AGY-6750 | Shire of Maclean

Full description

The Shire of Maclean 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 January 1957 by the amalgamation of the former Shire of Harwood with the Municipality of Maclean. (1) The Shire of Maclean bordered the shires of Copmanhurst to the west, Ulmarra to the south and Richmond River to the north.

The creation of the Shire of Maclean was one outcome of a major review of local government in the Clarence region in 1956, originally proposing to reduce ten local bodies to five (2) but settling for seven. (3) Other than the inclusion of the Municipality of Maclean, the new shire comprised the territory of the Shire of Harwood, with some of the divided Shire of Orara. The division of assets in this restructure was finally settled almost three years later (4), though few of the issues involved Maclean. The establishing proclamation appointed a provisional council of ten to work towards the formal creation of the shire on 1 January. The shire was not divided into ridings (5), and the council was reduced to nine members for the first election on 31 May 1958. (6)

The Yamba urban area continued as part of the Shire of Maclean, and had its boundaries expanded in 1962. (7) In 1986 the shire council applied for the dissolution of the Yamba urban area, but the application was denied after an inquiry noted strong community support for the urban committee. The minister authorised the continuing operation of the urban committee with some limitations and clearer delegation from the shire. (8)

The Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) no longer referred to shires and municipalities, only to 'areas'. (9) A subsequent amendment made it possible for areas to retain their old name, despite this no longer denoting a legal status. (10) It is unclear whether Maclean retained 'Shire' in official titles; some Department of Local Government annual reports refer to the council as Maclean, but the local governing body as Maclean Shire. (11) 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).

In 2004 the Shire of Maclean was amalgamated with the areas of Grafton City, Copmanhurst and Pristine Waters to form the Clarence Valley Council. (12)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.129, 30 November 1956, pp.3503-13.
2. NSW Government Gazette No.65, 8 June 1956, pp.1557-58.
3. Department of Local Government annual report 1956/57, pp.23-24; in Parliamentary Papers 1957-58 Session, Vol.1, pp.1211-12.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.114, 9 October 1959, pp.3065-67.
5. Department of Local Government annual report 1957/58, p.28; Parliamentary Papers 1958/59 Session Vol.1, p.1196.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.44, 24 April 1958, p.1176.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.16, 16 February 1962, p.442.
8. Department of Local Government annual report 1986/87, pp.29, 38-39; Parliamentary Papers 1986/87/88 Session Vol.XXI, item 330.
9. Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) s.204(1) and Sch.7, 21(1).
10. Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 (Act No.44, 1994).
11. Department of Local Government annual report 2002/2003, pp.59, 128.
12. NSW Government Gazette No.46, 25 February 2004, pp.809-22.