Local government area in New South Wales, Australia
The City of Lake Macquarie is a local government area in the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city from 7 September 1984. The city is situated adjacent to the city of Newcastle and is widely considered as a part of the Greater Newcastle area.[12] The city is approximately 150 km (93 mi) north of Sydney. One of its major tourist attractions is its lake, also named Lake Macquarie.
The mayor of the City of Lake Macquarie Council is Councillor Kay Fraser, a member of the Labor Party.[3]
The towns and villages in the City of Lake Macquarie are split into three wards – East, North and West.[16] These include:
The Australian Bureau of Statistics classifies various towns and suburbs in the LGA as being part of the Greater NewcastleStatistical District. The City of Lake Macquarie has its own independent local government (Lake Macquarie City Council). The largest commercial centre in the area is Charlestown.
Demographics
The area is a set of contiguous towns that surround a coastal saltwater lake. These towns merge with the suburbs of Newcastle to the north. Some suburbs, such as Adamstown Heights are partly in the City of Newcastle and partly within the City of Lake Macquarie. There are 92 identified settlements ranging from small rural style communities through to larger and higher density areas such as Toronto, Warners Bay, Belmont, Charlestown and Morisset.
At the 2011 census, there were 189,006 people in the Lake Macquarie local government area, of these 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.0% of the population, which was higher than the national and state averages. The median age of people in the City of Lake Macquarie was 41 years, which was significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.6% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 18.4% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 51.0% were married and 12.2% were either divorced or separated.[23]
Population growth in the City of Lake Macquarie between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 3.36%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census, population growth was 3.20%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Lake Macquarie local government area was approximately half the national average.[24] The median weekly income for residents within the City of Lake Macquarie was marginally below the national average.[23][25]
At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Lake Macquarie local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Celtic exceeded 81% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 58% of all residents in the City of Lake Macquarie nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was slightly higher than the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Lake Macquarie local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (5.4%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and a significantly higher proportion (93.0%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%).[23]
Economics
Lake Macquarie has a significant coal mining industry and smaller agriculture and manufacturing industries. Eraring power station, a 1980s-era coal-fired power station, supplies 25% of New South Wales' power.[27] Lake Macquarie has a number of Constructed Wetlands with the council placing an emphasis on the environment.
Council
Current composition and election method
Lake Macquarie City Council is composed of thirteen councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is directly elected while the twelve other Councillors are elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing four Councillors. The most recent election was held on 04 December 2021, and the makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows:[28]
The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election by ward, is:
^Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "2011 Community Profiles: Lake Macquarie (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
^ a b"Lake Macquarie City Council Results (2016)". Lake Macquarie City Council. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
^"Suburb Search – Local Council Boundaries – Hunter (HT) – Lake Macquarie City Council". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
^"Shortland". Australian Electoral Commission. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
^"3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017–18". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 2018.
^"Greater Newcastle metropolitan planning – Department of Planning and Environment". planning.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^Piper, Greg (April 2010). "Legend of ANZAC". p. 6. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
^"Council History: Lake Macquarie City Council". City of Lake Macquarie. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
^"Hunter History Highlights". Hunter Valley Research Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
^"Updated Ward Boundaries". Retrieved 30 March 2024.
^Shared with North Ward
^Shared with Central Coast Council
^Shared with Central Coast Council
^Shared with North Ward
^Shared with East Ward
^Shared with East Ward
^ a b c dAustralian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Lake Macquarie (C) (Local Government Area)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
^ a bAustralian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Lake Macquarie (C)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
^ a bAustralian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Lake Macquarie (C)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 December 2012.