Bass Coast Shire
The Bass Coast Shire is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southeastern part of the state. It covers an area of 866 square kilometres (334 sq mi) and in June 2018 had a population of 35,327.[1] It includes the towns of Bass, Cape Paterson, Cape Woolamai, Corinella, Coronet Bay, Cowes, Inverloch, Kilcunda, Lang Lang, Newhaven, Rhyll, San Remo, Summerlands and Wonthaggi as well as the historic locality of Krowera. It also includes the popular tourist destination Phillip Island. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Bass, Shire of Phillip Island, Borough of Wonthaggi, parts of the Shire of Woorayl, Shire of Korumburra and City of Cranbourne.[2]
Bass Coast Shire Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||||
Population | 35,327 (2018)[1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 40.793/km2 (105.65/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1994 | ||||||||||||||
Gazetted | 2 December 1994[2] | ||||||||||||||
Area | 866 km2 (334.4 sq mi)[1] | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Cr Brett Tessari[3] | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Wonthaggi | ||||||||||||||
Region | Eastern Victoria | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Bass | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Monash | ||||||||||||||
Website | Bass Coast Shire | ||||||||||||||
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The Shire is governed and administered by the Bass Coast Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is the council headquarters in Wonthaggi, with other service centres located in Cowes, Grantville and Inverloch. The Shire is named after its most precious asset, the coasts of Bass Strait and Western Port.
Towns and suburbs
Suburb, postcode
- Almurta 3979
- Bass 3991
- Corinella 3984
- Coronet Bay 3984
- Glen Alvie 3979
- Glen Forbes 3990
- Grantville 3984
- Gurdies, The 3984
- Jam Jerrup 3984
- Kernot 3979
- Kongwak 3951
- Krowera 3945
- Pioneer Bay 3984
- Pound Creek 3996
- San Remo 3925
- Tenby Point 3984
- Wattle Bank 3995
- Woodleigh 3945
- Wonthaggi 3995
- North Wonthaggi 3995
- Cape Paterson 3995
- Harmers Haven 3995
- South Dudley 3995
- Anderson 3995
- Archies Creek 3995
- Hicksborough 3995
- Kilcunda3995
- Lance Creek 3995
- Powlett River 3995
- St Clair 3995
- Wattle Bank 3995
- Woolamai 3995
- Phillip Island
- Rhyll 3923
- Cape Woolamai 3925
- Newhaven 3925
- Cowes 3922
- Silverleaves 3922
- Smiths Beach 3922
- Summerlands 3922
- Sunderland Bay 3922
- Sunset Strip 3922
- Surf Beach 3992
- Ventnor 3992
- Wimbledon Heights 3992
- Dalyston 3992
- Blackwood Forest 3992
- Ryanston 3992
- West Creek 3992
- Inverloch 3996
Facilities
- Local markets[4]
Cape Paterson
- Swimming Rockpool – Safety Beach, Browns Bay, Surf Beach Road[5]
- Bunurong Marine Park
Wonthaggi
- Lower Powlett Road – Williamsons Beach, Powlett River, Wonthaggi Wind Farm and Victorian Desalination Plant (tours and walking/cycling/horse riding)
- Bass Coast Rail Trail – walk/cycle/horse trot
- Historic mine whistle – sounds 12 noon every day in the centre of Wonthaggi, mine shaft tower, Apex Park, Murray Street[4]
- Wonthaggi Museum – open Saturday mornings, Murray Street[6]
- State Coal Mine – museum and tours, Garden Street[7]
- Coal mine ruins – Number 5 Brace & the McBride tunnel entry, off West Area Road Wonthaggi and scattered around the region[4]
- Wonthaggi Golf Course – 18 hole, par 72, ACR 70, easy walk, McKenzie Street[8]
- Large chain stores
- Wonthaggi Hospital – Smoking ban, Graham Street[9]
Phillip Island
- Phillip Island Penguin Parade
- Australian motorcycle Grand Prix
- Pyramid Rock Festival on New Year's Eve
- Nobbies Centre at Seal Rocks
Krowera
- Garlic Farm, Olive Farm, Wayside Lookout, Dairy Farms
Kilcunda
- Kilcunda Trestle Bridge
Council
Current composition
The council is composed of three wards and nine councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward.[11]
Ward | Councillor | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Bunurong | Les Larke | ||
Bunurong | Brett Tessari | Current Mayor (2018–19) | |
Bunurong | Julian Brown | ||
Island | Pamela Rothfield | Mayor (2016–18) | |
Island | Stephen Fullarton | ||
Island | Michael Whelan | ||
Westernport | Clare Le Serve | ||
Westernport | Bruce Kent | ||
Westernport | Geoff Ellis |
Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Wonthaggi Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Wonthaggi, and its service centre in Cowes.
Protected areas
Collecting empty seashells and other dead remnants is legal on most Australian Beaches except for state national parks and some nature parks and reserves. If you are unsure contact the states parks authority and the local shire offices.
Collecting empty seashells (leave most alone for creatures to live in), driftwood, twigs, sea glass and other non-living materials or interesting rubbish of small size and in small quantities is legal from most beaches along the Bass Coast, with the exception being Wilsons Promontory, the Bunurong Marine National Park and most of Phillip Island.
On Phillip Island most beaches are off limits for shell collecting and are run by Phillip Island Nature Parks, with the exceptions of Ventnor, Cowes, Rhyll and Newhaven.[12]
The Bunurong Marine National Park is a middle outstretching section of Bunurong Marine Park which is along the coastline of Harmers Haven, Cape Paterson and Inverloch. The restricted zone (Bunurong Marine National Park inside Bunurong Marine Park) is an area south-west past Cape Paterson's Safety Beach and Undertow Bay namely; The Oaks, Twin Reefs, Shack Bay and Eagles Nest.
See also
References
- "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
- Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S94 of 1994 - Order estg (Part 2) the Bass Coast Shire". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 2 December 1994). p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- http://www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/Council/Councillors_Contact_Details
- Bass Coast Information Centres (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2012, retrieved 19 November 2013
- Bass Coast Information Centres, retrieved 13 November 2013
- Wonthaggi Historical Society, retrieved 11 November 2013
- Parks Victoria, retrieved 27 October 2013
- Wonthaggi Golf Club, retrieved 11 November 2013
- Bass Coast Regional Health, archived from the original on 28 September 2013, retrieved 30 October 2013
- Inverloch Shell Museum, retrieved 14 November 2013
- Local Government in Victoria. "Bass Coast Shire Council". Victorian Electoral Commission. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- Department of Environment And Primary Industries, retrieved 11 November 2013
External links
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bass Coast. |