteCowra Shire
LGAs around Cowra Shire:
Forbes Cabonne Blayney
Weddin Cowra Shire Bathurst
Hilltops Hilltops Upper Lachlan

The largest town and council seat is Cowra. The municipality also has a number of small villages: Billimari, Darbys Falls, Gooloogong, Morongla, Noonbinna, Wattamondara, Woodstock, and Wyangala.

The mayor of Cowra Shire Council is Ruth Fagan.

Council

Cowra Shire Council has 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 by-election was held on 21 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows:[4]

Party Councillors
  Independents and Unaligned 9
Total 9

The current Council is:[5]

Councillor Party Notes
  Bill West
  Erin Watt
  Sharon D'Elboux Independent
  Nikki Kiss Independent
  Cheryl Downing Independent
  Peter Wright Independent
  Ruth Fagan
  Paul Smith
  Judi Smith Independent

Election results

2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Cowra[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Paul Robert Smith (elected) unopposed
Independent Cheryl Downing (elected) unopposed
Independent Tony Horton (elected) unopposed
Independent Labor Erin Watt (elected) unopposed
Independent Cheryl Speechley (elected) unopposed
Independent National Ruth Fagan (elected) unopposed
Independent Peter Wright (elected) unopposed
Independent Nikki Kiss (elected) unopposed
Registered electors

2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Cowra[8][9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Bill West (elected) 2,132 27.5
Independent Erin Watt (elected) 1,138 14.7
Independent Sharon D'Elboux (elected) 705 9.1
Independent Nikki Kiss (elected) 676 8.7
Independent Cheryl Downing (elected) 527 6.8
Independent Peter Wright (elected) 428 5.5
Independent Paul Smith (elected) 386 5.0
Independent National Ruth Fagan (elected) 265 3.4
Independent Donna Peters 260 3.3
Independent National Ian Docker 235 3.0
Independent Rodrick Buhr 230 3.0
Independent Judi Smith (elected) 216 2.8
Independent Michael Nobes 152 2.0
Independent Alex Cozadinos 145 1.9
Independent Rebecca Morgan 143 1.8
Independent Simon Bray 126 1.6
Total formal votes 7,764 94.2
Informal votes 480 5.8
Turnout 8,244 85.0
 
Panoramic view from Cowra Mountain at the Cowra Japanese Garden. The view takes in the gardens and the plains of the Cowra Shire across to the nearby mountains.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cowra (LGA)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 January 2024.  
  2. ^ "Councillors | Cowra Council". www.cowracouncil.com.au.
  3. ^ "Cowra Shire Council". Division of Local Government. Retrieved 28 November 2006.
  4. ^ "Cowra Shire Council: Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 15 September 2012. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  5. ^ https://elections.nsw.gov.au/elections/find-my-electorate/councils/cowra [bare URL]
  6. ^ "ERIN WATT". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  7. ^ "RUTH FAGAN". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Cowra". ABC News.
  9. ^ "Fagan to run in all-female field for Nationals' Cootamundra preselection: photos, poll". Cowra Guardian.
  10. ^ "COWRA BRANCH CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON". NSW Nationals.

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