Full description
Rous County Council was established on 5 June 1940 under the Local Government Act 1919 on the application of the Councils of the Municipality of Lismore and the Shire of Byron to administer to the supply of bulk water under Section 382. The first general election of delegates to the council was held on the 5 August 1940. (1)
The Council was well established and running the water supply to the city of Lismore, villages of Byron Bay, Coraki, Evans Head, Woodburn and Broadwater under the Water Act 1912 by 2 December 1949. (2)
The Shire of Woodburn was added as a county electorate to the Council on the 5 July 1950. (3) On 23 July 1980, the Shire of Byron was constituted as a county electorate to the Council allowing for 2 delegates. (4)
On 6 July 1955, the number of delegated authorised to be elected by the Council of the City of Lismore was expanded from 2 to 5. (5)
On 1 July 1988, the delegates from Lismore City Council were moved down to three positions following the redetermination of the two delegates from Ballina Shire Council and boundary changes occurred to the Council including adding parts of the City of Lismore, Shires of Ballina and Byron and removing area from Woodburn Shire. (6)
Further boundary changes occurred on 20 December 1996 including the added areas of Alstonville/Wollongbar to the Council. (7)
Rous County Council operated under a service level agreement with Far North Coast County Council and Richmond River County Council, as the larger of the three counties, to provide all administrative, governance, human resources, IT and support services. (8)
On 1 July 2016, the Richmond River County Council and Far North Coast County Council were dissolved with their functions and operations within the local government areas of Ballina Shire, Byron Shire, Lismore City and Richmond Valley transferring to Rous County Council. The functions outside of that area (Kyogle and Tweed Shire) were transferred to were transferred to those respective councils. Both Kyogle and Tweed Shire councils utilised Rous County Council under a service level agreement to deliver their weed biosecurity services. (9)
These functions expanded the Council to three main functions:
- Bulk water supply: the Council was the regional water supply authority providing water in bulk to the council areas of: Ballina (excluding Wardell); Byron (excluding Mullumbimby); Lismore (excluding Nimbin); and Richmond Valley (excluding land to the west of Coraki).
- Weed biosecurity: The Council undertook a wide range of activities to combat the spread of noxious weeds across the local government areas of Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley. Council also did this on behalf of Kyogle and Tweed Shire as part of a fee for service arrangement. Council was the Local Control Authority responsible for administering the Biosecurity Act 2015.
- Flood mitigation: The Council was a flood mitigation authority operating across the local government areas of Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley. It was responsible for the construction and replacement of flood mitigation infrastructure, including the routine maintenance of various canals and floodgates and related natural resource management activities. (10)
In 2020, the Council was made up of 2 delegations from each council electorates of Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council, Richmond Valley Council and 1 delegation each from Lismore City Council and Lismore Shire Council.(11)
Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.88, 14 June 1940, p.2531.
2. NSW Government Gazette No.219, 2 December 1949, p.3604.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.113, 14 July 1950, p.2155.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.99, 25 July 1980, p.3789.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.68, 15 July 1955, p.1946.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.110, 1 July 1988, p.3466, p.3523.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.150, 20 December 1996, p.8685.
8. Rouse County Council website, Our Organisation, https://rous.nsw.gov.au/our-organisation (accessed 23 December 2022).
9. NSW Government Gazette No.52, 22 June 2016, p.1516.
10. Rous County Council website, Our Organisation, https://rous.nsw.gov.au/our-organisation (accessed 23 December 2022).
11. Rous County Council, Annual Report 2017, p.11.
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