NSW · Hunter · Local council, made simple
Maitland City Council
A fast-growing river city in the Lower Hunter, part of Greater Newcastle — around 98,200 people across Maitland, East Maitland, Rutherford, Thornton and historic Morpeth. The council runs the local services you use every week — waste, roads, 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.
2025–26 rate peg: 5.8%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
Meets 5 of 9 OLG financial benchmarks
Open →Crime & safetyMaitland's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
Most major offences above the NSW rate
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you, by ward — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Philip Penfold (Penfold Independents)
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) 4934 9700
Open →City profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~98,200 (2024)
Open →What's happening
2 updatesRecent items from Maitland City Council's public channels, in plain language.
We check Maitland City Council's website every day, but we can't read it. It refuses requests from our collector, so anything below was recorded by hand and may be out of date. This says nothing about what the council has published — these are the pages we watch:
- Policy
New Disability Inclusion Action Plan adopted
The council adopted a new Disability Inclusion Action Plan to improve access and inclusion across the city.
What this means for you: The plan guides upgrades to facilities, services and information so they're easier to use for people with disability.
Source: Maitland City Council — News
- Development
New bridge opens to improve flood resilience
A new bridge opened to boost flood resilience and connectivity in Maitland.
What this means for you: If you travel in the affected area, the new bridge improves access and reduces flood-related disruption.
Source: Maitland City Council — News
Email alerts aren't switched on yet
We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Maitland City Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.