City of Parramatta New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 33°49′S151°00′E / 33.817°S 151.000°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 256,729 (2021 census) [1] (12th) | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 3,056/km2 (7,920/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 27 November 1861 (Municipality) 27 October 1938 (City) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2153, 2152, 2151, 2150, 2147, 2146, 2145, 2142, 2141, 2128, 2127, 2122, 2121, 2119, 2118, 2117, 2116, 2115, 2114 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 84 km2 (32.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||||||||
• Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||||||||
Lord Mayor | Martin Zaiter | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Parramatta Town Hall | ||||||||||||||
Region | Greater Western Sydney | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
Website | City of Parramatta | ||||||||||||||
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The City of Parramatta, also known as Parramatta Council, is a local government area located to the west and north-west of Sydney CBD in the Greater Western Sydney region. Parramatta Council is situated between the City of Ryde and Cumberland, where the Cumberland Plain meets the Hornsby Plateau, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in New South Wales, Australia. The city occupies an area of 84 square kilometres (32 sq mi) spanning across suburbs in Greater Western Sydney including the Hills District, and a small section of Northern Sydney to the far north east of its area. According to the 2021 census, City of Parramatta had an estimated population of 256,729. [2] The city houses the Parramatta central business district which is one of the key suburban employment destinations for the region of Greater Western Sydney.
First incorporated on 27 November 1861 as the "Municipality of Parramatta", [3] the first mayor was emancipated convict John Williams who arrived in the colony in 1835. The council became known as the "Borough of Parramatta" on 23 December 1867 following the enactment of the Municipalities Act, 1867, and became a Municipality again following the 1906 Local Government Act. On 27 October 1938, the Local Government (City of Parramatta) Act was passed by the Parliament of New South Wales and proclaimed by the governor, Lord Wakehurst, making the town the "City of Parramatta". [4] [5]
From 1 January 1949 the "City of Parramatta" was re-formed following the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948 , when the councils of Ermington and Rydalmere (incorporated 1891), Dundas (incorporated 1889) and Granville (incorporated 1885) were merged into the council area. The Parramatta local government area was further expanded through the transfer of 10.7 km2 from the Municipality of Blacktown in 1972 taking in Winston Hills which has not serviced since this time. [6] In recognition of Parramatta's role Bi-centennial (coinciding with the Australian Bi-centennial), the title of 'Lord Mayor' was granted on 12 December 1988 by Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of Premier Nick Greiner. This made Parramatta the third Australian city that was not a capital to receive such an honour, after Newcastle and Wollongong.
A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Parramatta be reformed, adding areas from several adjoining councils. The NSW Government subsequently proposed a merger of parts of Parramatta (Woodville Ward), Auburn and Holroyd and a second merger of parts of the rest of Parramatta and parts of Auburn, The Hills, Hornsby, and Holroyd to form a new council. [7] [8]
On 12 May 2016, Parramatta City Council was abolished by the NSW Government. Parts of Auburn City Council (south of the M4 Western Motorway) and Parramatta City Council (Woodville Ward), and Holroyd City Council merged to form the Cumberland Council as a new local government area and the remainder of the Parramatta City Council, Auburn City Council north of the M4 Western Motorway (including Sydney Olympic Park), and small parts of Hornsby Shire, Holroyd and The Hills Shire were merged into the reformed "City of Parramatta". [9] [10]
Suburbs in the City of Parramatta are: [10]
The City of Parramatta Council operates a central library, heritage centre and six branch libraries at Carlingford, Constitution Hill, Dundas Valley, Epping, Ermington and Wentworth Point. It also provides a public swimming pool at Epping, five childcare centres and over ten community centres. [11] [12] The heritage-listed Parramatta Town Hall was completed in 1883 and houses the original council chamber meeting rooms as well as other function rooms. [13]
The City of Parramatta also operates a new waste collection service, FOGO. It started on 11 November 2024, and is aimed to reduce food scraps in landfill.
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Newer information is available from the 2021 census.(November 2024) |
At the 2016 census, there were 226,149 people in the City of Parramatta local government area that comprised 84 square kilometres (32 sq mi), of these 50% were male and 50% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.7% of the population. The median age of people in the City of Parramatta was 34 years; notably below the national median of 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 12.2% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 55.4% were married and 9% were either divorced or separated. [14] At the 2016 Census, the Parramatta local government area was linguistically diverse, with a significantly higher than average proportion (54.2%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 22.2%); and a significantly lower proportion (41.47) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.7%). The most commonly reported religious affiliation was "No Religion", at 24.5%. The proportion of residents who stated a religious affiliation with Hinduism was approximately six times the national average, with the median weekly income for residents slightly above the national average. [14]
Selected historical census data for Parramatta local government area | ||||||
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Census year | 2001 [15] | 2006 [16] | 2011 [17] | 2016 [14] | ||
Population | Estimated residents on census night | 143,143 | 148,323 | 166,858 | 226,149 | |
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 11th | 11th | 5th | |||
% of New South Wales population | 2.41% | 3.02% | ||||
% of Australian population | 0.76% | 0.75% | 0.78% | 0.97% | ||
Cultural and language diversity | ||||||
Ancestry, top responses | Australian | 23.9% | 22.9% | 18.1% | 13.1% | |
English | 21.8% | 17.8% | 16.8% | 13.7% | ||
Chinese | 9.4% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 16.4% | ||
Lebanese | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.5% | |||
Indian | 3.4% | 5.9% | 9.1% | 10.1% | ||
Language, top responses (other than English) | Arabic | 10.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% | 3.2% | |
Mandarin | 3.0% | 4.7% | 5.9% | 10.5% | ||
Cantonese | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 6.5% | ||
Korean | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 5.0% | ||
Hindi | 1.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.6% | ||
Religious affiliation | ||||||
Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 27.1% | 26.0% | 23.4% | 20.8% | |
No religion | 10.7% | 12.8% | 15.0% | 24.5% | ||
Anglican | 15.8% | 12.9% | 10.3% | 8.3% | ||
Islam | 7.0% | 8.2% | 9.7% | |||
Hinduism | 2.8% | 5.3% | 8.8% | 11.3% | ||
Median weekly incomes | ||||||
Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$443 | A$544 | A$722 | ||
% of Australian median income | 95.1% | 94.3% | 109.1% | |||
Family income | Median weekly family income | A$1,043 | A$1,451 | A$1,933 | ||
% of Australian median income | 101.6% | 98.0% | 111.5% | |||
Household income | Median weekly household income | A$1,172 | A$1,288 | A$1,759 | ||
% of Australian median income | 100.0% | 104.4% | 122.3% | |||
Dwelling structure | ||||||
Dwelling type | Separate house | 61.2% | 56.2% | 52.8% | 45.7% | |
Semi-detached, terrace or townhouse | 10.7 | 12.4% | 13.4% | 15.2% | ||
Flat or apartment | 26.8% | 30.7% | 33.5% | 38.4% | ||
City of Parramatta Council | |
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Leadership | |
Mayor | |
Deputy Mayor | Cameron MacLean (Labor) |
Structure | |
Seats | 15 councillors |
Map of elected councillors by party in each of the 5 wards [19] | |
Political groups |
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Elections | |
Single transferable vote | |
Last election | 14 September 2024 |
Next election | 16 September 2028 |
Meeting place | |
Parramatta Town Hall, the seat of the council since 1883 |
Between May 2016 and September 2017, the council was managed by an administrator appointed by the Government of New South Wales, Amanda Chadwick, until the first election for councillors took place on 9 September 2017. [10] The City of Parramatta Council comprises fifteen councillors elected proportionally, with three councillors in each ward. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The Lord Mayor is elected for a two-year term, with the Deputy Lord Mayor for one year, 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, in order of election by ward, is as follows:
Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
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Dundas Ward [20] | Anthony Ellard | Labor | Elected 2024 [21] | |
Tanya Raffoul | Liberal | Elected 2024 [21] | ||
Kellie Darley | Community Champions | Elected 2021 | ||
Epping Ward [22] | Sreeni Pillamarri | Liberal | Elected 2024, previously Hornsby Shire Councillor 2021–2024 | |
Cameron MacLean | Labor | Elected 2021, Deputy Lord Mayor 2023, Deputy Lord Mayor 2024 [23] | ||
Charles Chen | Lorraine Wearne Independents | Elected 2024 [21] | ||
North Rocks Ward [24] | Hayley French | Labor | Elected 2024 [21] | |
Georgina Valjak | Liberal | Elected 2021 as independent, re-elected 2024 as Liberal | ||
Manning Jeffrey | Liberal | Elected 2024 [21] | ||
Parramatta Ward [25] | Sameer Pandey | Labor | Elected 2017, Deputy Lord Mayor 2022–2023, Lord Mayor 2023 | |
Martin Zaiter | Liberal | Re-elected 2024, [21] Lord Mayor 2024–2026 [23] | ||
Judy Greenwood | Greens | Elected 2024 [21] | ||
Rosehill Ward [26] | Patricia Prociv | Labor | Elected 2017, Deputy Lord Mayor 2023–2024. | |
Steven Issa | Liberal | First elected 2012, Lord Mayor 2021, re-elected 2024, [21] | ||
Michael Ng | Labor | Elected 2024 [21] |
Office-holder | Term | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Lord Mayor | Martin Zaiter | 14 October 2024-2026 | [23] |
Deputy Lord Mayor | Cameron Maclean | 14 October 2024-2025 | [23] |
CEO [27] | Term | Notes | |
Gail Connolly | 28 March 2023 – present | CEO, [28] | |
Rik Hart (Acting) | 11 March 2019 – 16 September 2019 | General manager Warringah and Inner West Councils [29] | |
Mark Stapleton | 10 July 2018 – 11 March 2019 | Director of Property and Significant Assets [30] | |
Sue Coleman (interim) | 19 January 2018 – 10 July 2018 | Group Manager City Services | |
Greg Dyer | 12 May 2016 – 19 January 2018 | CEO, Parramatta City Council 3 February 2014 – 12 May 2016 [10] [31] [32] [33] [34] |
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | 41,777 | 35.7 | +30.0 | 6 | 5 | ||
Labor | 36,344 | 31.1 | −10.4 | 6 | 1 | ||
Community Champions | 12,735 | 10.9 | −6.7 | 1 | |||
Our Local Community | 11,902 | 10.2 | −9.2 | 0 | 4 | ||
Greens | 7,499 | 6.4 | −3.7 | 1 | |||
Lorraine Wearne Independents | 3,772 | 3.2 | −5.3 | 1 | |||
Paul Noack Independents | 1,471 | 1.3 | 0 | ||||
Libertarian | 1,355 | 1.2 | −0.8 | 0 | |||
Independents | 27 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||
Formal votes | 116,882 | 95.3 | |||||
Informal votes | 5,809 | 4.7 | |||||
Total | 122,691 | 15 | 0 |
The Liberal Party did not endorse any candidates, including its six councillors elected in 2017. [38]
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | 46,022 | 41.5 | +10.3 | 7 | 2 | ||
Our Local Community | 21,476 | 19.4 | +12.3 | 4 | 2 | ||
Greens | 11,233 | 10.1 | +2.7 | 1 | |||
Lorraine Wearne Independents | 9,423 | 8.5 | +4.4 | 1 | |||
Independent Liberal | 6,310 | 5.7 | −30.8 [a] | 1 | 5 [a] | ||
Kellie Darley Independents | 4,637 | 4.2 | +4.2 | 1 | 1 | ||
Lee Malkoun Independents | 3,489 | 3.1 | −5.9 [b] | 0 | [b] | ||
Small Business | 3,126 | 2.8 | +2.8 | 0 | |||
Liberal Democrats | 2,161 | 2.0 | +2.0 | 0 | |||
Independent | 1,882 | 1.7 | 0 | ||||
Community Need Not Corporate Greed | 1,026 | 0.9 | +0.9 | 0 | |||
Formal votes | 110,785 | 95.23 | |||||
Informal votes | 5,547 | 4.77 | |||||
Total | 116,332 | 100.0 |
Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the Australian state of New South Wales, 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. Epping is in the Northern Sydney region. The suburb is the most north-eastern area of the City of Parramatta. North Epping is a separate suburb to the north and under a different council, Hornsby Shire.
Greater Western Sydney (GWS) is a large region of the metropolitan area of Greater Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia that generally embraces the north-west, south-west, central-west, far western and the Blue Mountains sub-regions within Sydney's metropolitan area and encompasses 11 local government areas: Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Wollondilly. It includes Western Sydney, which has a number of different definitions, although the one consistently used is the region composed of ten local government authorities, most of which are members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC). The NSW Government's Office of Western Sydney calls the region "Greater Western Sydney".
Westmead is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Westmead is located 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of City of Parramatta and Cumberland Council and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.
The Hills Shire is a local government area in the Greater Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The area is north-west of the Sydney central business district, and encompasses 401 square kilometres (155 sq mi) stretching from the M2 Hills Motorway in the south to Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River in the north. The Hills Shire had a population of 191,876 as of the 2021 census.
Hornsby Shire is a local government area situated on the Upper North Shore as well as parts of the Hills District, of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The shire stretches from the M2 Hills Motorway in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some 53 kilometres (33 mi) to the north, making it the largest local government council in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan region by total area. As of the 2016 census the shire had an estimated population of 142,667.
Cumberland County is a county in the State of New South Wales, Australia. Most of the Sydney metropolitan area is located within the County of Cumberland.
North Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 19 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. North Epping is in the Northern Sydney region, and is often referred to as part of the "North-West" or North Shore. Epping is a separate suburb to the south and under the Parramatta City Council, which shares the postcode of 2121.
The City of Hawkesbury is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, located on the northern and north-western fringe of the Greater Sydney area, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district. Hawkesbury City is named after the Hawkesbury River. Major suburbs in the City of Hawkesbury are Windsor, Richmond and Pitt Town.
Wentworthville is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wentworthville is located 27 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Wentworthville is split between the local government areas of the City of Parramatta and the Cumberland Council. Wentworthville is colloquially known as 'Wenty'.
The City of Holroyd was a local government area in the western suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. First proclaimed in July 1872 as the "Municipal District of Prospect and Sherwood", it became the "Municipality of Prospect and Sherwood" from 1906 and in 1927 it was renamed the "Municipality of Holroyd" after Arthur Holroyd, the first mayor. From 1 January 1991, city status was granted, becoming the Holroyd City Council. The administrative centre of the City was located in the suburb of Merrylands, located approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the Sydney central business district.
Blacktown City Council is a local government area in Western Sydney, situated on the Cumberland Plain, approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1906 as the Blacktown Shire and becoming the Municipality of Blacktown in 1961 before gaining city status in 1979, the City occupies an area of 246.9 square kilometres (95.3 sq mi) and has a population of 410,419, making it the most populous local government area in Sydney.
The Auburn City Council was a local government area in the Greater Western Sydney region of New South Wales, Australia. Prior to its 2016 merger, the council area was located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of the Sydney central business district and had a culturally diverse population. Notable features in the area included the Gallipoli Mosque, located in the suburb of Auburn. The suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, the site of the main venues of the 2000 Summer Olympics, was located in the council area.
Pendle Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pendle Hill is located 29 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Cumberland Council and City of Parramatta and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.
The New South Wales Ministry of Health, branded NSW Health, is a ministerial department of the New South Wales Government. NSW Health supports the executive and statutory roles of the Ministers for Health, Regional Health, Mental Health, and Medical Research. The Ministry also monitors the performance of the state-wide health organisations that collectively make up NSW Health. It is primarily responsible for the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals as well as associated agencies and statutory authorities, such as the NSW Ambulance service.
The Cumberland Plain, also known as Cumberland Basin, is a relatively flat region lying to the west of Sydney CBD in New South Wales, Australia. An IBRA biogeographic region, Cumberland Basin is the preferred physiographic and geological term for the low-lying plain of the Permian-Triassic Sydney Basin found between Sydney and the Blue Mountains, and it is a structural sub-basin of the Sydney Basin.
The Parramatta Advertiser is a weekly regional newspaper that serves the communities of Parramatta, Auburn and Holroyd local government areas and covers local news, sport, council decisions, and community events. This newspaper is published every Wednesday. It currently has a circulation of 79,598, and a readership of 78,000.
The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers' Advocate was a newspaper published in Parramatta with coverage and circulation incorporating Greater Western Sydney and parts of North-West Sydney, Australia. First published on 24 September 1887, the paper continued under this title until issue No. 3397, on 15 March 1950, when the newspaper was officially renamed the Cumberland Argus. It remained under this banner for a further 12 years until it ceased publication on 24 October 1962.
Cumberland Council, trading as Cumberland City Council, is a local government area located in the western suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Council was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger of parts of the Cities of Auburn, Parramatta, and Holroyd.
The Municipality of Dundas was a local government area in the North-western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Initially proclaimed as the "Borough of Dundas" on 23 March 1889, the southern part of the municipality seceded in June 1891 as the Municipal District of Ermington and Rydalmere. From 1891, the municipality included the modern suburbs of Dundas, Dundas Valley and parts of Ermington, Epping, Eastwood, Melrose Park, Oatlands and Carlingford. From 1 January 1949, the council was amalgamated into the City of Parramatta, with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.