NSW · South Coast (Sapphire Coast) · Local council, made simple
Bega Valley Shire Council
The state's south-easternmost shire — around 36,600 people spread along the Sapphire Coast from Bermagui and Cobargo down through Bega (the council seat) to Merimbula and Eden. Dairy (Bega cheese) country and a coastal-tourism economy, still recovering from the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires, the council runs the local services you use every week — waste, roads, water, libraries, parks, development — and sets your rates. Here's the snapshot, then the stuff that affects your week.
Everyday essentials
The things people actually need from the council — fast.
Open for your feedback
See all →Things Bega Valley Shire Council wants your say on right now. Your view counts for more before the deadline.
- Open — see source for the closing date
Lodge a Petition with Council
Have your say → - Open — see source for the closing date
Tenders and Expressions of Interest
Have your say → - Open — see source for the closing date
NSW Government changes rules for public consultation on developments
Have your say →
Get to know your council
The basics, in one tap — open any card for key facts and a link to the official source.
This year's rate rise, how it compares across NSW, and why bills differ.
2025–26 rate rise: 4.9% (rate peg)
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
Meets 7 of 9 OLG financial benchmarks
Open →Crime & safetyBega Valley's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
All 12 major offences below the NSW rate
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Russell Fitzpatrick (Independent)
Open →Elections & votingWhen the next council election is, and how voting works.
Next election: Sat 9 Sep 2028
Open →Contact & servicesHow to reach the council and report a problem.
Customer service: (02) 6499 2222
Open →Shire profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~36,600 (2023–24)
Open →What's happening
22 updatesAuto-collected from Bega Valley Shire Council's public channels and drafted in plain language (pending review).
- Event
FREE YOUTH MUSIC WORKSHOP with Ensemble Offspring
18 Sep 2026 A free one hour masterclass for young musicians/vocalists with some of Australia’s top contemporary classical musicians.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Event
Food, music and family fun set to shine at Bega Streetlight Festival
Published on 11 September 2026 The 2026 Bega Streetlight Festival is back on Friday 25 September, promising to be bigger and brighter with spectacular light displays, live music, food, markets and entertainment for the whole family.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Election
Councillor Connect – 3 September 2026 – Cr Simon Daly
Published on 03 September 2026 During last month’s Council Meeting, the Bega Valley Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) 2026–2030 was adopted. Well done to all involved in developing the plan and setting a vision for our community for the next four years.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Have your say
Lodge a Petition with Council
Members of the Community can raise an item with Council by lodging a Petition with a Councillor.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Election
Councillor Connect – 10 September 2026 – Councillor Peter Haggar
Published on 10 September 2026 One of the opportunities available to Councillors is the ability to be on a diverse and varied number of Committees representing the community and Council. It is in this role that I have had the honour of attending, even if somewhat sporadically due to clashes with Council meetings and workshops, the local Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC).
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Have your say
Tenders and Expressions of Interest
Information in relation to goods, services or works from an outside external source.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Event
Organising an Event page
Organising an Event page
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Have your say
NSW Government changes rules for public consultation on developments
Published on 31 August 2026 New statewide planning rules will change how some proposed developments are publicly exhibited in the Bega Valley from tomorrow, 1 September.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Event
Helen Britton: The Story So Far
14 Sep 2026 The touring exhibition, The Story So Far, comments on the rich and complex world of country women, of a time of creativity and frugality that formed Helen Britton’s early experience of Australia, of lost possibility, and of a colonial past and present, still so deeply problematic.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Event
Art After School at SECCA! Term 3, Ages 9+
14 Sep 2026 Love art? Like making things?
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Event
Recovery Mission by Karla Dickens
14 Sep 2026 Karla Dickens’ exhibition Recovery Mission is a powerful exploration of climate crisis from a First Nations perspective, offering a poignant commentary on resilience and the fight for a better future.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Waste
Community waste prevention and environment grants awarded
Published on 26 August 2026 Bega Valley Shire Council has awarded a total of $70,234 to 15 projects under its latest Community Grants Program.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Event
PINK FLOYD GREAT GIG IN THE SKY Run Like Hell
12 Sep 2026 Australian Pink Floyd tribute Run Like Hell returns to The Twyford to deliver an awe-inspiring show, meticulously recreating Pink Floyd’s timeless music with unmatched attention to detail.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Event
Bega Streetlight Festival returns bigger and brighter
Published on 25 August 2026 The countdown is on for one of the Bega Valley's most anticipated community events, with the 2026 Bega Streetlight Festival set to transform Bega's CBD into a vibrant celebration of light, creativity and community on Friday 25 September 2026.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Event
Art After School at SECCA! Term 3, Ages 5 to 8
14 Sep 2026 Join us for an after-school creative adventure! Kids will explore current exhibitions before accessing hands-on art making activities.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Event
Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2026 – Call for entries
14 Sep 2026 Entries are open for the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2026. One of Australia’s major prizes for realistic portraiture, the $50,000 biennial award is non-acquisitive and is among the higher-value portrait prizes in the country, attracting hundreds of entries from many of the nation’s leading artists.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Bega Valley Council — What's On
- Policy
Sewer jetting maintenance works planned for Merimbula area
Published on 04 September 2026 Residents in parts of Merimbula are being asked to take a few simple steps before scheduled sewer jetting maintenance begins next week.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Election
Councillor Connect – 27 August 2026 – Cr Tony Allen
Published on 27 August 2026 Every day, residents and businesses across the shire turn on a tap or flush a toilet without giving much thought to the enormous network working behind the scenes. The reality is that delivering safe drinking water and reliable sewer services across a shire as big as ours is a significant undertaking, and one that relies on a dedicated and highly skilled team.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Have your say
SECCA presents acclaimed artists in spring exhibitions
Published on 31 August 2026 Bega Valley Shire Council is excited to announce two major exhibitions opening at South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) on Friday 4 September - Karla Dickens: Recovery Mission and Helen Britton: The Story So Far.
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Development
Merimbula sewage treatment upgrade & ocean outfall on public exhibition
The Preferred Infrastructure Report for the Merimbula Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade and Ocean Outfall project went on public exhibition in June 2026, as the State Significant Infrastructure assessment nears its final stages before the NSW Planning Minister's determination.
What this means for you: If you live in or around Merimbula, this is a major long-term water/sewer project; the exhibition period is a chance to read the plans and make a submission before the NSW Government decides whether it proceeds.
- Policy
Council adopts 4.9% rate rise and four-year plans for 2025–26
On 23 June 2025 Bega Valley councillors voted to lift general rates by 4.9% for 2025–26 — the maximum allowed under IPART's rate peg — with no special rate variation, and adopted the accompanying Delivery Program, Operational Plan and budget.
What this means for you: General rates income rose by 4.9% for the year; how your own bill changed also depends on your land value at the latest revaluation, and separate charges for waste, water and sewer are set independently of the rate peg.
Source: Eden Magnet — Bega Valley rates to rise by 4.9% in July
- Have your say
Council adopts lower-cost 'Option C' financial pathway, flags future rate options
After consulting the community on its Long Term Financial Plan, the council adopted the lower-cost 'Option C' pathway — staying within the rate peg for now rather than a new special rate variation — while flagging that a further rate rise may need to be considered in the years ahead.
What this means for you: For now, rate rises are limited to IPART's rate peg rather than an additional special variation; the council has signalled that future rate options may return for community input, so it's worth watching the consultations below.
Source: About Regional — Bega Valley rate rise locked in as submissions close on future options
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We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Bega Valley Shire Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.