Areas and wards

There are 152 council areas in NSW. The number of electors enrolled in council areas varies from less than 1 000 to over 150 000.

Local government councils may be either:

• undivided - covering the whole of the local government area; or 
• divided - into wards.

Elected representatives

A council must have between five and 15 councillors, including the mayor.

Election of councillors

The number of councillors elected varies from council to council. Where councils have wards, an equal number of councillors is elected for each ward.

Election of mayor

Some councils have decided by referendum that the mayor will be elected by voters, referred to as the mayor ‘elected by popular vote’ or ‘a directly elected mayor’ . Where the mayor is not elected by the voters, the mayor is elected by the councillors.

Term of office

Councillors: 4 years
Mayor elected by voters: 4 years
Mayor elected by councillors: 12 months

Boundary management

There are laws to ensure each ward has similar numbers of electors. Councils are required to review ward structures once every term the year after an election and are required to consult with us as well as other statutory organisations in doing so. An undivided council can only divide its area into wards, or abolish wards in its area if approval is given at a referendum. All enrolled electors in a council area vote in a referendum and the result of the referendum is binding on the council.

Boundary changes affecting local government areas occur through the Local Government Boundaries Commission, a statutory authority constituted under the Local Government Act 1993 No 30.

Council contact details

For council information including website, address, email and phone and fax numbers, visit the NSW Department of Local Government Directory.