thumb|Council Offices and chambers
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.
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.
center|thumb|368x368px|The Rural City's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1994.
Council
Current composition
The council is composed of seven single-councillor wards. As of the 2024 election, the seven councillors are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Ward!!colspan="2"|Councillor!!Notes
|-
| 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.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="3" | 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