NSW · Southern Tablelands · Local council, made simple
Goulburn Mulwaree Council
A large, mostly rural Southern Tablelands council of around 33,000 people, anchored by Goulburn — Australia's first inland city — on the Hume Highway midway between Sydney and Canberra. The council runs the local services you use every week: water and sewer, waste, roads, libraries, parks and development, and it 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.
2025–26 rate peg: 4.2%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
Meets 5 of 9 OLG financial benchmarks
Open →Crime & safetyGoulburn Mulwaree's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
5 of 12 major offences below the NSW rate
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Nina Dillon
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) 4823 4444
Open →City profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~33,100 (2023–24)
Open →What's happening
3 updatesRecent items from Goulburn Mulwaree Council's public channels, in plain language.
- Policy
Council adopts 2026–27 Operational Plan and sets rates
At its 16 June 2026 meeting, Goulburn Mulwaree Council adopted its 2026–27 Operational Plan, budget, and rates and charges, applying the 4.6% rate peg set by IPART (which includes a 1.6% population-growth factor).
What this means for you: This sets the council's services, capital works and rates for the 2026–27 year; the 4.6% figure caps the council's total rates income, not each household's individual bill.
Source: Goulburn Mulwaree Council — Council Meeting Wrap-Up 16 June 2026
- Development
Councils push for better Hume Highway connections at Goulburn and Marulan
Regional councils, including Goulburn Mulwaree, advocated for Hume Highway infrastructure upgrades at Goulburn and Marulan as part of a proposed freight-network improvement package, aiming to ease bottlenecks and keep heavy vehicles off local streets.
What this means for you: If funded, upgraded highway connections could change freight and traffic movements around Goulburn and Marulan and support the local industrial precinct; the proposal involves state and federal funding, not a council decision alone.
Source: Goulburn Post — Councils push better Hume Highway connection at Goulburn, Marulan
- Policy
Goulburn Water Reuse Scheme launched
The council launched the Goulburn Water Reuse Scheme, using treated wastewater effluent to irrigate playing fields and recreational areas at seven initial sites, to reduce strain on the drinking-water network.
What this means for you: Recycled water is used to keep sports fields and parks green while easing demand on the town water supply — a water-security measure in an area that has faced severe drought.
Source: Goulburn Mulwaree Council — Goulburn Water Reuse Scheme
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