Bega Valley Shire

Bega Valley
New South Wales
Bega Valley; New South Wales
	Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	36°40′S 149°50′E / 36.667°S 149.833°E
Population	35,942 (LGA 2021)
Established	1981
Area	6,279 km2 (2,424.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Russell Fitpatrick (Mayor); Anthony McMahon (CEO)
Council seat	Bega
Region	South Coast
State electorate(s)	Bega; Monaro;
Federal division(s)	Eden-Monaro
Website	Bega Valley
	LGAs around Bega Valley:

The Bega Valley Shire is a local government area located adjacent to the south-eastern coastline of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed in 1981 with the amalgamation of the Municipality of Bega, Imlay Shire and Mumbulla Shire,^[3] with its name deriving from the town of Bega. The shire is also known as the Sapphire Coast for tourism and marketing purposes. During the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, the area was devastated by fire, with 448 houses being destroyed by fire^[4] and approximately 365,000 hectares burned, which is 58% of the Shire's total land mass.^[5]

The estimated population as at the 2021 census was 35,942.^[6]

The current Mayor is Russell Fitzpatrick, an independent who joined the Liberal Party in 2023.^[7]

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bega Valley (Local Government Area)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
^ "Bega Valley Shire Council". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 7 September 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2006.
^ "Holdings". Bega Valley Genealogy Society. Bega Valley Genealogy Society Inc. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ McKnight, Albert (18 March 2020). "Forty per cent of fire-destroyed homes haven't registered for free clean-up: Bega council". Bega District News. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
^ McKnight, Albert (29 February 2020). "Bushfire damage count: two-thirds of Far South Coast burnt, eight lives lost". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
^ Cite error: The named reference Census21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Bega Valley Mayor endorsed as Liberal candidate in next state election". 24 November 2022.