Burnie City Council (or City of Burnie) is a local government body in Tasmania, located in the city and surrounds of Burnie in the north-west of the state. The Burnie local government area is classified as urban and has a population of 19,348,[1] which also encompasses Cooee, Hampshire, Natone and Ridgley.
History and attributes
The municipality was established on 6 January 1908. Originally named Emu Bay, the name was changed to Burnie in 1931 following a petition from residents to name the council based on the town it was centred on.[2][3] Burnie became a city council on 26 April 1988.[4]
The city's motto is "non nobis solum" (not for ourselves alone); for many years this was on the council seal but in 1992 a new, more colourful logo was created that did not include the motto. It did also not include the emu (which had been Burnie's unofficial animal emblem). Burnie's floral emblem is the rhododendron.
Burnie is classified as urban, regional and small (URS) under the Australian Classification of Local Governments.[5] Burnie does not include the adjacent town of Somerset that is sometimes classed as part of the Burnie metropolitan area.
Council
The Burnie City Council consists of nine councillors, who each serve a four-year term of office. Traditionally the term "alderman" was used, but was changed by a council vote on 20 November 2018.[6] The members following the 2022 election are:
Only the part of Heybridge to the west of the Blythe River is in the City of Burnie. Most of its population of 430 would be to the east in Central Coast.
Oonah mostly lies in Waratah-Wynyard, but the 2016 census recorded a population of zero in any case.
A small part of Hampshire extends into Waratah-Wynyard, but all of its population is likely to be in the City of Burnie.
Parrawe mostly lies in Waratah-Wynyard. The small area in the City of Burnie is likely to be unpopulated.