Rural City of Mildura

The Rural City of Mildura is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the north-western part of the state. It covers an area of 22,083 square kilometres (8,526 sq mi) being the largest LGA in the state. In June 2018 the area had a population of 55,515.[1] It includes the city of Mildura and the towns of Merbein, Red Cliffs, Irymple, Ouyen, Werrimull, Murrayville, Walpeup and Hattah. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the City of Mildura, Shire of Mildura and Shire of Walpeup.[2]

Rural City of Mildura
Victoria
Location in Victoria
Population55,515 (2018)[1]
 • Density2.51392/km2 (6.51104/sq mi)
Established1995
Gazetted20 January 1995[2]
Area22,083 km2 (8,526.3 sq mi)[1]
MayorCr Simon Clemence
Council seatMildura
RegionMallee
State electorate(s)Mildura
Federal Division(s)Mallee
WebsiteRural City of Mildura
LGAs around Rural City of Mildura:
Renmark Paringa (SA) Wentworth (NSW) Wentworth (NSW)
Loxton Waikerie (SA) Rural City of Mildura Swan Hill
West Wimmera
Southern Mallee (SA)		 Hindmarsh Yarriambiack

The Rural City is governed and administered by the Mildura Rural City Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Mildura, it also has service centres located in Ouyen and a couple of other locations within Mildura. The Rural City is named after the main urban settlement lying in the north of the LGA, that is Mildura, which is also the LGA's most populous urban centre with a population of 30,647.[3]

The Rural City of Mildura covers most of the Mallee region of Victoria. Before the less infertile soils were fertilised and developed for the production of wheat and barley the whole region was covered in a dense mallee scrub of deep-rooting eucalypts that regenerated after the frequent bushfires in the region. Many of the soils are so sandy that clearing is impractical, and Murray-Sunset National Park covers almost a third of the area of the LGA. Other protected areas include Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and Murray-Kulkyne Park on the Murray River.

The climate of the region is the driest in Victoria, and Neds Corner in the remote northwest has the lowest average annual rainfall in the state at 240 millimetres (9.4 in). In the south at Ouyen the average is 335 mm (13.2 in). In all the areas of the LGA there can be considerable variation in annual rainfall: the range historically has been from 110 mm (4.3 in) in 1967 to 605 mm (23.8 in) in 1973. Temperatures in the LGA are the hottest in Victoria and the average summer maximum is 32 °C (90 °F), but it often exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Winter can be very pleasant with a maximum of 16 °C (61 °F), but frosts are common in the morning and can sometimes be severe.

The southeast of the LGA is used primarily for grain growing; however yield are erratic and often poor due to drought. In the north irrigated fruit growing (primarily oranges and grapes) is highly productive and supports Mildura and nearby towns; however, salinity in the Murray River is a major threat to the long-term sustainability of these activities, as is competition from overseas citrus growers.

In 2006 the Rural City of Mildura had a population of 49,815, most of which was located in Mildura (30,016) and adjacent areas (that is Victorian Sunraysia). Many of the small towns in the region have practically disappeared as more efficient farming methods reduce the quantity of human labour required.

Council

Current composition

The council is composed of nine councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.[4]

WardCouncillorNotes
Unsubdivided  John Arnold
 Greg Brown
 Vacant[lower-alpha 1]
 Mark Eckel
 Judi Harris
 Jill Joslyn
 Glenn Milne
 Sharyon Peart
 Max Thorburn

Administration and governance

The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Mildura Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre on Madden Av in Mildura, and its service centres in Ouyen and on Deakin Av in Mildura.

Sister cities

Mildura has sister city relations with the following cities:[5]

See also

Notes
  1. Vacant following the election of Ali Cupper to the Victorian Parliament seat of Mildura.

References
  1. "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.
  2. Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S4 of 1995: Order estg (Part 10) the Rural City of Mildura". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 20 January 1995). p. 4. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. Census QuickStats (2011). "Mildura (SS) – SSC20893". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Government of Australia. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  4. Local Government in Victoria. "Mildura Rural City Council". Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  5. Mildura Rural City Council. "Sister Cities". Mildura Rural City Council. Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.

Media related to Rural City of Mildura at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.