Armidale Regional Council

This article is about the local government area. For the regional city, see Armidale, New South Wales. For the former local government area, see Armidale Dumaresq Council.

The Armidale Region is a local government area in the New England and Northern Tablelands regions of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed in 2016 from the merger of the Armidale Dumaresq Shire with the surrounding Guyra Shire.^[2]

Armidale Region New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	30°30′S 151°40′E
Population	30,707 (2018)[1]
• Density	3.56188/km2 (9.2252/sq mi)
Established	2016
Area	8,621 km2 (3,328.6 sq mi)[1]
Mayor	Sam Coupland (Independent)
Council seat	Armidale
Region	New England
State electorate(s)	Northern Tablelands
Federal division(s)	New England
Website	Armidale Region
LGAs around Armidale Region: Inverell Shire Glen Innes Severn Clarence Valley Uralla Armidale Region Bellingen Uralla Walcha Kempsey

The combined area covered the urban area of Armidale and the surrounding region, extending primarily eastward from the city through farming districts to the gorges and escarpments that mark the edge of the Northern Tablelands.

The Armidale Region is administered by the Armidale Regional Council.

The mayor of the Armidale Region is Cr. Sam Coupland, an independent politician.

History

On 1 July 2019, Tingha was transferred from Armidale Region to Inverell Shire.^[3][4]

Towns, villages and other locations

In addition to the main centre of Armidale and the town of Guyra, the villages located in the area include Ben Lomond, Black Mountain, Dangarsleigh, Ebor, Hillgrove, Kellys Plains, Llangothlin, and Wollomombi.

Oban is a rural location covering 72.607 km² (28.034 sq mi) within the Armidale Regional LGA, with 7 residents.^[5]

Heritage listings

The Armidale Region has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites in Armidale:

• 158 Beardy Street: Armidale Post Office^[6]
• 164 Beardy Street: Commercial Bank of Australia Building^[7]
• 216 Brown Street: Armidale railway station turntable^[8]
• 234 Brown Street: Armidale railway station^[9]
• 125 Dangar Street: Central Park, Armidale^[10]
• 132 Dangar Street: Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral^[11]
• 108 Faulkner Street: Lands Board Office^[12]
• 60 Madgwick Drive: Booloominbah^[13]
• 122-132 Mossman Street: Old Teachers' College^[14]
• 36 Roseneath Lane: Roseneath^[15]
• 122 Rusden Street: St Peter's Cathedral^[16]
• 230 Saumarez Road: Saumarez Homestead^[17]
• High Conservation Value Old Growth forest^[18]

Demographics

Selected historical census data for the Armidale Region
Census year			2016[19]
Population		Estimated residents on census night	29,449
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales	60th
		% of New South Wales population	0.39%
		% of Australian population	0.13%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Australian	30.4%
		English	28.8%
		Irish	9.8%
		Scottish	8.4%
		German	3.4%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Mandarin	1.1%
		Arabic	1.0%
		Nepali	0.5%
		German	0.4%
		French	0.2%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		No religion	27.4%
		Anglican	22.8%
		Catholic	20.2%
		Presbyterian	4.5%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income	A$561
		% of Australian median income	84.7%
Family income		Median weekly family income	A$1465
		% of Australian median income	84.5%
Household income		Median weekly household income	A$1173
		% of Australian median income	81.6%

Council

Armidale Regional Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single ward. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024, and the makeup of the council is as follows:

Party		Councillors
	Team Coupland Group	4
	Independents	2
	Independent Liberal	1
	Greens	1
	Labor	1
	Total	9

The current council, in order of election, is:^[20]

Councillor		Party	Notes
	Susan McMichael	Labor
	Sam Coupland	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Todd Redwood	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Paul Gaddes	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Kay Endres	Independent	Team Coupland Group
	Dorothy Robinson	Greens
	Eli Imad	Independent Liberal
	Rod Taber	Independent
	Bradley Widders	Independent

Election results

2024

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 New South Wales local elections in New England § Armidale results.[edit]

2024 New South Wales local elections: Armidale^{[21][22][23][24]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Vote 1 Growth	1. Sam Coupland (elected) 2. Todd Redwood (elected) 3. Paul Gaddes (elected) 4. Kay Endres (elected) 5. Jane Mactier 6. Jane Schmude 7. Melanie Fillios 8. Jon Galletly	7,528	48.27	+48.27
	Labor	1. Susan McMichael (elected) 2. Caroline Chapman 3. Debra O'Brien 4. Yvonne Langenberg 5. Lisa Ward	1,904	12.21	−3.29
	Independent Regional Alliance	1. Eli Imad (elected) 2. Rob Lenehan 3. Peter Heagney 4. Robert Jackson 5. Jypsi Hooper	1,543	9.89	+9.89
	Greens	1. Dorothy Robinson (elected) 2. Elizabeth O'Hara 3. Pat Schulz 4. Gayle Davies 5. Gay (Alice) Cairns	1,504	9.64	−1.26
	Community First Independents	1. Rob Taber (elected) 2. Rob Richardson 3. Siri Gamage 4. Josephine Newberry 5. Andy Berriman	1,042	6.68	+6.68
	Independent	Bradley Widders (elected)	589	3.78	−0.32
	Margaret O'Connor's Team	1. Margaret O'Connor 2. Brian Flint 3. Kerry Moran 4. Bruce Newberry 5. Deni McKenzie 6. Janet Edmonds	540	3.46	−10.94
	Independent	Jenny Wild	450	2.89	+2.89
	Independent	Joshua Fittler	230	1.47	+1.47
	Independent	Madank Narayanamurthy	180	1.15	+1.15
	Independent	Natasha Ledger	85	0.55	+0.55
Total formal votes			15,595	94.36
Informal votes			933	5.64
Turnout			16,528

2021

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2021 New South Wales local elections in New England § Armidale results.[edit]

2021 New South Wales local elections: Armidale^[25][26][27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	1. Debra O'Brien (elected) 2. Susan McMichael (elected) 3. Caroline Chapman 4. Yvonne Langenberg 5. April Youngberry 6. Margaret Finley	2,352	15.5	+4.5
	Team Margaret and Gordon	1. Margaret O'Connor (Ind. Lib) (elected) 2. Gordon Cope 3. Bruce Newberry 4. Janet Edmonds 5. Ju Denton 6. Trevor Esplin	2,196	14.4	+3.1
	Independent	Sam Coupland (elected)	1,897	12.5
	Greens	1. Dorothy Robinson (elected) 2. Elizabeth O'Hara 3. Gaynor McGrath 4. Richard Sheridan 5. Pat Schultz 6. Dora Koops	1,664	10.9	+3.4
	Independent	Jon Galletly (elected)	1,139	7.5
	Independent	Steven Mepham (elected)	930	6.1
	Independent	Todd Redwood (elected)	852	5.6
	Independent	Paul Packham (elected)	728	4.8
	Independent	Bradley Widders (elected)	627	4.1
	Independent	Paul Gaddes (elected)	621	4.1
	Independent	Richard Robinson	598	3.9
	Independent	Callan Schaefer	466	3.1
	Independent	Kathleen Clare	416	2.7
	Independent	Peter Bailey	239	1.6
	Independent	Margaret Sims	224	1.5
	Independent	Phillip Blackmore	158	1.0
	Independent	Craig Pevitt	116	0.8
Total formal votes			28,374	94.2
Informal votes			1,745	5.8
Turnout				80.0
Party total seats				Seats	±
	Independent			7	1
	Labor			2	1
	Independent Liberal			1
	Greens			1

2017

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2017 New South Wales local elections § Armidale.[edit]

Elected councillor		Party
	Ian Tiley	Independent
	Debra O'Brien	Labor
	Margaret O'Connor	Ind. Liberal
	Dorothy Robinson	Greens
	Simon Murray	Independent
	Jon Galletly	Independent
	Libby Martin	Independent
	Diane Gray	Independent
	Andrew Murat	Independent
	Bradley Widders	Independent
	Paul Gaddes	Independent

The Liberal Party did not endorse any candidates, including its councillor elected to Armidale Dumaresq Shire in 2012.^[28]

2017 New South Wales local elections: Armidale^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ian Tiley	1,726	11.2
	Labor		1,706	11.0	+11.0
	Independent Liberal		1,588	10.3
	Independent	Simon Murray	1,502	9.7
	Independent	Jon Galletly	1,405	9.1
	Greens		1,163	7.5	−5.7
	New England Futures Group		675	4.4	+4.4
	Independent	Libby Martin	665	4.3
	Independent	Diane Gray	481	3.1
	Independent	Bradley Widders	476	3.1
	Independent	Jim Maher	445	2.9
	Independent	Andrew Murat	432	2.8
	Independent	Peter Bailey	415	2.7
	Independent	Kevin Dupe	368	2.4
	Independent Liberal	Aileen MacDonald	296	1.9
	Independent	Maria Hitchcock	241	1.6
	Independent	Michelle Wheatley	234	1.5
	Independent	Les Davis	205	1.3
	Independent	Gordon Cope	202	1.3
	Independent	Joshua Fittler	179	1.2
	Independent	Jack Hobbs	167	1.1
	Independent	Herman Beyersdorf	161	1.0
	Independent	Colin Gadd	158	1.0
	Independent	Jack Rapely	137	0.9
	Independent	Martha Saw	108	0.7
	Independent	Trev Smith	102	0.7
	Independent	Tom Walsh	99	0.6
	Independent	Aziz Winrow	65	0.4
	Independent	Dale Curtis	59	0.4
Total formal votes			15,460	94.09
Informal votes			971	5.91
Turnout			16,431	80.64
Party total votes
	Independent		10,032	64.9
	Independent Liberal		1,884	12.2
	Labor		1,706	11.0	+11.0
	Greens		1,163	7.5	−5.7
	New England Futures Group		675	4.4	+4.4

See also

• New South Wales portal

• Local government areas of New South Wales