The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains, on the Great Dividing Range at the far western fringe of the Greater Sydney area. Major settlements include, Katoomba, Lawson, Springwood and Blaxland.
The mayor of Blue Mountains City Council is Councillor Mark Greenhill, a member of the Labor Party.
Towns and villages in the local government area
The urban part of the city consists of a ribbon of close or contiguous towns which lie on the Main Western railway line, served by NSW TrainLink's Blue Mountains Line, and Great Western Highway between Emu Plains and Lithgow. About 70% of the city's area is within the Blue Mountains National Park which lies north and south of the ribbon of towns. The National Park is part of the much larger Greater Blue Mountains AreaWorld Heritage Site and the city brands itself as "The City Within a World Heritage National Park". The towns and villages are generally grouped into lower, mid, and upper mountains. The economy of the upper mountains is dependent almost entirely on tourism [citation needed]. The road to Sydney, the Great Western Highway, is mostly dual carriageway but is relatively slow due to the urban development and hilly terrain. The electric train service integrates into Sydney Trains, Sydney's suburban rail network.
The main towns and villages in the City of Blue Mountains are:
A map of the four wards, showing party representation as of the 2021 local elections.
Blue Mountains City Council is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally as four separate wards, each electing three 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 general election was held on 4 December 2021.
2021 election results
Mayors
Council services
Cemeteries
The City of Blue Mountains Council maintains cemeteries at Blackheath, Faulconbridge, Katoomba, Lawson, Megalong Valley, Mount Irvine, Mount Victoria, Mount Wilson, Springwood, and Wentworth Falls.[32]
Libraries
Blue Mountains Library operates three full-time branches, three part-time branches and a service for train commuters at Springwood and Katoomba stations two days a week.[33]
Leisure centres
Blue Mountains Leisure Centres operate from five locations. All five locations have pools and the Katoomba and Springwood locations have gyms and offer various fitness classes.[34]
^"Blue Mountains Ward 1 Results". Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^"Blue Mountains Ward 2 Results". Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^"Blue Mountains Ward 3 Results". Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^ a b"Past and Current Elected Deputy Mayors". Blue Mountains City Council. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
^"Blue Mountains Ward 3 Results". Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
^"Blue Mountains". ABC News.
^"CITY OF BLUE MOUNTAINS PROVISIONAL COUNCIL". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 3 October 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"ALD. W. FREELANDER RE-ELECTED MAYOR OF BLUE MOUNTAINS BY UNANIMOUS VOTE". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 5 December 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mayor of City of Blue Mountains". Nepean Times. New South Wales, Australia. 11 December 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MAYOR OF BLUE MOUNTAINS CITY". Nepean Times. New South Wales, Australia. 9 December 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"WALFORD RE-ELECTED BLUE MOUNTAINS MAYOR". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 15 December 1949. p. 11. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"BLUE MOUNTAINS MAYOR ELECTED". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 14 December 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mayor of Blue Mountains". Nepean Times. New South Wales, Australia. 13 December 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Four Candidates for Mayor CLOSE POLL ON THE MOUNTAINS". Nepean Times. New South Wales, Australia. 4 December 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"IMMENSE INTEREST IN BLUE MOUNTAINS MAYORAL ELECTION". Lithgow Mercury. New South Wales, Australia. 16 December 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Blue Mountains Mayor Re-elected". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 8 December 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SPRINGWOOD". Nepean Times. New South Wales, Australia. 12 January 1956. p. 8. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v"Past and Current Elected Mayors". Blue Mountains City Council. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
^"Local Government Act, 1919.—Proclamation". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 182. New South Wales, Australia. 20 December 1979. p. 6365. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^Macey, Richard (22 January 1980). "Council's leader holds a 'tight' meeting". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
^"Revolt leader may be mayor". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 December 1981. p. 11.
^"Blue Mountains Councillor Mark Greenhill re-elected Mayor" (Media Release). Blue Mountains City Council. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
^"Mark Greenhill elected for third term as Blue Mountains mayor; Romola Hollywood elected deputy mayor". Blue Mountains Gazette. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
^"Our cemeteries". Blue Mountains City Council.
^"Locations, Hours & Contacts". bmcc.ent.sirsidynix.net.au. Retrieved 29 November 2016.