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Shire of Colac Otway

Coordinates: 38°20′00″S 143°35′00″E / 38.33333°S 143.58333°E / -38.33333; 143.58333
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Shire of Colac Otway
Victoria
Location in Victoria
Population21,503 (2018)[1]
 • Density6.2545/km2 (16.1991/sq mi)
Established1994
Gazetted23 September 1994[2]
Area3,438 km2 (1,327.4 sq mi)[1]
MayorCr Kate Hanson
Council seatColac
RegionBarwon South West
State electorate(s)Polwarth
Federal division(s)Wannon
WebsiteShire of Colac Otway
LGAs around Shire of Colac Otway:
Corangamite Golden Plains Golden Plains
Corangamite Shire of Colac Otway Surf Coast
Southern Ocean Bass Strait Bass Strait

The Shire of Colac Otway is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-western part of the state. It covers an area of 3,438 square kilometres (1,327 sq mi) and in June 2018 had a population of 21,503.[1] It includes the towns of Apollo Bay, Beeac, Beech Forest, Birregurra, Colac, Cressy, Forrest, Johanna, Kennett River, Lavers Hill, Warrion and Wye River. It came into existence on 23 September 1994 through the amalgamation of the local government areas of City of Colac, Shire of Colac, part of the Shire of Otway and part of the Shire of Heytesbury.[2]

The Shire is governed and administered by the Colac Otway Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Colac, it also has a service centre located in Apollo Bay. The Shire is named after the combination of the names for the former City of Colac, and Shires of Colac and Otway, from which the majority of the LGA was formed. The name Colac is used for both the main urban settlement and the lake, Lake Colac, which are located in the north-centre of the LGA. Colac is also the most populous urban centre in the LGA with a population of almost 12,000.[3] The name Otways is used for the major geographical features located in the south of the LGA, which are The Otways and Cape Otway. Cape Otway was originally named by Lieutenant James Grant who was the commander of the vessel, the Lady Nelson.[4] He named it after Captain William Otway who was one of the commissioners of the Transport Board, on 7 December 1800.[4]

History

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The Colac district is the traditional land for the Gulidjan people and was known as “Kolak” or “Kolakgnat” which means ‘belonging to sand’.[5] The Gulidjan people are of the Easter Maar Nation.[5]

The earliest European settlers arrived in the district in the 1830s and settled around Lake Colac.[6]

Council

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Current composition

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The council is composed of seven councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality. In order of election in 2020, they are:[7]

Ward Party Councillor Notes
Unsubdivided Independent Tosh-Jake Finnigan
Independent Chris Potter
Independent Graham Lesie Costin
Independent Kate Hanson
Greens Stephen Hart
Independent Jamie Bell
Independent Margaret White

Former Wards (1996–2008)

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  • Colac – had three councillors
  • Murray – had one councillor
  • Otway – had one councillor
  • Warrion – had one councillor

Administration and governance

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The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Colac Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Colac, and its service centre in Apollo Bay.

Election results

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2024

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 Victorian local elections in Barwon South West § Colac Otway results.[edit]
2024 Victorian local elections: Colac Otway[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Phil Howard
Independent Charlie Buchanan
Independent Max Arnott
Independent Cheryl Miller
Independent Nick Lang
Independent Chris Potter
Independent Rhea Sabine Wigley
Independent Jason Schram
Independent Tosh-Jake Finnigan
Independent John Knight
Independent Gavin Davies
Greens Chrissy De Deugd
Independent Mick Fischer
Independent Tina Hill
Independent Peter Byrnes
Independent Zoe Hudgell
Independent Mick McCrickard
Independent Kerrie Thackeray
Total formal votes
Informal votes
Turnout

2020

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2020 Victorian local elections in Barwon South West § Colac Otway results.[edit]
2020 Victorian local elections: Colac Otway[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal Joe McCracken (elected 1) 3,637 22.98
Independent Chris Potter (elected 2) 1,889 11.94
Independent Graham Costin (elected 3) 1,727 10.91
Greens Stephen Hart (elected 5) 1,528 9.66
Independent Kate Hanson (elected 4) 1,425 9.00
Independent Jamie Bell (elected 6) 1,251 7.91
Independent Tosh-Jake Finnigan 1,052 6.65
Put Climate First Susan Langridge 832 5.26 +5.26
Independent Margaret White (elected 7) 678 4.28
Independent Catriona Ebeling 597 3.77
Independent Max Arnott 414 2.62
Independent Maxwell Clark 269 1.70
Independent Carol Lofts 264 1.67
Independent Mark McCallum 262 1.64
Total formal votes 15,825 94.96
Informal votes 840 5.04
Turnout 16,665 84.61

Townships and localities

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The 2021 census, the shire had a population of 22,423 up from 20,972 in the 2016 census[11]

Population
Locality 2016 2021
Aire Valley 0 0
Alvie 132 141
Apollo Bay 1,598 1,790
Balintore 67 59
Barongarook 434 458
Barongarook West 235 291
Barramunga 7 11
Barunah Plains 9 10
Barwon Downs 131 136
Beeac 370 394
Beech Forest 82 125
Birregurra^ 828 942
Bungador 62 65
Cape Otway 15 34
Carlisle River^ 135 168
Carpendeit^ 134 115
Chapple Vale^ 36 42
Colac 9,048 9,243
Colac East 217 168
Colac West 81 89
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Coragulac 161 171
Cororooke 310 358
Corunnun 115 119
Cressy^ 175 176
Cundare 11 15
Cundare North^ 9 10
Dreeite 55 77
Dreeite South 30 28
Elliminyt 2,900 3,260
Eurack 65 43
Ferguson 19 13
Forrest 230 257
Gellibrand 210 230
Gellibrand Lower^ 13 19
Gerangamete 105 112
Glenaire 28 33
Grey River 4 4
Hordern Vale 43 44
Irrewarra 345 365
Irrewillipe 125 100
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Irrewillipe East 76 84
Jancourt East^ 188 185
Johanna 63 85
Kawarren 166 189
Kennett River 41 74
Larpent 194 200
Lavers Hill 78 87
Marengo 239 272
Mount Sabine 0 0
Murroon 83 95
Nalangil 76 72
Ombersley^ 97 93
Ondit 94 101
Pennyroyal^ 86 110
Petticoat Creek 0 7
Pirron Yallock^ 113 132
Separation Creek 19 28
Simpson^ 569 583
Skenes Creek 164 249
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Skenes Creek North 16 19
Stonyford^ 51 65
Sugarloaf 14 20
Swan Marsh 121 127
Tanybryn 19 15
Warncoort 130 146
Warrion 198 204
Weeaproinah 11 15
Weering 67 62
Whoorel 18 25
Winchelsea^ 1,954 2,456
Wingeel^ 23 26
Wongarra 37 47
Wool Wool 38 55
Wye River 63 67
Wyelangta 38 40
Yeo 148 124
Yeodene 121 107
Yuulong 37 49

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S63 of 1994: Order estg (Part 2) the Shire of Colac-Otway". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 23 September 1994). p. 3. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ^ Census QuickStats (2016). "Colac (UCL) – UCL213003". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Government of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Otways and Otway Shire". Victorian Places. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b "About Colac Otway". Colac Otway Shire. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  6. ^ "A short history of Colac". Colac & District Historical Society. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Colac Otway Shire Council election results 2020". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  8. ^ Egging, Kiel. "Victoria elects trans councillor Tosh-Jake Finnigan to Colac Otway Council". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Colac Otway Shire Council election candidates". VEC. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Colac Otway Shire Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  11. ^ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.
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Media related to Shire of Colac Otway at Wikimedia Commons

38°20′00″S 143°35′00″E / 38.33333°S 143.58333°E / -38.33333; 143.58333

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