AGY-6450 | Shire of Kempsey

Full description

The Shire of Kempsey was a local government area in the north of the eastern division of New South Wales, constituted under the Local Government Act 1919 (Act No.41, 1919) and subsequent legislation. It was formed on 1 October 1975 by the amalgamation of the former Shire of Macleay with the Municipality of Kempsey. (1) The Shire of Kempsey bordered the shires of Walcha and Dumaresq to the west, Hastings to the south and Nambucca to the north. The new shire also inherited the powers of the Macleay River County Council, which was disestablished with its constituents. (2)

Kempsey Shire was established with 11 councillors, initially an appointed provisional council. Division of the Shire into ridings was proposed to the Minister of Local Government, but not approved. The first election for Kempsey Shire was held on 11 March 1978. (3)

In 1986, 46 square kilometres of the territory of Hastings was transferred to the Shire of Kempsey. (4)

The Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) no longer referred to shires and municipalities, only to 'areas'. (5) A subsequent amendment made it possible for areas to retain their old name, despite this no longer denoting a legal status. (6) Kempsey continued to use 'Shire' in the name of the local government area and council. (7) Under the 1993 Act, ridings were re-named wards; and their creation, abolition, naming and boundaries came under the control of the council (s.210). The council president was now the mayor (s.225).

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.114, 5 September 1975, pp.3561-63.
2. Local Government Act 1919 (Act No.41, 1919) s.565A; as amended by the Local Government (Amendment) Act 1945 (Act No.19, 1945).
3. Department of Local Government annual report 1977/78 p.7, in Parliamentary Papers 1978-79 Session, Vol.3, p.1101.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.66, 24 April 1986, pp.1776-77.
5. Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) s.204(1) and Sch.7, 21(1).
6. Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 (Act No.44, 1994).
7. Kempsey Shire Council website: http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/index.html (accessed 17 March 2015).