Dungog Shire

The major population centres within the Shire are Dungog, Gresford, Paterson, Vacy, Martins Creek and Clarence Town. It also includes three main rivers, the Paterson River and Allyn River to the west and the Williams River to the east.

At the {{CensusAU|2011}}, there were {{formatnum:8318}} people in the Dungog Shire local government area, of these 50.3 per cent were male and 49.7 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.2 per cent of the population, which was higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Dungog Shire was 44 years, significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.8 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 17.6 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 54.7 per cent were married and 11.5 per cent were either divorced or separated.{{Census 2011 AUS|id=LGA12700|name=Dungog (Local Government Area)|accessdate=10 September 2012|quick=on}}

Population growth in the Dungog Shire between the 2001 census and the {{CensusAU|2006}} was 2.37 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the {{CensusAU|2011}}, population growth was 3.18 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Dungog Shire local government area was approximately one-third of the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Dungog Shire was lower than the national average.

At the {{CensusAU|2011}}, the proportion of residents in the Dungog Shire local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Celtic exceeded 85 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 56% of all residents in the Dungog Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the {{CensusAU|2011}}, which was slightly higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Dungog Shire local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.0 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (95.0 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).

Dungog Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally in three 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 election was held on 17 September 2017. An election was held in the A, B and C Wards. The makeup of the council is as follows:

The current Council, elected in 2017, by ward, is:

{{excerpt|Results of the 2021 New South Wales local elections in Hunter

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A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Dungog Shire merge with adjoining councils. The government considered two proposals. The first proposed a merger of Dungog Shire and Mid-Coast Council councils to form a new council with an area of {{convert|5200|km2}} and support a population of approximately 14,000.{{cite web |url=https://dpc-olg-ss.s3.amazonaws.com/eb0fe298f99482b63f1ea214e44e8a4a/Dungog-Gloucester.pdf |title=Merger proposal: Dungog Shire Council, Mid-Coast Council Council |publisher=Government of New South Wales |date=January 2016 |access-date=13 March 2016 |page=8 }} Following the lodging of an alternate proposal by Mid-Coast Council Council to amalgamate the Gloucester, Great Lakes and Greater Taree councils, the NSW Minister for Local Government proposed a merger between the Dungog Shire and City of Maitland.{{cite web |url=https://dpc-olg-ss.s3.amazonaws.com/1457567263/assets/Uploads/20160301-Letter-from-Minister-Toole-to-Tim-Hurst-re-Additional-proposals-3.pdf |title=Dungog and Maitland councils Proposal |work=Minister for Local Government |publisher=Government of New South Wales |date=March 2016 |access-date=8 March 2016 |author=Toole, Paul |author-link=Paul Toole }} In response to the government's proposal to merge the Newcastle and Port Stephens local government areas, Port Stephens Council has formally asked the government to evaluate a merger between Port Stephens and Dungog Shire.{{cite web|url=http://www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/11737/PSC-submission-V14.pdf|title=Port Stephens Council Submission|publisher=Port Stephens Council|date=3 March 2016|access-date=15 March 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.portstephensexaminer.com.au/story/3779845/port-stephens-requests-formal-dungog-merger-investigation|title=Port Stephens requests formal Dungog merger investigation|first=Sam|last=Norris|newspaper=Port Stephens Examiner|date=9 March 2016|access-date=15 March 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/3787930/merger-remark-sparks-anger|title=Merger remark sparks anger|first=Janelle|last=O'Neill|newspaper=The Maitland Mercury|date=13 March 2016|access-date=15 March 2016}} Although the Dungog Shire mayor is opposed to this merger, it is reported that the proposal has community support within both local government areas.{{cite news|url=http://www.nbnnews.com.au/2016/03/09/port-stephens-to-pursue-merger-with-dungog|title=Port Stephens To Pursue Merger With Dungog|first=Renee|last=Fedder|publisher=NBN News|date=9 March 2016|access-date=15 March 2016}} The proposal was debated in the New South Wales parliament on 23 March 2016, with the Minister for Local Government confirming that the proposal had been referred to the Office of Local Government.{{cite news|url=http://www.dungogchronicle.com.au/story/3802231/letter-from-port-stephens-council/?cs=414|title=Port council speaks about proposed Dungog merger|first=Wayne|last=Wallis|newspaper=Dungog Chronicle|date=22 March 2016|access-date=21 March 2016}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/3809528/merger-debate-reveals-progess-on-dungog-poll/|title=Paul Toole breaks silence on Newcastle and Port Stephens merger in parliament debate|first=Michael|last=McGowan|newspaper=The Newcastle Herald|date=23 March 2016|access-date=23 March 2016}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Suburbs of Dungog Shire}}

{{Local Government Areas of New South Wales}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1958 establishments in Australia