Wakefield Regional Council
Encyclopedia
Wakefield Regional Council is a local government administrative body in South Australia
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The amalgamation occurred when much of the boundary reform of the local government was coming from the State Government as a result of various provisions contained in the "Local Government Act 1934". As a result, the number of local councils in South Australia was reduced from 118 to 68 by the deadline of 30 June 1999. The extent of this reform was in-line with the Australian Federal Government's overall broader micro-economic reform plans.
The area falling under Wakefield Regional Council (WRC) has been much affected by local government boundary changes that have taken place since the early 1980s. Before 1983 the area consisted of five local government district councils which have now all been subsumed into the WRC.
The Council's development plans are set out in the Green Paper.
and Barunga
ranges. The area spans wide fertile plains to the north Mount Lofty Ranges
on its eastern border. Immediately to the east of the Hummocks and Barunga ranges are a series are low-lying salt lakes, of which Lake Bumbunga
is the largest.
, are all sealed and there are well maintained minor gravel roads.
There is no rail service for passengers in the council area, but it is traversed by the national Sydney-Perth line as well as by the state rail network.
The council recorded a net decrease in its population of 4.2% between 1991-2001, about 27 people per annum. In 2001, the median age of the population was 39, an increase of 5 years since 1991, indicating a trend towards an aging population.
The council's geographical area covers 3469.4 sqkm in which 2695 kilometres (1,674.6 mi) of road existed at 30 June 2002. As at 1 July 2005, the total assessed value within the council area was $1,354,733,680 (capital value).
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
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Towns and communities
The Wakefield Regional Council includes the following townships located in the area:- Alma
- Avon
- BalaklavaBalaklava, South AustraliaThe town of Balaklava is located in South Australia, 92 kilometres north of Adelaide in the Mid North region. It is on the banks of the Wakefield River, 25 kilometres east of Port Wakefield.-History:...
- Barabba Hill
- Barunga
- Barunga Gap
- Beaufort
- BlythBlyth, South AustraliaBlyth is a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, located west of the renowned Clare Valley. It has a population of 306, the farming community spanning the plains between the Clare Hills and the Barunga/Hummocks ranges...
- Boucaut
- Bowillia
- Bowmans
- BrinkworthBrinkworth, South AustraliaBrinkworth is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia with a current population of 401. It is 32 km north of the regional centre of Clare.The Brinkworth area was first settled in the 1860s and the town laid out in 1892...
- BumbungaBumbunga, South AustraliaBumbunga is a small town located in the Mid North of South Australia north of Adelaide at . It lies east of Lake Bumbunga.According to anthropologist Norman Tindale the name was derives from the Parnpangka term for 'rain water lake'....
- Burnsfield
- Cameron
- Condowie
- Condowie Plains
- Corcondo
- Dalkey
- Erith
- Everard
- Everard Central
- Goyder
- HalburyHalbury, South AustraliaHalbury is a former railway town in South Australia, west of the Clare Valley, halfway between Balaklava and Auburn. At the 2006 census, Halbury had a population of 363.-Etymology:...
- Hamley BridgeHamley Bridge, South AustraliaHamley Bridge is a community in South Australia located at the junction of the Gilbert and Light rivers, as well as the site of a former railway junction....
- Hart
- Hope Gap
- Hoskins Corner
- HoyletonHoyleton, South AustraliaHoyleton is a former railway town in South Australia, west of the Clare Valley, halfway between Leasingham and Halbury. At the 2006 census, Hoyleton had a population of 283....
- Inkerman
- Kallora
- Kybunga
- Lakeview
- LochielLochiel, South AustraliaLochiel is a small town located in the Mid North of South Australia 125 km north of Adelaide at . The town lies beside on the western edge of Lake Bumbunga and at the eastern foot of the Hummocks Range...
- Lorne
- Maro Creek
- Marola
- Mount Templeton
- MundooraMundoora, South AustraliaMundoora is a settlement in South Australia. In 1876, Mundoora was connected to Port Broughton by a horse drawn railway. This has since fallen into disuse. At the 2006 census, Mundoora had a population of 248.-References:...
- NantawarraNantawarra, South AustraliaBowmans is a locality in South Australia's Mid North. At the 2006 census, Bowmans had a population of 203.Nantawarra is a town in the postal area of Bowmans. The township is located just east of Highway 1, approximately 125km north of Adelaide...
- OwenOwen, South AustraliaOwen is a rural community in the heart of the Adelaide Plains. Owen is above sea-level and receives a reliable 416 mm of rain annually and was first settled in about 1865. It is about 80 km north of Adelaide in South Australia and is approximately 30 minutes by road to the nearest main...
- Pinery
- Port WakefieldPort Wakefield, South AustraliaPort Wakefield was the first government town to be established north of the capital, Adelaide, in South Australia.Port Wakefield is situated approximately 98.7 kilometres from Adelaide and lies on the Port Wakefield Road section of the A1 National Highway...
- Proof Range
- Rochester
- Saints
- Salter Springs
- SnowtownSnowtown, South AustraliaThe town of Snowtown is located in the Mid North of South Australia 145 km north of Adelaide and lies on the main route between Adelaide and Perth. The town's elevation is 103 metres and on average the town receives 389 mm of rainfall per annum.-History:...
- Stockyard Creek
- Stow
- Watchman
- WhitwartaWhitwarta, South AustraliaWhitwarta is a town in South Australia. The town is situated beside the Wakefield River about 100 km north of the state capital, Adelaide. The name Whitwarta means freshwater , a reference to the freshwater springs that exist along the pronounced bend in the river nearby...
- Wokurna
History
The body came into being on 1 July 1997, as a result of the amalgamation of the former District Councils of:- BlythBlyth, South AustraliaBlyth is a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, located west of the renowned Clare Valley. It has a population of 306, the farming community spanning the plains between the Clare Hills and the Barunga/Hummocks ranges...
-SnowtownSnowtown, South AustraliaThe town of Snowtown is located in the Mid North of South Australia 145 km north of Adelaide and lies on the main route between Adelaide and Perth. The town's elevation is 103 metres and on average the town receives 389 mm of rainfall per annum.-History:...
and - Wakefield PlainsWakefield PlainsThe District Council of Wakefield Plains was a local government area in South Australia.It amalgamated with the former District Council of Blyth-Snowtown to form the Wakefield Regional Council with effect from 1 July 1997.-External links:*...
.
The amalgamation occurred when much of the boundary reform of the local government was coming from the State Government as a result of various provisions contained in the "Local Government Act 1934". As a result, the number of local councils in South Australia was reduced from 118 to 68 by the deadline of 30 June 1999. The extent of this reform was in-line with the Australian Federal Government's overall broader micro-economic reform plans.
The area falling under Wakefield Regional Council (WRC) has been much affected by local government boundary changes that have taken place since the early 1980s. Before 1983 the area consisted of five local government district councils which have now all been subsumed into the WRC.
The Council's development plans are set out in the Green Paper.
Geography
On the west side of Wakefield council area is the coastal fringe along the north east of Gulf St Vincent and the HummocksHummocks Range
The Hummocks Range is a range of hills starting just north of the apex of Gulf St Vincent in South Australia near the settlements of South Hummocks and Kulpara...
and Barunga
Barunga Range
The Barunga Range is a range of hills starting near Clements Gap and Merriton in South Australia. Toward the range's southern end it merges with the Hummocks Range at Barunga Gap, approximately south west of Snowtown....
ranges. The area spans wide fertile plains to the north Mount Lofty Ranges
Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains just to the east of Adelaide in South Australia.-Location and description:The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over before petering out north of Peterborough...
on its eastern border. Immediately to the east of the Hummocks and Barunga ranges are a series are low-lying salt lakes, of which Lake Bumbunga
Lake Bumbunga
Lake Bumbunga is a salt lake located in South Australia's Mid North near the towns of Lochiel and Bumbunga.According to anthropologist Norman Tindale the name was derives from the Parnpangka term for 'rain water lake'....
is the largest.
Transport
The regional area is well served by a developed transport and communication networks. The main roads, which include the Stuart HighwayStuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
, are all sealed and there are well maintained minor gravel roads.
There is no rail service for passengers in the council area, but it is traversed by the national Sydney-Perth line as well as by the state rail network.
Demographics
The population of Wakefield Regional Council is 6,756 (2009 estimate).The council recorded a net decrease in its population of 4.2% between 1991-2001, about 27 people per annum. In 2001, the median age of the population was 39, an increase of 5 years since 1991, indicating a trend towards an aging population.
The council's geographical area covers 3469.4 sqkm in which 2695 kilometres (1,674.6 mi) of road existed at 30 June 2002. As at 1 July 2005, the total assessed value within the council area was $1,354,733,680 (capital value).