City of Botany Bay New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | 39,356 (2011 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 1,471/km2 (3,810/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 29 March 1888 (Botany) 11 May 1996 (Botany Bay) | ||||||||||||||
Abolished | 9 September 2016 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 26.75 km2 (10.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Ben Keneally (Labor) | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Botany Town Hall, Botany | ||||||||||||||
Region | South-Eastern Sydney | ||||||||||||||
Parish | Botany | ||||||||||||||
Website | City of Botany Bay | ||||||||||||||
|
The City of Botany Bay was a local government area in the Inner South and South-Eastern region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area encompassed the suburbs to the north of Botany Bay, such as Botany. First proclaimed in 1888 as the "Borough of Botany", the council became the "Municipality of Botany" from 1906 to 1996, when it was proclaimed a city as the "City of Botany Bay".
The administrative centre was located at Mascot, which is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of the Sydney central business district. The city was amalgamated with the neighbouring City of Rockdale on 9 September 2016 to form Bayside Council. The last mayor of the City of Botany Bay prior to amalgamation was Cr. Ben Keneally, a member of the Labor Party and the husband of Kristina Keneally, a former Premier of New South Wales.
Suburbs in the City of Botany Bay were:
First proclaimed in 1888 as the "Borough of Botany", the first council, divided into three wards (Booralee Ward, Cook Ward, Banks Ward), was elected on 9 June 1888. [2] [3] On 15 July 1899, the Botany Town Hall, designed by Byera Hadley, was opened by the governor, Lord Beauchamp. [4] [5] The town hall remained the seat and primary meeting-place of the council until amalgamation in 2016.
The council became the "Municipality of Botany" from 1906 to 11 May 1996, when it was proclaimed a city as the "City of Botany Bay" by the Governor of New South Wales, Gordon Samuels at Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany. [6] The council wards were abolished from 31 January 1908. [7] Under the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, the Municipality of Mascot (formerly North Botany), which was located immediately to the North, was amalgamated into Botany.
In February 2016, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) commenced a public inquiry (known as Operation Ricco) into allegations that the former chief financial officer employed by the council and other council employees, dishonestly exercised official functions to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others by causing fraudulent payments of more than A$4.2 million to be made by the council through false invoicing to either themselves, or various entities. It was also alleged that the former chief financial officer and the council employees dishonestly exercised official functions to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others by using council resources. [8] The inquiry heard that certain senior staff were "totally unqualified" for their positions, and that a culture of "extremely poor corporate governance" allowed official corruption to occur. [9]
It was also revealed that the council's General Manager until 2011, Peter Fitzgerald, had used thousands of dollars in "discretionary" council funds for personal items, private travel for himself and family, in addition to receiving annual cheques for $20,000 from the council for travelling expenses. Fitzgerald admitted that he had not seen a single statement for any of his council accounts until shortly before his retirement in 2011, and was not aware if he had exceeded those "discretionary" limits. [10]
In July 2017, ICAC released its report and found that former chief financial officer, Gary Goodman, and eleven other council employees had acted corruptly, after raising more than $5 million in fake invoices and charging more than $600,000 in personal expenditure on council credit cards, and recommended prosecutions against all. [11] [12] [13] However, despite the specific findings against individuals, the final report noted in particular that "The scale, breadth and duration of corruption at the Council cannot be attributed to a few rogue individuals alone. Overwhelming failures in the Council’s procedures and governance framework created significant opportunities for corruption, and Mr Goodman and others took full advantage." [14]
With the merger of Botany Bay into Bayside Council in September 2016, the legacy of "significant breakdowns in administrative, financial and governance internal controls identified in the former council" had ramifications for the auditing and accounting processes in the new Council with the Council stating that it was unable "to ensure completeness of [their] financial statements as a whole", and the first mayor of Bayside Council, Bill Saravinovski, in particular noted that, "the misappropriations and costs of remediation result in a net fund deficit of $17 million, placing Bayside Council at a significant disadvantage". [15] [16]
A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Botany Bay merge with the City of Rockdale to form a new council with an area of 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 153,000. [17]
There was significant community opposition to the merger from within both communities. In Botany Bay, residents were given the chance to have their say in a community poll which was held on 27 February 2016. [18] Ultimately 97.8 per cent of Botany Bay residents voted 'no' when asked the question 'Do you agree that the City of Botany Bay should merge with Rockdale City Council?'. [19] Botany Bay attempted to seek a compromise by proposing to merge with the City of Randwick and parts of the City of Sydney. [20] [21]
With the proclamation of the majority of council amalgamations on 12 May 2016, Botany Bay Council appealed the decision in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, thereby delaying the proposed amalgamation until a decision was made by the Court. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal in early September 2016, and the Minister for Local Government, Paul Toole, moved quickly to proclaim the formation of Bayside Council on 9 September 2016, with the former administrator of Central Darling Shire, Greg Wright, appointed as the Administrator. [22] [23] [24]
As of the 2011 census, there were 39,356 people in the Botany Bay local government area, of these 49.5% were male and 50.5% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.6% of the population. The median age of people in the City of Botany Bay was 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 14.4% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 47.6% were married and 11.4% were either divorced or separated. [1]
Population growth in the City of Botany Bay between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 5.18%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 5.19%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Botany Bay local government area was lower than the national average. [1] [25] [26]
Selected historical census data for the City of Botany Bay local government area | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Census year | 2001 [25] | 2006 [26] | 2011 [1] | ||
Population | Estimated residents on Census night | 35,572 | 37,415 | 39,356 | |
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 61 | ||||
% of New South Wales population | 0.5% | 0.57% | |||
% of Australian population | 0.19% | 0.18% | 0.18% | ||
Cultural and language diversity | |||||
Ancestry, top responses | Australian | 16.7% | |||
English | 14.5% | ||||
Chinese | 8.0% | ||||
Irish | 5.8% | ||||
Greek | 5.6% | ||||
Language, top responses (other than English) | Greek | 7.4% | 6.5% | 5.8% | |
Bengali | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.6% | ||
Indonesian | n/c | n/c | 3.2% | ||
Spanish | 4.5% | 3.8% | 3.2% | ||
Mandarin Chinese | n/c | n/c | 3.0% | ||
Religious affiliation | |||||
Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 35.0% | 34.2% | 32.9% | |
No religion | 7.5% | 10.1% | 13.0% | ||
Anglican | 13.2% | 12.2% | 10.8% | ||
Eastern Orthodox | 10.9% | 10.2% | 9.5% | ||
Islam | 8.3% | 7.8% | 8.1% | ||
Median weekly incomes | |||||
Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$453 | A$575 | ||
% of Australian median income | 97.2% | 99.7% | |||
Family income | Median weekly family income | A$995 | A$1,488 | ||
% of Australian median income | 96.9% | 100.5% | |||
Household income | Median weekly household income | A$1,166 | A$1,245 | ||
% of Australian median income | 99.6% | 100.9% | |||
Botany Bay City Council was composed of seven councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor was directly elected for a four-year term from 1995 to 2016 while the six other Councillors were elected proportionally as six separate wards, each electing one councillor. From 1948 to 1995 the council consisted of 15 councillors/aldermen, with three elected in each of five wards. [27] From 1995 to 2008, the councillors were elected at-large and from 2008 to 2012 the councillors were elected to three wards (A, B, C), with two councillors elected in each. [28] The most recent election was held on 8 September 2012. In Wards One and Five, only one candidate nominated for election. There being no additional candidates, the election for these Wards was uncontested. [29] The final makeup of the council at the last election for the term 2012–2016, including the mayor, was as follows: [30]
Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mayor | Ben Keneally | Labor | Mayor 2012–2016 | |
Ward One | George Glinatsis | Labor | Elected 1991, Deputy Mayor 1995–2015 [31] | |
Ward Two | Brian Troy | Labor | Elected 1987 | |
Ward Three | Christina Curry | Labor | Elected 2012 | |
Ward Four | Stan Kondilios | Labor | Elected 1995, Deputy Mayor 2015–2016 | |
Ward Five | Greg Mitchell | Labor | Elected 1982 | |
Ward Six | Mark Castle | Labor | Elected 2008 |
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | 8,902 | 66.33 | 6 | ||||
Independent | 3,264 | 24.32 | 0 | ||||
Greens | 1,254 | 9.34 | 0 | ||||
Formal votes | 13,420 |
Mayor | Party | Term | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
James John Macfadyen | Independent | 20 August 1888 – 13 February 1890 | [33] [34] | |
John E. Chant | Independent | 13 February 1890 – 14 February 1891 | [35] | |
Charles R. Swinbourne | Independent | 14 February 1891 – 10 February 1893 | [36] [37] | |
Francis John Luland | Independent | 10 February 1893 – 14 February 1895 | [38] [39] | |
James John Macfadyen | Independent | 14 February 1895 – 13 February 1896 | [40] | |
Joseph Pemberton | Independent | 13 February 1896 – 9 February 1897 | [41] | |
Joshua Wiggins | Independent | 9 February 1897 – 8 February 1898 | [42] | |
Francis Hambly | Independent | 8 February 1898 – 10 February 1900 | [43] [44] [45] | |
Oscar William Nilson | Independent | 10 February 1900 – 16 February 1901 | [46] | |
William Stephen | Independent | 16 February 1901 – 10 February 1902 | [47] | |
Frederick Page | Independent | 10 February 1902 – 12 February 1903 | [48] | |
Francis John Luland | Independent | 12 February 1903 – 20 February 1905 | [49] [50] [51] | |
Clement Frederick Etherden | Independent | 20 February 1905 – February 1909 | [52] [53] [54] | |
Frederick Anderson | Independent | February 1909 – 11 February 1910 | [55] | |
John Herford | Independent | 11 February 1910 – 9 February 1911 | [56] | |
William Hale | Independent | 9 February 1911 – 12 February 1913 | [57] [58] | |
Oscar William Nilson | Independent | 12 February 1913 – 10 February 1914 | [59] [60] | |
William David Stephen | Independent | 10 February 1914 – 10 February 1915 | [61] | |
James Facer Gray Siddins | Independent | 10 February 1915 – 17 February 1916 | [62] | |
William David Stephen | Independent | 17 February 1916 – February 1919 | [63] [64] [65] | |
Harold Hickson | Independent | February 1919 – December 1920 | [66] | |
William David Stephen | Independent | December 1920 – December 1922 | [67] [68] | |
John Herford | Independent | December 1922 – December 1924 | [69] [70] [71] | |
James Facer Gray Siddins | Independent | December 1924 – 1 December 1927 | [72] [73] [74] [75] | |
Frederick Page | Independent | 1 December 1927 – December 1928 | [76] | |
George Frederick Anderson | Independent | December 1928 – December 1930 | [77] | |
Frederick James Kerr | Independent | December 1930 – December 1932 | [78] [79] | |
William Herford | Independent | December 1932 – December 1937 | [80] [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] [86] | |
George Frederick Anderson | Independent | December 1937 – 1 December 1938 | [87] | |
Garnet Arthur Jackson | Labor | 1 December 1938 – 4 December 1939 | [88] | |
Cyril Henry Edward Wall | Labor | 4 December 1939 – December 1940 | [89] | |
Garnet Arthur Jackson | Labor | December 1940 – December 1941 | [90] | |
George Valentine Arthur | Labor | December 1941 – December 1942 | ||
John James Chalmers | Labor | December 1942 – December 1943 | [91] | |
John Francis McCarthy | Labor | December 1943 – December 1944 | [92] | |
Cecil Dengate Hensley | Labor | December 1944 – December 1945 | [93] [94] | |
James Sydney Greenfield | Labor | December 1945 – December 1946 | [95] | |
Thomas Henry Albert Tierney | Labor | December 1946 – December 1948 | [96] | |
Francis Bernard Joyce | Labor | December 1948 – December 1953 | [97] [98] [99] | |
John Samuel Elphick | Labor | December 1953 – December 1954 | [100] | |
Alexander McPherson | Labor | December 1954 – December 1956 | [101] | |
John Samuel Elphick | Labor | December 1956 – December 1962 | [102] | |
Gladstone Sparks | December 1963 – December 1964 | [103] | ||
Alfred P. P. Lever | December 1964 – December 1965 | [102] | ||
George R. Hanna | December 1965 – December 1966 | [102] | ||
James Slattery | December 1966 – September 1968 | [102] | ||
John Samuel Elphick | Labor | September 1968 – September 1969 | [102] | |
James Slattery | September 1969 – September 1970 | [102] | ||
Alfred P. P. Lever | September 1970 – September 1971 | [102] | ||
James Tobin | Labor | September 1971 – September 1972 | [102] | |
John Samuel Elphick | Labor | September 1972 – September 1974 | [102] | |
Robert Mann | Labor | September 1974 – September 1975 | [102] | |
James Tobin | Labor | September 1975 – September 1976 | [102] | |
Robert Mann | Labor | September 1976 – September 1977 | [102] | |
James Tobin | Labor | September 1977 – September 1980 | [102] | |
Robert Mann | Labor | September 1980 – September 1981 | [102] | |
Ron Hoenig | Labor | September 1981 – 8 September 2012 | [102] | |
Ben Keneally | Labor | 8 September 2012 – 12 May 2016 | [104] |
The Local Government Act, 1993 removed the requirement that the administrative head of a council be a "Town or Shire Clerk" and specified that the head was to be known as the "General Manager".
Years | Officeholder | Notes |
---|---|---|
8 August 1888 – 27 May 1889 | George Garton | [105] |
27 May 1889 – 12 November 1890 | Samuel Tickle | [106] |
12 November 1890 – 27 October 1899 | Benjamin Radford | [107] [108] |
27 October 1899 – December 1912 | Benjamin Morgan | [109] [110] [111] |
December 1912 – 12 February 1913 | J. A. Wauchope (acting) | [112] |
12 February 1913 – August 1915 | Roland Charles Rose | [113] [114] |
September 1915 – September 1923 | Samuel Morgan | [115] [116] |
September 1923 – 30 March 1939 | Leo Roy Flack | [117] [118] |
30 March 1939 – 24 May 1939 | John Edward Brotchie (acting) | [119] |
24 May 1939 – April 1943 | Sidney D. Marchant | [120] [121] [122] |
May 1943 – 31 December 1948 | John Edward Brotchie | [123] |
1 January 1949 – September 1964 | T. G. Barber | [124] |
September 1964 – 1974 | R. Madden | [125] |
1974 – 1982 | J. Evans | [126] |
1982 – 1984 | A. S. Ford | [127] |
1984 – 1997 | J. F. Patterson | [128] [129] [130] |
1997 – June 2011 | Peter Fitzgerald | [14] |
June 2011 – 12 May 2016 | Lara Kirchner | [14] [131] |
|
Marrickville Council was a local government area located in the Inner West region of Sydney, Australia. It was originally created on 1 November 1861 as the "Municipality of Marrickville". On 12 May 2016, Marrickville Council was forcibly merged with Ashfield and Leichhardt councils into the newly formed Inner West Council.
The City of Randwick is a local government area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1859, Randwick is the second-oldest local government area in New South Wales, after the City of Sydney. It comprises an area of 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi) and as per the 2021 census had a population of 134,252.
The City of Rockdale was a local government area in southern and St George regions of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre was located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the western shores of Botany Bay. First proclaimed on 13 January 1871, Rockdale was formerly known as the Municipality of West Botany until 1887 and the Municipality of Rockdale before being proclaimed as a City in 1995. Rockdale was amalgamated with the neighbouring City of Botany Bay on 9 September 2016 to form the new municipality of Bayside Council.
Waverley Council is a Local government area in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. First incorporated on 16 June 1859 as the Municipality of Waverley, it is one of the oldest-surviving local government areas in New South Wales. Waverley is bounded by the Tasman Sea to the east, the Municipality of Woollahra to the north, and the City of Randwick in the south and west. The administrative centre of Waverley Council is located on Bondi Road in Bondi Junction in the Council Chambers on the corner of Waverley Park.
The Municipality of Alexandria was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Originally part of the municipalities of Redfern from 1859 and Waterloo from 1860, the Borough of Alexandria was proclaimed on 27 August 1868. With an area of 4.2 square kilometres, it included the modern suburbs of Alexandria, Beaconsfield and parts of Eveleigh, St Peters and Erskineville. After a minor boundary change with the Municipality of Erskineville in 1908, the council was amalgamated with the City of Sydney, along with most of its neighbours, with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, although the former council area was later transferred in 1968–1982 and 1989–2004 to the South Sydney councils.
The Municipality of Newtown was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed as a borough in 1862 and, with an area of 1.9 square kilometres, was centred on the suburb of Newtown, including parts of Erskineville and Enmore. The municipality was divided into four wards: Kingston, Enmore, O'Connell and Camden. In 1949 under the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, Newtown Municipal Council was merged with the larger neighbouring City of Sydney which was located immediately to the North, although parts were subsequently, from 1968, moved into Marrickville Council. Mayors included Lilian Fowler (1938–1939), the first female mayor in Australia.
The Municipality of Redfern was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The small municipality was proclaimed in 1859 as one of the first municipalities proclaimed under the new provisions of the Municipalities Act, 1858, and was centred on the suburbs of Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington and Surry Hills. The council was amalgamated, along with most of its neighbours, with the City of Sydney to the north with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948. From 1968 to 1982 and from 1989 to 2004, the area was part of the South Sydney councils.
The Municipality of Darlington was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed in 1864 and, with an area of 0.2 square kilometres, was the smallest municipal council in Sydney. It included the entire suburb of Darlington, excepting a small block between Golden Grove and Forbes streets, which was administered by the Municipality of Redfern in Golden Grove Ward. The council was amalgamated, along with most of its neighbours, with the City of Sydney to the north with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948. From 1968 to 1982 and from 1989 to 2004, the area was part of the South Sydney councils.
The Municipality of Annandale was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed on 29 December 1893 as the Borough of Annandale when the East Ward of Leichhardt Council separated, and, with an area of 1.4 square kilometres, covered the entire suburb of Annandale, excepting a small block between Johnstons Creek, Booth Street and Parramatta Road. The council was amalgamated with the Municipality of Leichhardt to the west with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.
The Municipality of Balmain was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed in February 1860 and, with an area of 3.8 square kilometres, covered the entire peninsula of Balmain north of Callan Park and Foucart Street, including the present suburbs of Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove and Rozelle. The council was amalgamated with the municipalities of Leichhardt and Annandale to the south with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.
Bayside Council is a local government area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located around part of Botany Bay, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of the Sydney CBD. It includes suburbs of Southern Sydney as well as a portion in the Eastern Suburbs. It comprises an area of 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) and as at the 2016 census had a population of 156,058.
The Municipality of The Glebe was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed on 1 August 1859 and, with an area of 2 square kilometres, included the modern suburbs of Glebe and Forest Lodge. The council was amalgamated with the City of Sydney to the east with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, although parts of the former council area were transferred in 1967 to the Municipality of Leichhardt to the west.
The Municipality of Enfield was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed as the Borough of Enfield on 17 January 1889 and, with an area of 3.6 square kilometres, included the modern suburbs of Croydon, Croydon Park and Strathfield South, with parts of Enfield, Belfield and Greenacre included in the West Ward. In 1949, the council was split into two, with Central and East Wards being added to the Municipality of Burwood and the West Ward being added into the Municipality of Strathfield, with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.
The Municipality of Paddington was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed on 17 April 1860 and, with an area of 1.7 square kilometres, included the entire suburb of Paddington and parts of Edgecliff. The council was amalgamated with the City of Sydney to the east with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, although the former council area was transferred in 1968 to the Municipality of Woollahra, transferred to the City of South Sydney in 1989 and was then split in 2003 between the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra.
The Municipality of Mascot was a local government area in the inner south of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed as the Borough of North Botany on 29 March 1888 and was renamed to the Municipality of Mascot, in order to differentiate itself from their southern neighbour, from 31 October 1911. It included the modern suburbs of Eastlakes and Daceyville, with parts of Mascot and Pagewood. From 1 January 1949, the council was amalgamated into the Municipality of Botany, with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.
The Borough of Victoria was a local government area in the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. First proclaimed as the Victoria Ward of the Borough of St Leonards in 1867, in 1871 a petition to secede was accepted and the Borough was proclaimed with an area of 0.7km2, making it the second-smallest council in Sydney after the Borough of Darlington. It included the modern suburbs of McMahons Point and parts of North Sydney and Lavender Bay. The borough lasted until 29 July 1890 when it merged with the neighbouring boroughs of St Leonards and East St Leonards to form the Borough of North Sydney.
The Municipality of Vaucluse was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed as the "Borough of Vaucluse" on 1 May 1895, seceding from the Municipality of Woollahra, and included the modern suburbs of Vaucluse and Watsons Bay. The council was re-amalgamated with Woollahra to the south with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.