Population 197,922 (2015) (23rd) Time zone AEST (UTC+10) Founded 1959 | Established 1959 Mayor John Thain (Labor) Area 404.9 km² Local time Monday 4:19 PM | |
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State electorate(s) PenrithLondonderryMulgoa Weather 27°C, Wind S at 18 km/h, 43% Humidity | ||
The City of Penrith is a City in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The seat of the City is located in Penrith, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Sydney's central business district. It occupies part of the traditional lands of the Darug people.
Contents
- Suburbs and localities in the local government area
- Demographics
- Current composition and election method
- Sister cities
- Media
- References
The Municipality of Penrith was incorporated on 12 May 1871 under the Municipalities Act 1858 (NSW). On 3 March 1890, St Marys was separately incorporated, and on 26 July 1893 and 9 September 1895, Mulgoa and Castlereagh followed respectively. In 1913, Mulgoa became the "A" Riding of the neighbouring Nepean Shire. On 1 January 1949, the Municipalities of Penrith, St Marys and Castlereagh and part of the Nepean Shire amalgamated to form a new Municipality of Penrith. It was declared a City on 21 October 1959, and expanded westwards to include Emu Plains and Emu Heights, formerly part of the City of Blue Mountains, on 25 October 1963.
The Mayor of the City of Penrith is Cr. John Thain, a member of the Labor Party.
Penrith is a growing regional city. Between the 2006 and 2011 Census, the population increased by more than 6,000 people to a total current 2014 estimated resident population of 194,134. This growth is forecast to continue into the future with a population of 223,631 expected by 2031.
Suburbs and localities in the local government area
The following suburbs and localities are located within the City of Penrith:
Demographics
At the [[Census in Australia#2011|2011 census]], there were 178,467 people in the Penrith local government area, of these 49.3% were male and 50.7% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.0% of the population; notably above the national average of 2.5%. The median age of people in the City of Penrith was 34 years; notably below the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 21.7% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 9.6% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 48.5% were married and 12.1% were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the City of Penrith between the 2001 Census and the 2006 census was 0.15% and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 3.68%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in the Penrith local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the City of Penrith was on with par with the national average.
At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Penrith local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 66% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 64% of all residents in the City of Penrith area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Penrith local government area had a marginally lower than average proportion (18.4%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and a higher proportion (80.9%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%).
Current composition and election method
Penrith City Council is composed of fifteen Councillors elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing five Councillors. 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 10 September 2016, and the makeup of the Council is as follows:
The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election by ward, is:
Sister cities
Since it signed its first agreement with Fujieda, Japan in 1984, Penrith City has gradually expanded its sister cities and international links programme. Presently Penrith has links with:
The partnerships enable educational, business and cultural links between the cities.
Media
The City of Penrith has five local newspapers (Nepean News, Western News, Western Weekender, Penrith Gazette and Penrith Press) and one radio station, Vintage FM. Other publications produced locally include Family Life and In Nepean.