In the state of New South Wales, Australia, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Murray River, the coastline, or the Snowy Mountains. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as a viticulture land use. New South Wales is divided by numerous regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different agencies are coterminous.
Local government
In New South Wales on the third tier of elected government after the federal and state governments are the local government authorities, which are responsible for the local government areas. The types of LGAs in New South Wales are cities, municipalities, shires and regions.
New South Wales has more than 150 local government areas[1] which have an elected council and carry out various functions delegated to them by the Government of New South Wales.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has moved towards a new Geographical Classification called the Australian Statistical Geography Standard.[2] Geography is now divided into Statistical Area Level 1, 2, 3, and 4. Statistical Area Level 4 is the highest (regions of a State) and Statistical Area Level 1 being the lower (Mesh blocks are more refined but not readily available apart from the Census of Population and Housing).
For older statistics, such as the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has multiple regional structures for which it analyses and reports data. These regional structures derive from the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (AGSC). The AGSC defines at the very smallest level, the Census Collection District (CCD). These CCD's aggregate to form the Statistical Local Area (SLA), which is the common base unit for each of the larger regional structures.[4] The boundaries of the SLA are designed to be typically coterminous with Local Government Areas unless the LGA does not fit entirely into a Statistical Subdivision (SSD), or is not of a comparative nature to other LGA's.[4] Bureau of Statistics provides statistics for Local Government Areas, as well as three other statistical structures: Statistical Divisions, Statistical Regions, and Statistical Districts.
Statistical Divisions
Statistical Divisions (SD) form the main structural hierarchy of statistical analysis. These regions are structured to provide a broad range of social, demographic and economic statistics.[4] The basis for the boundary delineations center on socioeconomic criteria.[4] The thirteen divisions for New South Wales are:
Central West, Far West, Hunter, Illawarra, Mid-North Coast, Murray, Murrumbidgee, North Western, Northern, Off-Shore Areas & Migratory, Richmond-Tweed, South Eastern, Sydney[5]
Statistical Regions
The Statistical Region (SR) structure was established in 1986 as a means for labor force analysis.[6]
Sydney: Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Northern Sydney, Central Western Sydney, Eastern Suburbs, Fairfield-Liverpool, Gosford-Wyong, Inner Sydney, Inner Western Sydney, Lower Northern Sydney, North Western Sydney, Northern Beaches, Outer South Western Sydney, St George-Sutherland
Balance of New South Wales: Central West, Far West-North Western, Hunter, Illawarra, Mid-North Coast, Murray-Murrumbidgee, Northern, Richmond-Tweed, South Eastern
Statistical Districts
The Statistical District (SDist) is a non-capital, urban region of one or more adjoining areas, with a population of 25,000 or more. The SDist is defined with consideration of a 20-year growth forecast. The SDist does not need to conform to LGA boundaries or to state territory boundaries.[7] The thirteen Statistical Districts in New South Wales are:
Newcastle, Wollongong, Nowra-Bomaderry, Bathurst-Orange, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga (New South Wales and Victoria), Gold Coast-Tweed (New South Wales and Queensland), Canberra-Queanbeyan (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)
Biogeographic regions
IBRA 6.1 regions map
The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) is a biogeographic regionalisation of Australia; divided into 89 bioregions and 419 subregions. Each region is a land area made up of a group of interacting ecosystems that are repeated in similar form across the landscape. Regions and subregion cross state and territory boundaries. The bioregions that are located within all or part of New South Wales include:[8]
New South Wales is also informally divided into a smaller number of regions. These regions have no general administrative function or status. Many of them are only vaguely defined, or are defined in different ways for different purposes. For example, departments of the New South Wales government, such as the New South Wales Police Force, or the Ministry of Health, define regions of the State for their own internal administrative purposes. These regions may be defined in completely different ways, as shown by the maps in the references.
The original basis for descriptive regional names in New South Wales is based on the geography of the State.
The State can be divided into four components:
the coastal regions fronting the Tasman Sea in the east of the State
The Department of State and Regional Development lists fourteen regions in New South Wales.
Central Coast
Central West
Far South Coast
Far West
Greater Sydney
Hunter
Illawarra
Mid North Coast
Murray
New England - North West
Northern Rivers
Orana
Riverina
[13]
Office of Local Government
The Office of Local Government listed twelve regions:[14]
Regional NSW
Central Coast
Central West
Far West
Hunter
Illawarra
Mid North Coast
Murray
New England
Northern Rivers
Orana
Riverina
South Coast and Southern Inland
Greater Sydney
Greater Metropolitan Sydney
Sydney Surrounds
Local governments in New South Wales have created regional groupings. The NSW Regional Organisations of Councils, typically with names like "Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils" (WSROC) have the main function of lobbying the State Government on various matters, coordinating economic development, joint purchasing between councils and regional promotion. They have no formal administrative function. There are thirteen networks of regional organisation, in addition to the six networks in Greater Metropolitan Sydney:[15]
Regional organisation
Canberra Region
Central Coast
Central NSW
Far North West
Far South West
Hunter
Illawarra Shoalhaven
Mid North Coast
Namoi
New England
Northern Rivers
Orana
Riverina and Murray
Metropolitan organisation
Shore Region
Macarthur Region
Northern Sydney Region
Southern Sydney Region
Western Sydney Region (including Blue Mountains)
Sydney Coastal
Department of Planning
The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment divides New South Wales into ten regions:
Additionally, a small number of non-geographic specialty networks cover paediatric health, justice and forensic health, and the St' Vincent's Health network.
New South Wales Police Force
The New South Wales Police Force is organised into approximately 81 local area commands, which are aggregated into six regions:
Greater Sydney
Central Metro Region
North West Metro Region
Southwest Metro Region
Regional NSW
Northern Region
Southern Region
Western Region
New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
The NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service uses the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia bioregions based on ecological factors. These bioregions extend into neighbouring States.
Australia travel
Yet another subdivision of New South Wales into regions is as follows:
Capital Country (similar to Southern Tablelands in other lists)
Northern Rivers
North Coast NSW (which is actually what other lists call the Mid North Coast)
New England North West (Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes)[17]
Central New South Wales
Riverina
The Murray
Outback New South Wales
This classification subdivides the most commonly accepted notion of "The Riverina" into two separate regions, "Riverina" and "The Murray". The "Blue Mountains" is also included as it own distinct region, which is usually considered a district of the state capital "Sydney".
^"Local Government Area populations - New South Wales". Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2006-2007. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
^"Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022.
^"3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2013–14". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 31 March 2015.
^ a b c d1216.0 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) - Electronic Publication, 2005 Australian Bureau of Statistics website, accessed 13 November 2006
^1216.0 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2001: Statistical Divisions Structure Australian Bureau of Statistics, accessed 12 November 2006
^1216.0 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2001: Purpose and structure Australian Bureau of Statistics, accessed 12 November 2006
^1216.0 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2001: The spatial units Australian Bureau of Statistics, accessed 12 November 2006
^"Australia's bioregions (IBRA)". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Commonwealth of Australia. 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
^Shaw, John H., "Collins Australian Encyclopedia", William Collins Pty Ltd., Sydney, 1984, ISBN 0-00-217315-8
^Delbridge, Arthur, The Macquarie Dictionary, 2nd ed., Macquarie Library, North Ryde, 1991
^"Orana". NSW Regions. NSW Department of Trade & Investment, Regional Infrastructure & Services. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
^"Regional New South Wales". Department of State and Regional Development. Retrieved 13 November 2006.
^"Local Areas in NSW - Regional Map". Office of Local Government. Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2006.
^"Joint Organisations strengthen regional NSW". Office of Local Government. Government of New South Wales. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
^"Regional plans".
^New England North West Archived 13 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2009-10-14
External links
Map of NSW weather forecasting zones - website
NSW Department of Local Government Directory - Regional Organisations of Councils.
WSROC website - example of a regional organisation of councils.
Map of Health NSW regions - NSW Health Department website
NSW Police regions
Department of State and Regional Development Regions