LGAs around Alexandrina Council: | ||
City of Onkaparinga | District Council of Mount Barker | Rural City of Murray Bridge |
District Council of Yankalilla | Alexandrina Council | Rural City of Murray Bridge |
City of Victor Harbor | The Coorong District Council | |
Alexandrina Council is a local government area in the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island region of South Australia. [2] The Alexandrina Council was formed on 1 July 1997 by the amalgamation of the District Council of Port Elliot and Goolwa, the District Council of Strathalbyn and a portion of the District Council of Willunga. [3] [4] [5] The council is divided into five wards: Nangkita Kuitpo, Angas Bremer, Port Elliot Middleton, Strathalbyn and Goolwa Hindmarsh Island. [1]
The district relies on a diverse range of industries including agriculture, fishing, forestry, viticulture and tourism to supply its economy. Many of the towns encompassed in the council are popular tourist towns not far from Adelaide.
The economy of the Alexandrina Council is very diverse, which may be attributed to the great diversity of landscapes within its boundaries, allowing for diverse rural, fishing and tourism industries to occur. The largest part of the economy comes from agriculture, with a wide variety of farming practices including dairy, beef and sheep farming, with areas around Goolwa and Mount Compass prominent in the dairy industry. [6] A number of crops including cereals, as well as lucerne are planted in the district. Langhorne Creek and Currency Creek are well known for their viticulture, producing high quality Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Chardonnay. [7] In the Kuitpo region, forestry is prominent, with large tracts of pine present. [8]
The district borders two bodies of water, [2] Encounter Bay and Lake Alexandrina, which are commercially exploited for a variety of fish and crustaceans. The coast produce shark, mulloway and Australian salmon, as well as huge numbers of Goolwa cockles which are exported all over South Australia. Commercial fishing above the locks has become highly regulated to conserve native fish species but golden perch and Murray cod are still caught, and a number of operators have found markets for the invasive European carp. [9]
The area also has a significant tourism industry, particularly based around the Murray River at Goolwa and the beaches of Port Elliot and Middleton. The SteamRanger Cockle Train operates from Goolwa and stops at Port Elliot on the way to Victor Harbor.
In the 2021 census, there were 28,730 people who were usually resident in Alexandrina Council's bounds: 48.8% were males and 51.2% were females. Of the total population, 1.6% were Indigenous persons. [10]
It was found that 14.2% of the population usually resident in Alexandrina Council were aged between 0–14 years, and 48.3% were persons aged 55 years and over. The median age of persons was 53 years, compared with 38 years for persons in Australia.
In the 2021 census, 78.1% of people stated they were born in Australia, with lower numbers immigrating from a number of countries, with the most prominent being: England 9.1%, New Zealand 0.9%, Scotland 0.8%, Netherlands 0.7%, and Germany 0.7%.
The most common responses for religious affiliation for persons usually resident were: No Religion 51.7%, Anglican 9.9%, Catholic 8.5%, and Uniting Church 7.6%.
The main towns and localities within the council are:
Smaller towns and localities covered by the council are:
Angas Plains, Belvidere, Blackfellows Creek, Bletchley, Bull Creek, Dingabledinga, Finniss, Gemmells, Hartley, Highland Valley, Hope Forest, Kuitpo, Kuitpo Colony, Kyeema, Lake Plains, McHarg Creek, Montarra, Mosquito Hill, Mount Jagged, Mount Magnificent, Mount Observation, Mundoo Island, Nangkita, Nurragi, Pages Flat, Paris Creek, Point Sturt, Prospect Hill, Red Creek, Salem, Sandergrove, The Range, Tolderol (part), Tooperang, Willunga Hill, Willyaroo, Woodchester, Yundi. [11]
Keith Parkes |
Ward | Councillor | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Mayor [1] | Keith Parkes | ||
Nangkita Kuitpo [1] | Bill Coomans | ||
Angas Bremer [1] | Karyn Bradford | ||
Michael Farrier | |||
Port Elliot Middleton [1] | Michael Scott ASM OAM | ||
Bronwyn Lewis | |||
Strathalbyn [1] | Rex Keily AM | ||
Craig Maidment | |||
Goolwa Hindmarsh Island [1] | John Carter | ||
Margaret Gardner | |||
James Stewart | |||
Melissa Rebbeck | |||
Alexandrina Council has a directly elected mayor. [12]
Statistics from Annual Reports
Report | Report size (pg) | Area (ha) | Pop. (est.) | Assess -ments | Voters | Council size | Sealed roads (km) | Unsealed roads (km) | Total roads (km) | Staff F.T. | Staff P.T. | Staff Other | Staff Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998/99 | 23 | 167,711 | 16,000 | 13,000 | 14,075 | 10 | 361 | 989 | 1350 | [13] | ||||
1999/00 | 35 | 167,711 | 17,300 | 14,132 | 18,668 | 10 | 424 | 951 | 1375 | 88 | 8 | 96 | [14] | |
2000/01 | 40 | 167,711 | 17,535 | 14,132 | 18,668 | 10 | 424 | 1000 | 1424 | 102 | 14 | 116 | [15] | |
2001/02 | 80 | 167,711 | 18,500 | 14,132 | 18,688 | 10 | 424 | 951 | 1375 | 96 | 13 | 19 | 128 | [16] |
2002/03 | 82 | 167,711 | 20,318 | 15,345 | 20,320 | 11 | 482 | 865 | 1347 | 100 | 18 | 24 | 142 | [17] |
2003/04 | 107 | 167,711 | 21,000 | 15,675 | 20,866 | 11 | 491 | 876 | 1367 | 107 | 15 | 26 | 148 | [18] |
2004/05 | 108 | 180,000 | 22,000 | 16,264 | 22,127 | 11 | 502 | 866 | 1368 | 113 | 21 | 22 | 156 | [19] |
2005/06 | 107 | 180,000 | 22,000 | 17,482 | 22,127 | 11 | 502 | 866 | 1368 | 112 | 27 | 20 | 159 | [20] |
2006/07 | 105 | 180,000 | 20,715 | 16,671 | 22,127 | 11 | 518 | 846 | 1364 | 109 | 24 | 33 | 166 | [21] |
2007/08 | 119 | 180,000 | 22,026 | 17,638 | 22,127 | 11 | 534 | 820 | 1354 | 110 | 17 | 56 | 183 | [22] |
2008/09 | 132 | 180,000 | 22,350 | 17,702 | 24,338 | 11 | 528 | 800 | 1328 | 138 | 29 | 34 | 201 | [23] |
2009/10 | 131 | 180,000 | 23,160 | 17,702 | 24,111 | 11 | 528 | 800 | 1328 | 118 | 24 | 48 | 190 | [24] |
Lake Alexandrina is a coastal freshwater lake located between the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island and Murray and Mallee regions of South Australia, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-east of Adelaide. The lake adjoins the smaller Lake Albert and a coastal lagoon called The Coorong to its southeast, before draining into the Great Australian Bight via a short, narrow opening known as Murray Mouth.
Goolwa, known as The Elbow to early settlers, is an historic river port on the Murray River near the Murray Mouth in South Australia. Goolwa is approximately 85 km (53 mi) south of Adelaide, and is joined by a bridge to Hindmarsh Island.
Port Elliot is a town in South Australia toward the eastern end of the south coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula. It is situated on the sheltered Horseshoe Bay, a small bay off the much larger Encounter Bay. Pullen Island lies outside the mouth of the bay. At the 2006 census, Port Elliot had a population of 1,754, although this section of the coast is now built up almost all the way from Goolwa to Victor Harbor.
The District Council of Alexandrina was a local government area in rural South Australia from 1856 to 1888.
Currency Creek is a township and locality in South Australia on the western shore of Lake Alexandrina about 6 km north of Goolwa, beside a seasonal stream bearing the same name – Currency Creek – which flows into Lake Alexandrina. The locality includes the headland named Finniss Point which separates the mouths of Currency Creek and the Finniss River.
National Trust of South Australia is a membership-based community organisation to "promote the natural, Indigenous and cultural heritage" of South Australia. It was founded in 1955.
The Victor Harbor railway line is a 1600 mm broad gauge line in South Australia. It originally branched from the Adelaide to Melbourne line at Mount Barker Junction then ran 80.6 kilometres south to Victor Harbor. When the mainline was converted to 1435 mm standard gauge and the junction was closed, the northern end of the Victor Harbor line was curtailed at Mount Barker, 3 kilometres from the junction.
Alexandrina Road is a South Australian secondary road, connecting the towns of Strathalbyn and Goolwa. It has been designated part of route B37.
The Southern Argus is a newspaper first published from March 1866 in Port Elliot, South Australia, and then in Strathalbyn from 1868 to the present. It is published on Thursdays.
Belvidere is a small town in the Alexandrina Council area of South Australia. With the advent of improved transport, the town no longer has a school or post office. The Soldier's Memorial Hall was built in 1921 to commemorate the 17 young men of the district who served in World War I, five of whom did not return. It remains a part of the town and available for hire. It is located on the main road between Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek near where the road to Milang branches off.
Currency Creek Game Reserve is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located on the south-western side of Lake Alexandrina in the gazetted localities of Currency Creek and Goolwa North about 0.5 kilometres north-east of Goolwa.
The Times, also known as The Victor Harbor Times, is a newspaper published weekly in Victor Harbor, South Australia, since August 1912. Its title has, as with most regional newspapers, undergone a series of name changes and simplifications over its history. It was later sold to Rural Press, previously owned by Fairfax Media, but now an Australian media company trading as Australian Community Media.
The Milang railway line was a branch line, now closed, of the former South Australian Railways that left the mainline to Victor Harbor at the farming locality of Sandergrove, 9 km (5.6 mi) south of Strathalbyn and 89.7 km (55.7 mi) by rail from Adelaide. From there it proceeded in a south-easterly direction for 13.1 km (8.1 mi) to the riverport of Milang on Lake Alexandrina, in the estuary of the River Murray. The line was opened on 17 December 1884; it was formally closed on 17 June 1970. The route is now a "rail trail" that is popular with hikers. The precincts of the former Milang station house a railway museum that includes an innovative locomotive driving simulator for visitors to operate. Onsite is a centre for South Australian historical light railways.
The County of Hindmarsh is one of the 49 cadastral counties of South Australia. It was proclaimed by Governor George Grey in 1842 and named for Governor John Hindmarsh.
Goolwa South is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about 67 kilometres south of the state capital of Adelaide on both on the southern continental coastline and the south-western coast of Lake Alexandrina. It occupies the full extent of the Sir Richard Peninsula, land to the immediate west and part of the Goolwa Channel in the lake system to its north.
Goolwa Beach is both a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about 67 kilometres south of the Adelaide city centre located on land overlooking Encounter Bay on the southern continental coastline, and the name of the 11 km section of beach that runs from Goolwa Beach to the Murray Mouth.
The Hundred of Kondoparinga is a cadastral unit of hundred in South Australia. It was proclaimed on 29 October 1846 and covers an area of 210 square kilometres (80 sq mi). It is one of the eleven hundreds of the County of Hindmarsh.
The District Council of Kondoparinga was a local government area in South Australia from 1853 until 1935, at which point the council lands and resources formed the heart of the new District Council of Meadows.
Kyeema is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located about 39 kilometres (24 mi) south of the state capital of Adelaide and about and 27 kilometres (17 mi) north-west of the municipal seat of Goolwa.
The District Council of Strathalbyn was a local government area in South Australia centred on the town of Strathalbyn from 1854 until 1997. From 1868 the township itself was locally governed by the Corporation of Strathalbyn but that entity was amalgamated back into the district council in 1976.