Surf Coast Shire

History

Formation

Before the 1990s local government reforms, the Surf Coast Shire's area was covered by three municipalities: the Shire of Winchelsea, the Shire of Barrabool, and the City of South Barwon. The Barrabool/South Barwon boundary was the Surf Coast Highway. This meant that Jan Juc and part of Torquay were in Barrabool, while the remainder of the Torquay district, including the traditional town centre, was in South Barwon.

When the City of Greater Geelong was created in May 1993, it initially took in the entire Torquay/Jan Juc area as far west as Ghazeepore Road. It also annexed areas on Geelong's fringe (Ceres, Wandana Heights, Waurn Ponds and Mount Duneed) which had previously belonged to Barrabool.

In March 1994, the Surf Coast Shire was formed from the amalgamation of the Torquay/Jan Juc area from Greater Geelong, the remainder of the Shire of Barrabool, and the Shire of Winchelsea (less the Birregurra and Barwon Downs districts, which were lost to the Shire of Colac). The Surf Coast Shire's modern boundaries were settled six months later when the Lake Murdeduke and Mount Gellibrand area, part of the territory lost to Colac, was brought back into the Shire.

Representation and structure

Post-2008, following an electoral representation review, the decision was made to re-subdivide the municipality into four wards, the current wards are Torquay, Anglesea, Winchelsea and Lorne. Between 2004 and 2008, the Shire was an unsubdivided municipality and as a result, the entire municipality voted to elect nine councillors. Between 1996 and 2004, the municipality was subdivided into six wards, where three councillors per ward were elected from the Torquay and Anglesea wards, and one councillor per ward was elected from the Lorne, Winchelsea, Moriac and Aireys Inlet wards. A position of Deputy Mayor was created in 2004, but it was abolished for the 2005 mayoral election.

Council

Current composition

The council is composed of three wards electing three councillors each.

List of former and current mayors

• Cr Noel Bates (1995–1997)
• Cr Henry Love (1997–1998)
• Cr Julie Hansen (1998–2000)
• Cr Mike Barrow (2000–2001)
• Cr Beth Davidson (2001–2004)
• Cr Keith Grossman (2004–2005)
• Cr Libby Mears (2005–2006)
• Cr Rose Hodge (2006–2007)
• Cr Dean Webster (2007–2008)
• Cr Libby Mears (2008–2009)
• Cr Libby Coker (2009–2010)
• Cr Dean Webster (2010–2011)
• Cr Brian McKiterick (2011–2012)
• Cr Libby Coker (2012–2013)
• Cr Rose Hodge (2013–2014)
• Cr Margot Smith (2014–2015)
• Cr Rose Hodge (2015–2016)
• Cr Brian McKiterick (2016-2017)
• Cr David Bell (2017-2018)
• Cr Rose Hodge (2018–2020)
• Cr Libby Stapleton (2020–2022)
• Cr Liz Pattison (2022–2024)

Administration and Governance

The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Torquay Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at its Municipal Office in Torquay.

Election results

2024

2016

Townships and localities

According to the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 37,694, up from 29,397 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

Notes

References

References

1. (27 March 2019). "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". [[Australian Bureau of Statistics]].
2. Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive. (1837–1997). "Orders estg the Surf Coast Shire: S8 of 1994". State Government of Victoria.
3. {{Cite Legislation AU. Vic. hist_act. cogga1993218. City of Greater Geelong Act 1993. Note to Schedule 1
4. Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive. (1837–1997). "Order altg (Part 8) the Surf Coast Shire: S63 of 1994". State Government of Victoria.
5. (11 January 2023). "Census {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics".