NSW · Riverina · Local council, made simple
Carrathool Shire Council
One of the largest council areas in NSW by land and one of the smallest by population — about 2,800 people across nearly 19,000 km² of the western Riverina, from the Murrumbidgee at Carrathool north to the Lachlan and Lake Brewster. Hillston is the largest town and Goolgowi holds the council chambers, with Merriwagga, Rankins Springs and Carrathool village in between, on an economy of irrigated horticulture, cotton and rice, broadacre cropping, grazing and poultry. The council runs the local services you use every week — waste, water and sewer, roads, 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.
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.
2026–27 rate peg: 3.7%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
8 of 9 OLG benchmarks met (2023–24)
Open →Crime & safetyWhat BOCSAR publishes for Carrathool — recorded incident counts.
88 recorded incidents across the 12 major offences, April 2025 – March 2026
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Cr Darryl Jardine (Ward A)
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.
Goolgowi: (02) 6965 1900 · Hillston: (02) 6961 7600
Open →Area profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~2,767 across 18,934 km²
Open →What's happening
4 updatesRecent items from Carrathool Shire Council's public channels, in plain language.
- Development
Poultry facility modifications at Tabbita on public exhibition
Council placed development applications DA2025/021-MOD1 and DA2025/022-MOD1 on public exhibition from 29 July 2026 to close of business on 25 August 2026. The applications seek to modify existing poultry production facilities at 'Allwood', Tabbita, raising the maximum bird density per shed from 62,400 to 65,444 and the total farm bird population from 1,497,600 to 1,570,656. They are assessed as integrated development, with the NSW Environment Protection Authority the approval authority under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.
What this means for you: Anyone may inspect the documents at the Hillston District Office or the Goolgowi office, or on Council's website, and make a written submission before the closing date. Council notes that if it approves the application there is no objector right of appeal to the Land and Environment Court. Check the exhibition page for the current list — items change regularly.
Source: Carrathool Shire Council — Public Exhibition, Planning and Development
- Policy
Council adopts its 2026/27 Operational Plan, rates and charges
At its ordinary meeting on 23 June 2026 Council resolved (minute 0551) to adopt the 2026/27 Operational Plan as amended, to make the ordinary rates for 2026/27 using the 3.7% IPART rate peg, to set the annual water, sewer and waste charges in the plan's fees and charges schedule, and to set interest on overdue rates at the Minister's maximum of 9.5% for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
What this means for you: Your 2026/27 rates notice is built from this decision: minimum rates of $445 (residential) and $600 (business and farmland), a $370 garbage collection charge and a $240 tipping charge, and 9.5% per annum interest if you fall behind. Instalments are due 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May.
Source: Carrathool Shire Council — Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 23 June 2026
- Have your say
Council opens community survey for a shire Housing Strategy
Council announced it had engaged consultancy Habitat to prepare a Carrathool Shire Housing Strategy and opened a roughly 10-minute confidential community survey covering Hillston, Goolgowi, Merriwagga, Rankins Springs, Carrathool and the shire's rural areas. Council cited growing requirements for health and aged care, key-worker housing, and seasonal and itinerant worker accommodation.
What this means for you: This is the stage where residents, renters, homeowners, workers, retirees and employers can shape what kinds of housing land the shire plans for. If a housing strategy is adopted it will feed into future planning decisions — follow Council's public exhibition page for the draft.
Source: Carrathool Shire Council — Carrathool Shire Housing Strategy
- Development
Council offers Hillston residential blocks for sale at $35,000
Council published details of residential blocks for sale in the McGregor/O'Donnell Street subdivision at Hillston, priced at $35,000 each and sold directly by Council, with building covenants applying as resolved in Council Minute 0918/25.06.2024. An expression-of-interest document is available on Council's website.
What this means for you: If you're looking to build in Hillston, this is a direct-from-council land release rather than an agent listing — read the covenants in the EOI document before committing, and contact Council for the current availability.
Source: Carrathool Shire Council — Hillston Subdivision, land for sale
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We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Carrathool Shire Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.