NSW · North West Slopes · Local council, made simple
Gwydir Shire Council
A two-centre shire on the North West Slopes — around 4,900 people across Bingara and Warialda and the villages of Gravesend, North Star, Croppa Creek, Coolatai and Upper Horton, on an economy built on cattle, sheep and broadacre cropping. Formed in 2004 from the Bingara and Yallaroi shires and part of Barraba, the council still runs an office in each town, and your bin day depends on which one you live near. It looks after 2,335 km of local roads and 110 bridges, plus the services you use every week — waste, water, 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: 3.4%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
5 of 9 OLG benchmarks met (2023–24)
Open →Crime & safetyGwydir's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
6 of 12 major offences below the NSW rate
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Tiffany Galvin
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) 6724 2000
Open →Area profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~4,893 (2023–24)
Open →What's happening
3 updatesRecent items from Gwydir Shire Council's public channels, in plain language.
- Waste
Council to introduce landfill fees for tyres and commercial waste
Gwydir Shire Council advised on 22 July 2026 that, in coming weeks, fees for the disposal of tyres and commercial waste would be implemented at landfills across the shire. Council said the charges were considered so it can keep delivering essential services while meeting rising operational and maintenance costs.
What this means for you: If you take tyres or commercial waste to Bingara, Warialda or one of the shire's smaller landfills, expect a gate fee. Household kerbside collection is unchanged. The per-item and per-tonne rates are set out in Council's Statement of Revenue Policy 2026/2027.
Source: Gwydir Shire Council — Landfill Fees and Charges Implementation
- Election
Ravi Gill elected to Council in a countback for the vacant seat
Following the resignation of Cr Marilyn Dixon OAM, the NSW Electoral Commission conducted a countback of the 2024 ordinary election ballot papers rather than a by-election. Warialda's Ravi Gill was declared elected on 17 March 2026, ahead of the last excluded candidate by a margin of 29.
What this means for you: Residents did not vote again — a countback re-uses the ballot papers already cast in September 2024, and only candidates who nominated then but were not elected could take part. Council is back to its full complement of nine councillors; Cr Gill's email address appears in the Operational Plan 2026/2027.
- Policy
Cr Marilyn "Mash" Dixon OAM resigns from Council
Council announced that it had received the formal resignation of Cr Marilyn Dixon OAM, effective 3 February 2026, on medical grounds. Cr Dixon was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016, 2021 and 2024; she was named Citizen of the Year in 1998 and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017.
What this means for you: The resignation created a casual vacancy, which was filled by a countback of the 2024 ballot papers in March 2026 rather than by a by-election — so no fresh vote was required of residents.
Source: Gwydir Shire Council — Cr Marilyn "Mash" Dixon OAM Resigns from Gwydir Shire Council
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We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Gwydir Shire Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.