The Rural City of Wangaratta is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of and, in August 2021, had a population of 29,808. It includes the towns of Cheshunt, Eldorado, Everton, Glenrowan, Greta, Greta West, Milawa, Moyhu, Oxley, Tarrawingee, Wangaratta and Whitfield. When formed the municipality was originally called the Shire of Milawa, but a few months later, was renamed to its current name.
The Rural City is governed and administered by the Wangaratta Rural City Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Wangaratta. The Rural City is named after the main urban settlement located in the north of the LGA, that is Wangaratta, which is also the LGA's most populous urban centre with a population of around 18,500.
History The Rural City of Wangaratta was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the City of Wangaratta, the Shire of Wangaratta, the Shire of Oxley (less the Merriang district and the Buffalo River valley), the Glenrowan district of the Shire of Benalla, the Everton and Murmungee districts of the United Shire of Beechworth, and the township of Peechelba from the Shire of Yarrawonga.
Council
Current composition The council is composed of seven single-councillor wards. As of the 2024 election, the seven councillors are: WardCouncillorNotes Appin Tania Maxwell Bullawah Dave Fuller King River Harry Bussell Ovens Harvey Benton Deputy Mayor Warby Irene Grant Mayor Wareena Ashlee Fitzpatrick Yarrunga Allison Winters
History
The election of Councillors in 2016 followed a three year period where the Council was governed by Administrators. Administrators had been appointed by an Act of Parliament, following the dismissal of the Councillors elected at the 2012 general election. A panel of three administrators, by an Act of Parliament, was appointed to oversee the council until the 2016 municipal elections.
In 2023, the Victoria Electoral Commission commenced an electoral structure review into the existing Ward structures of the Rural City of Wangaratta to satisfy the requirements of the Local Government Act 2020 (Vic). As a result of this review, the council moved to seven single-councillor wards for the 2024 election. Previously, the council was divided into 4 wards, including a four-councillor city ward.
Administration and governance The councillors meet in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Wangaratta Government Centre, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at its administrative centre in Wangaratta.
Townships and localities In the 2021 census, the rural city had a population of 29,808, up from 28,310 in the 2016 census.
Population Locality 2016 2021 83 100 129 135 17 13 49 53 69 79 ^ 41 51 96 106 47 44 155 160 95 97 231 213 0 0 120 106 54 59 80 66 75 60 92 109 385 382 203 193 158 154 ^ 963 1,049 107 86 132 131 162 157 139 155 418 391 101 87 247 304 127 159 258 230 84 112 587 588 445 437 57 69 152 168 288 282 631 710 55 49 ^ 184 177 45 54 26 26 348 349 370 416 ^ 447 547 0 0 618 677 227 217 18,102 19,214 509 550 215 220 35 37 376 383 82 92 51 64 ^ - Territory divided with another LGA
See also List of localities (Victoria) List of places on the Victorian Heritage Register in the Rural City of Wangaratta
References
External links Wangaratta Rural City Council official website Metlink local public transport map Link to Land Victoria interactive maps