NSW · New England · Local council, made simple
Tenterfield Shire Council
A big, thinly settled shire at the top of the New England tablelands, right on the Queensland border — about 7,100 people across 7,324 km², from Tenterfield town out to Jennings, Urbenville, Drake, Legume, Liston, Torrington and Mingoola, on an economy of beef and sheep grazing, horticulture, tourism and mining. The New England Highway crosses into Queensland here, so Stanthorpe and Warwick are part of everyday life. Tenterfield is also where Henry Parkes gave his 1889 Federation speech, which is why it is known as the birthplace of the nation. The council runs the local services you use every week — waste, water, roads, 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.
Open for your feedback
See all →Things Tenterfield Shire Council wants your say on right now. Your view counts for more before the deadline.
- Open — see source for the closing date
Laws & Permits for Business
Have your say → - Open — see source for the closing date
Pin Oak Tree Update
Have your say → - Open — see source for the closing date
Emergency Assistance and Recovery Support
Have your say →
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: 5.1%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
6 of 9 OLG benchmarks met (2023–24)
Open →Crime & safetyTenterfield'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: Bronwyn Petrie (Independent)
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) 6736 6000
Open →Area profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~7,081 across 7,324 km²
Open →What's happening
12 updatesAuto-collected from Tenterfield Shire Council's public channels and drafted in plain language (pending review).
- Council meeting
Laws & Permits for Residents
Laws & Permits for Residents
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Council Business Papers & Meeting Minutes
- Council meeting
Rates & Water Accounts
Rates & Water Accounts
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Council Business Papers & Meeting Minutes
- Council meeting
Council & Committee Meetings
Council & Committee Meetings
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Council Business Papers & Meeting Minutes
- Council meeting
Your Local News – Digital
Your Local News – Digital
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Council Business Papers & Meeting Minutes
- Event
Emergency Assistance and Recovery Support
Emergency Assistance and Recovery Support
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
- Policy
Laws & Permits for Business
Laws & Permits for Business
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Media Releases & Public Notices
- Policy
Pin Oak Tree Update
Pin Oak Tree Update
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Media Releases & Public Notices
- Council meeting
Media Releases & Notices
Media Releases & Notices
What this means for you: Open the source to see the details and any deadline to respond.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Council Business Papers & Meeting Minutes
- Policy
Council welcomes five-year Local Government Federation Compact
Tenterfield Shire Council welcomed the announcement of a new five-year Local Government Federation Compact, which includes a commitment to increase Financial Assistance Grants to local government, more flexible Roads to Recovery funding (including for plant, equipment and council-workforce road maintenance), support for apprenticeships in local government, and an annual Australian Government summary of funding provided to councils.
What this means for you: Financial Assistance Grants are untied money councils can spend where they choose, and they matter more in a shire like Tenterfield where only about 39% of income is own-source revenue. Nothing changes immediately — the Compact is to be progressed through further work between governments, associations and unions — but it is the funding stream to watch behind the council's long-term financial position.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Local Government Federation Compact a major win for Tenterfield
- Development
Molesworth Street closes for bridge replacement until about mid-2027
Molesworth Street closed between Duncan Street and Scott Street from Wednesday 19 August 2026 so the bridge over Tenterfield Creek can be replaced. The closure applies to motorists and pedestrians, the creek-side footpath near the bridge is also closed, and a signed detour runs via Duncan, High and Scott Streets. Construction is expected to take about 10 months.
What this means for you: If you drive or walk through that part of town, plan for the detour for roughly the next year. Access to nearby properties including the Tenterfield Bowling Club is being maintained. The contractor's community team can be reached on 0447 435 364 during business hours.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Molesworth Street closure for bridge replacement works
- Policy
Council adopts 2026–27 fees and charges, and the 2026–27 Operational Plan
Council adopted its Fees and Charges for 2026/2027 on 22 June 2026 (Res. No. 142/26), alongside the Delivery Program 2025–2029 and Operational Plan 2026–2027 and the Statement of Revenue Policy 2026–2027. The schedule sets the domestic waste collection charge at $517 a year for a 120L bin and $665 for a 240L bin, the residential recycling collection charge at $98.50, the annual waste management facility charge at $321, and interest on overdue rates and charges at 9.5% per annum.
What this means for you: These are the charges that will appear on your 2026–27 rates notice alongside your ordinary rate, which is capped in total by IPART's 5.1% rate peg for Tenterfield. The full schedule, including transfer-station gate fees, is published as a PDF.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Council's Fees & Charges 2026/2027
- Have your say
New Community Strategic Plan 2025–2036 adopted after shire-wide consultation
Council adopted the Community Strategic Plan 2025–2036 on 28 May 2025 (Res. No. 63/25) following consultation that included a newsletter to every household, 11 information sessions in 10 locations across the shire attended by 125 people, and 80 returned surveys. The plan sets five Future Directions — Community, Economy, Environment, Infrastructure and Leadership.
What this means for you: The Community Strategic Plan is the council's highest-level plan and everything in the Delivery Program and annual Operational Plan is meant to trace back to it, so it is the document to read if you want to know what the council says its priorities are for the next decade.
Source: Tenterfield Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2025–2036
Email alerts aren't switched on yet
We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Tenterfield Shire Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.