Armidale Regional Council

This article is about the local government area. For the regional city, see Armidale, New South Wales. For the former local government area, see Armidale Dumaresq Council.

The Armidale Region is a local government area in the New England and Northern Tablelands regions of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed in 2016 from the merger of the Armidale Dumaresq Shire with the surrounding Guyra Shire.^[2]

Armidale Region New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	30°30′S 151°40′E
Population	30,707 (2018)[1]
• Density	3.56188/km2 (9.2252/sq mi)
Established	2016
Area	8,621 km2 (3,328.6 sq mi)[1]
Mayor	Sam Coupland (Independent)
Council seat	Armidale
Region	New England
State electorate(s)	Northern Tablelands
Federal division(s)	New England
Website	Armidale Region
LGAs around Armidale Region: Inverell Shire Glen Innes Severn Clarence Valley Uralla Armidale Region Bellingen Uralla Walcha Kempsey

The combined area covered the urban area of Armidale and the surrounding region, extending primarily eastward from the city through farming districts to the gorges and escarpments that mark the edge of the Northern Tablelands.

The Armidale Region is administered by the Armidale Regional Council.

The mayor of the Armidale Region is Cr. Sam Coupland, an independent politician.

History

On 1 July 2019, Tingha was transferred from Armidale Region to Inverell Shire.^[3][4]

Towns, villages and other locations

In addition to the main centre of Armidale and the town of Guyra, the villages located in the area include Ben Lomond, Black Mountain, Dangarsleigh, Ebor, Hillgrove, Kellys Plains, Llangothlin, and Wollomombi.

Oban is a rural location covering 72.607 km² (28.034 sq mi) within the Armidale Regional LGA, with 7 residents.^[5]

Heritage listings

The Armidale Region has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites in Armidale:

• 158 Beardy Street: Armidale Post Office^[6]
• 164 Beardy Street: Commercial Bank of Australia Building^[7]
• 216 Brown Street: Armidale railway station turntable^[8]
• 234 Brown Street: Armidale railway station^[9]
• 125 Dangar Street: Central Park, Armidale^[10]
• 132 Dangar Street: Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral^[11]
• 108 Faulkner Street: Lands Board Office^[12]
• 60 Madgwick Drive: Booloominbah^[13]
• 122-132 Mossman Street: Old Teachers' College^[14]
• 36 Roseneath Lane: Roseneath^[15]
• 122 Rusden Street: St Peter's Cathedral^[16]
• 230 Saumarez Road: Saumarez Homestead^[17]
• High Conservation Value Old Growth forest^[18]

Demographics

Selected historical census data for the Armidale Region
Census year			2016[19]
Population		Estimated residents on census night	29,449
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales	60th
		% of New South Wales population	0.39%
		% of Australian population	0.13%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Australian	30.4%
		English	28.8%
		Irish	9.8%
		Scottish	8.4%
		German	3.4%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Mandarin	1.1%
		Arabic	1.0%
		Nepali	0.5%
		German	0.4%
		French	0.2%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		No religion	27.4%
		Anglican	22.8%
		Catholic	20.2%
		Presbyterian	4.5%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income	A$561
		% of Australian median income	84.7%
Family income		Median weekly family income	A$1465
		% of Australian median income	84.5%
Household income		Median weekly household income	A$1173
		% of Australian median income	81.6%

Council

Armidale Regional Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single ward. 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 14 September 2024, and the makeup of the council is as follows:

Party		Councillors
	Team Coupland Group	4
	Independents	2
	Independent Liberal	1
	Greens	1
	Labor	1
	Total	9

The current council, in order of election, is:^[20]

Councillor		Party	Notes
	Susan McMichael	Labor
	Sam Coupland	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Todd Redwood	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Paul Gaddes	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Kay Endres	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Dorothy Robinson	Greens
	Eli Imad	Independent Liberal
	Rod Taber	Independent
	Bradley Widders	Independent

Election results

2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Armidale^{[21][22][23][24]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Vote 1 Growth	1. Sam Coupland (elected) 2. Todd Redwood (elected) 3. Paul Gaddes (elected) 4. Kay Endres (elected) 5. Jane Mactier 6. Jane Schmude 7. Melanie Fillios 8. Jon Galletly	7,528	48.27	+48.27
	Labor	1. Susan McMichael (elected) 2. Caroline Chapman 3. Debra O'Brien 4. Yvonne Langenberg 5. Lisa Ward	1,904	12.21	−3.29
	Independent Regional Alliance	1. Eli Imad (elected) 2. Rob Lenehan 3. Peter Heagney 4. Robert Jackson 5. Jypsi Hooper	1,543	9.89	+9.89
	Greens	1. Dorothy Robinson (elected) 2. Elizabeth O'Hara 3. Pat Schulz 4. Gayle Davies 5. Gay (Alice) Cairns	1,504	9.64	−1.26
	Community First Independents	1. Rob Taber (elected) 2. Rob Richardson 3. Siri Gamage 4. Josephine Newberry 5. Andy Berriman	1,042	6.68	+6.68
	Independent	Bradley Widders (elected)	589	3.78	−0.32
	Margaret O'Connor's Team	1. Margaret O'Connor 2. Brian Flint 3. Kerry Moran 4. Bruce Newberry 5. Deni McKenzie 6. Janet Edmonds	540	3.46	−10.94
	Independent	Jenny Wild	450	2.89	+2.89
	Independent	Joshua Fittler	230	1.47	+1.47
	Independent	Madank Narayanamurthy	180	1.15	+1.15
	Independent	Natasha Ledger	85	0.55	+0.55
Total formal votes			15,595	94.36
Informal votes			933	5.64
Turnout			16,528

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 New South Wales local elections in New England § Armidale results.[edit]

2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Armidale^[25][26][27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	1. Debra O'Brien (elected) 2. Susan McMichael (elected) 3. Caroline Chapman 4. Yvonne Langenberg 5. April Youngberry 6. Margaret Finley	2,352	15.5	+4.5
	Team Margaret and Gordon	1. Margaret O'Connor (Ind. Lib) (elected) 2. Gordon Cope 3. Bruce Newberry 4. Janet Edmonds 5. Ju Denton 6. Trevor Esplin	2,196	14.4	+3.1
	Independent	Sam Coupland (elected)	1,897	12.5
	Greens	1. Dorothy Robinson (elected) 2. Elizabeth O'Hara 3. Gaynor McGrath 4. Richard Sheridan 5. Pat Schultz 6. Dora Koops	1,664	10.9	+3.4
	Independent	Jon Galletly (elected)	1,139	7.5
	Independent	Steven Mepham (elected)	930	6.1
	Independent	Todd Redwood (elected)	852	5.6
	Independent	Paul Packham (elected)	728	4.8
	Independent	Bradley Widders (elected)	627	4.1
	Independent	Paul Gaddes (elected)	621	4.1
	Independent	Richard Robinson	598	3.9
	Independent	Callan Schaefer	466	3.1
	Independent	Kathleen Clare	416	2.7
	Independent	Peter Bailey	239	1.6
	Independent	Margaret Sims	224	1.5
	Independent	Phillip Blackmore	158	1.0
	Independent	Craig Pevitt	116	0.8
Total formal votes			28,374	94.2
Informal votes			1,745	5.8
Turnout				80.0
Party total seats				Seats	±
	Independent			7	1
	Labor			2	1
	Independent Liberal			1
	Greens			1

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2021 New South Wales local elections in New England § Armidale results.[edit]

2017

Elected councillor		Party
	Ian Tiley	Independent
	Debra O'Brien	Labor
	Margaret O'Connor	Ind. Liberal
	Dorothy Robinson	Greens
	Simon Murray	Independent
	Jon Galletly	Independent
	Libby Martin	Independent
	Diane Gray	Independent
	Andrew Murat	Independent
	Bradley Widders	Independent
	Paul Gaddes	Independent

2017 New South Wales local elections: Armidale^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ian Tiley	1,726	11.2
	Labor		1,706	11.0	+11.0
	Independent Liberal		1,588	10.3
	Independent	Simon Murray	1,502	9.7
	Independent	Jon Galletly	1,405	9.1
	Greens		1,163	7.5	−5.7
	New England Futures Group		675	4.4	+4.4
	Independent	Libby Martin	665	4.3
	Independent	Diane Gray	481	3.1
	Independent	Bradley Widders	476	3.1
	Independent	Jim Maher	445	2.9
	Independent	Andrew Murat	432	2.8
	Independent	Peter Bailey	415	2.7
	Independent	Kevin Dupe	368	2.4
	Independent Liberal	Aileen MacDonald	296	1.9
	Independent	Maria Hitchcock	241	1.6
	Independent	Michelle Wheatley	234	1.5
	Independent	Les Davis	205	1.3
	Independent	Gordon Cope	202	1.3
	Independent	Joshua Fittler	179	1.2
	Independent	Jack Hobbs	167	1.1
	Independent	Herman Beyersdorf	161	1.0
	Independent	Colin Gadd	158	1.0
	Independent	Jack Rapely	137	0.9
	Independent	Martha Saw	108	0.7
	Independent	Trev Smith	102	0.7
	Independent	Tom Walsh	99	0.6
	Independent	Aziz Winrow	65	0.4
	Independent	Dale Curtis	59	0.4
Total formal votes			15,460	94.09
Informal votes			971	5.91
Turnout			16,431	80.64
Party total votes
	Independent		10,032	64.9
	Independent Liberal		1,884	12.2
	Labor		1,706	11.0	+11.0
	Greens		1,163	7.5	−5.7
	New England Futures Group		675	4.4	+4.4

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2017 New South Wales local elections § Armidale.[edit]

The Liberal Party did not endorse any candidates, including its councillor elected to Armidale Dumaresq Shire in 2012.^[28]

See also

• New South Wales portal

• Local government areas of New South Wales

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. "Armidale Regional Council". www.strongercouncils.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
3. "It's official Tingha is on the move to Inverell". Armidale Regional Council. Armidale Regional Council. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
4. "Tingha community joins Inverell Shire". Inverell Shire Council. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
5. "Oban". New South Wales. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
6. "Armidale Post Office". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01312. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
7. "CBA Bank (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00433. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
8. "Railway Turntable". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01233. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
9. "Armidale Railway Station and yard group movable relics". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01075. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
10. "Central Park". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H02019. Retrieved 18 February 2020. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
11. "St Mary & St Joseph Catholic Cathedral Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01925. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
12. "Lands Board Office". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00963. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
13. "Booloominbah". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01768. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
14. "C B Newling Centre". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01769. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
15. "Roseneath". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00063. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
16. "Anglican Cathedral Church of St Peter Apostle and Martyr Precinct". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01924. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
17. "Saumarez Homestead". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01505. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
18. "High Conservation Value Old Growth forest". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01487. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
19. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Armidale Regional (A)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
20. "Armidale Regional Council: Councillor Contest". Local Government Elections 2017. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
21. "Armidale Regional - First Preference Group and Candidate Votes by Aggregated Vote Type". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 30 September 2024. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
22. "Independent Regional Alliance (IRA) is a group formed with a primary focus on upholding the fundamental democratic process and providing a true representation of what is important to the ratepayers of our region within Armidale Regional Council". Facebook. Independent Regional Alliance - Group C. 18 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
23. "Our Candidates". communityfirstindependents.com/. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
24. "Hi everyone just letting everyone know I'm running in the Council Elections on September 14". Facebook. Councillor Margaret O'Connor. 24 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
25. "Armidale Regional". ABC News. 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
26. "GUYRA - DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE! GET GUYRA's VOICE BACK" (PDF). Guyra Gazette. 1 December 2021. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024. Authorised by M. O'Connor for Team Margaret and Gordon
27. "Margaret O'Connor will stand as an independent in the Armidale Regional Council election". The Armidale Express. 28 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
28. "The Liberal Party will not back ex-councillor Margaret O'Connor or any other candidate in the September council election". The Armidale Express.
29. "Armidale Regional". ABC News.

External links

Media related to Armidale Regional Council at Wikimedia Commons