NSW · Riverina · Local council, made simple
Lockhart Shire Council
A southern Riverina shire of about 3,500 people spread across nearly 2,900 km² of grain, sheep and cattle country between Wagga Wagga and Urana — Lockhart, The Rock, Yerong Creek, Pleasant Hills, Milbrulong, Osborne and Tootool. Lockhart is known as the 'Verandah Town' for its National Trust-classified main street, and The Rock Nature Reserve (Kengal Aboriginal Place) rises 364 m above the plains nearby. The council runs the local services you use every week — waste, sewer, roads, pools, libraries, planning — 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: 5.7% — plus a proposed SRV from 2027–28
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
7 of 9 OLG benchmarks met (2023–24)
Open →Crime & safetyLockhart's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
8 of 12 major offences below the NSW rate
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Peter Sharp (B Ward)
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.
Council office: (02) 6920 5305
Open →Area profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~3,474 (2023–24)
Open →What's happening
3 updatesRecent items from Lockhart Shire Council's public channels, in plain language.
- Policy
Council adopts its 2026-27 budget and Operational Plan
Council adopted the Operational Plan 2026-27 and Delivery Program 2026-30 Budget Estimates on 24 June 2026 (Res 100/26). It applies IPART's full 5.7% rate peg, sets the domestic waste management charge at $495 per assessment, and funds a $6.68M capital program including $3.90M of roads work and an $850,000 new works depot at Lockhart.
What this means for you: Your 2026-27 rates notice is built on the 5.7% peg and on new Valuer General land values with a base date of 1 July 2025, so how much your own bill moves depends on how your land value shifted relative to others in your rating category. Instalments fall due 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May. The three-bin waste charge is $495; an extra bin is $165 and the tip availability charge for properties without a kerbside service is $70.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Operational Plan 2026-27 & Delivery Program 2026-30 Budget Estimates
- Have your say
Council starts community conversation on a proposed 44% rate variation
At its ordinary meeting on 18 May 2026 the council endorsed a report to begin consulting the community about a potential permanent special rate variation of 44% cumulative — 20% of total rates income in 2027-28 and a further 20% in 2028-29 — which it would need IPART's approval to apply from 1 July 2027.
What this means for you: Nothing changes on your 2026-27 rates notice, which is built on the ordinary 5.7% rate peg. This is the consultation stage: the council says it will review community feedback before deciding whether to apply to IPART at all, and is preparing a Capacity to Pay report on the shire. Enquiries go to (02) 6920 5305 or mail@lockhart.nsw.gov.au; the council has published an SRV booklet, a message from the councillors and a cost-shifting report on the page below.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Proposed Special Rate Variation
- Policy
Council adopts the Community Strategic Plan 2035
Council adopted the Lockhart Shire Community Strategic Plan 2035 on 23 June 2025 (Res 89/25), together with a Delivery Program 2025-29, Long Term Financial Plan, Asset Management Strategy and Workforce Management Plan. The plan is built on four themes — Community, Economy, Environment and Leadership — and was developed through community engagement across 2024 and 2025.
What this means for you: This is the document the council's annual budgets and Operational Plans are meant to deliver against, so it is the reference point if you want to check whether a project or service you care about is part of the council's stated ten-year direction. It also records the priorities residents raised, including retaining schools and health services, better mobile and digital connectivity, and unlocking land for housing.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2035
Email alerts aren't switched on yet
We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Lockhart Shire Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.