New England Online > Geography > Administrative Divisions > Counties > Greater Armidale County Council
Greater Armidale County Council
| Greater Armidale County Council |
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|---|---|
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| Geography | |
| Established: | 1 July 2016 |
| Population: | 495,000 |
| County Town: | Armidale |
| Politics | |
| Control: | Alliance |
| Earl: | Gabby Harrison |
The Greater Armidale County Council is the county and planning authority for the capital of New England. Originally established in 2016, the county replaced the City of Armidale, Dumaresqshire and the Capital Planning Commission. The Greater Armidale County Council is subdivided into the Cities of Armidale, Dangarsleigh and Dumaresq and the town of and Puddledock. The county is organised under a different structure then the other twelve counties, with increased powers and a larger council consisting of nineteen members.
Area & Population
The administrative area of the Authority combines the Cities of Armidale, Dangarsleigh and Dumaresq and the Town of Puddledock, giving it control of the of the middle half of what is commonly known as the Greater Armidale conurbation. The area under the control of the Authority has a population of about 495,000.
Additional Powers
Unlike the rest of New England, all land in Greater Armidale is held as leasehold, with leasees being granted 99 year leases for their homes and businesses. The changeover occured in 2016, when the current authority came into being. Making Armidale leasehold was done to prevent uncontrolled development and land speculation, and to allow the GACA to properly plan the development of Armidale as the national capital and largest city of New England. The change of ownership and planning rules led to Armidale being more like Canberra in design and appearance.
On top of the ownserhip changes, the authority was granted extra control over panning and construction policy through the amagamation of the county and the Capital Planning Commission. Under Greater Armidale Authority Act and the Planning Controls Act, the authority was given sweeping powers in urban planning and the release of new land for development.
Unlike the other counties, the GACA can also levy road tolls and controls the ticket prices for trains and trams. As a result, in 2036, the GACA implemented a Access Fee for any vehicle that wished to traverse the roads within the Borough of the City (with some exceptions), this is known as the Access Charge, as is set to C4.50 as of June 1 2052.
The authorities power also includes control or an interest in the following:
- Armidale Tram and Omnibus Network
- Armidale Crime Management Authority
- Armidale Rail Commission
- Armidale Fire and Rescue Service
Politics
Control of Greater Armidale has been shared by the two major parties for most of the post-independence period. Control of the county council is often limited to one term, with power swinging between the National Party and the SDLP.
Today, the county council consists of an Earl and eighteen Thegns, all elected by preferential voting. The Thegns are allocated according to the populatuion of the constituent cities and towns of the county. Armidale has seven Thegns, Dumaresq five, Dangarsleigh four, with Puddledock entitled to two Thegns.
| Earls of Armidale | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Party | In Office | Duration | ||
| 1 | Tony Ellis | United | 1 October 2012 - 31 August 2016 | |||
| 2 | Ian Smith | National | 1 September 2016 - 31 August 2020 | |||
| 3 | Liz Chan | United | 31 August 2020 - 30 June 2025 | |||
| SDLP | 1 July 2025 - 31 August 2032 | |||||
| 4 | Jack Lewis | National | 1 September 2032 - 31 August 2036 | |||
| 5 | Andrew Armstrong | Alliance | 1 September 2036 - 31 August 2040 | |||
| 6 | Dean Mikulic | SDLP | 1 September 2040 - 31 August 2044 | |||
| 7 | Gabby Harrison | Alliance | 1 September 2044 - Present | Incumbent | ||
Places of Interest
There are a number of places of interest in Greater Armidale registered with the Department of Cultural Heritage, including:
- Civil War Memorial, Madgwick
- National Arts Centre
- National Cathedral of New England & Central Park
- New England Art Museum
- Houses of Parliament
- Saumarez Palace
Counties of New England
Apsleyshire · Clarence · Fitzroyshire · Greater Armidale · Guyra · Gwydir
Macintyre · Macleay · Macquarie · Parkes · Raleigh · Severnshire · Uralla
