NSW · New England North West · Local council, made simple
Liverpool Plains Shire Council
The shire on the black-soil Liverpool Plains in the New England North West of NSW — about 7,700 people across Quirindi (the council seat), the railway town of Werris Creek, and the villages of Willow Tree, Wallabadah, Currabubula, Spring Ridge, Premer, Blackville, Caroona and Pine Ridge. (This is not Liverpool City Council in south-west Sydney.) The local economy runs on food and fibre — wheat, sorghum and sunflowers, beef cattle, sheep and poultry — across 5,082 km² at the junction of the New England and Kamilaroi Highways, about an hour south of Tamworth. The council runs the services you use every week — waste, water and sewer, roads and bridges, parks, libraries, 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: 3.6%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
5 of 9 OLG benchmarks met — financial sustainability strategy adopted
Open →Crime & safetyLiverpool Plains'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: Cr Ken Cudmore
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) 6746 1755
Open →Area profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~7,670 (2023–24)
Open →What's happening
3 updatesRecent items from Liverpool Plains Shire Council's public channels, in plain language.
- Policy
Council awards contract for shire-wide smart water meters
At its July 2026 Ordinary Meeting, Liverpool Plains Shire Council awarded the contract for a rollout of automated water meters to homes and businesses across the shire. The project will be delivered by Telstra in partnership with Taggle, with installations beginning during the 2026/27 financial year.
What this means for you: If you are on the council's water supply, your meter will eventually be read remotely rather than by a meter reader. Council says the change gives customers more visibility of their water use and can identify possible leaks earlier. Council will publish installation arrangements and timeframes as the rollout progresses.
Source: Liverpool Plains Shire Council — Major milestone reached for smart water meter project
- Have your say
Draft Artificial Intelligence Usage Policy on public exhibition
At its Ordinary Meeting on 22 July 2026, Liverpool Plains Shire Council resolved to place a draft Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy on public exhibition. Submissions closed on 21 August 2026. A draft Petitions and Submissions Policy was placed on exhibition at the same meeting, on the same timeframe.
What this means for you: Public exhibition is the point at which residents can put a written submission to the council on a draft policy before it is adopted. Council's public notices page lists what is currently on exhibition and until when.
- Development
Former Quirindi TAFE campus site released to the market
Council welcomed the NSW Government's decision to release the former TAFE NSW campus on Gamble Street, Quirindi, through a public Expression of Interest process. The campus has been unused since TAFE operations moved to the Quirindi Learning Centre in 2017. Expressions of Interest closed on 28 July 2026.
What this means for you: The site sits inside an established residential precinct in Quirindi. Council says releasing it creates an opportunity for new housing; what is actually built there will depend on the buyer and on the development application process. Follow the council's development pages for any DA lodged on the site.
Source: Liverpool Plains Shire Council — Council welcomes release of former Quirindi TAFE campus site
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We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Liverpool Plains Shire Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.