Local Government - Warringah Council

Introduction to
Local Government
warringah.nsw.gov.au

Acknowledgement
of Country
We acknowledge that we are here today on the
land of the Guringai People.
The Guringai are the traditional owners of this
land and are part of the oldest surviving continuous
culture in the world.
We pay our respects to the spirits of the
Guringai People.

What is
Government
Imagine living in a place without transport or roads.
How would you get to school
What would it be like if there was nobody to
help look after elderly and sick people, or to keep
our environment clean and safe For people to
live together we need rules. Government decides
what is best for the community and how to use its
resources to provide the best lifestyle for members
of the community. Australia’s system of government
is a parliamentary democracy. Democracy means
‘government by the people’. It is very difficult for
people to vote on every issue so we elect individuals to
decide on our behalf.
In Australia we have three levels of government
– federal, state and local. Australia’s national
government is called the federal or commonwealth
government. It decides on matters which affect the
whole nation, such as foreign affairs, currency, postal
and telephone services. The federal government meets
in the national capital, Canberra and the leader is
called the Prime Minister.
How Did Local Government
Come About
The three levels of government have developed through historical events.
In 1788 the British came to Australia to set up a colony at Botany Bay. Other colonies
were set up in Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.
Eventually the six colonies won the right to self-government and following the British
system, established another level called local government. Its job was to assist in the
building of local roads and other facilities.
As the colonies grew, people in Australia wanted the country to become one nation.
In 1901 the colonies agreed to form a new federal government to look after
national issues. This was called federation. The colonial governments of the time were
renamed state government and they had the new job of overseeing local government
in their state.
Each state has its own government. State government
responsibilities include health, education, police,
railways, main roads and public housing. The leader
of each state government is called the Premier. State
Governments meet in the capital city of their State. In
NSW, the State Government meets in Sydney.
Local government is the third level of government. It is
responsible for smaller areas than the federal or state
governments. Local government controls things such
as garbage, childcare, parks, libraries, and the local
environment.

Who Does What
The establishment of our federal system of government is set out in the
Australian Constitution Act, 1900. The constitution outlines the duties of state
and federal governments.
The states kept most of their powers but gave up matters of common interest such as
international relations, immigration, defence and the minting of money.
In NSW, local government gets its powers from the NSW Local Government Act
of 1993 and the state governments oversee councils in each state.
As long as councils operate under the law of the act, the state government is unlikely
to interfere. However, if things do go wrong such as corruption or mismanagement,
the state government may dismiss the elected councillors and appoint an administrator
to fix the problem.
Why Local Government
is Important
Local government is important because communities in different parts of the country
have different needs.
In Warringah for example, there are many waterways, beaches and bushland. This means
Warringah spends money on lifeguards, beach pollution, lagoon preservation and bush
regeneration. In other councils, these issues may not be important.
A local council can be made up of a group of suburbs, a town or a town and the
surrounding countryside. Each council is governed by a group of people called
councillors and the leader is called the Mayor.
Councils provide services to meet the needs of the community. The general purpose of
councils is to:
• Ensure order and good government for an area
• Advise and encourage appropriate building and other development in the
best interests of the community
• Provide and manage community services and facilities
• Manage and improve natural resources and the environment

How Councils Work
Map of Wards in Warringah
The people who live or own a property in each local government area choose who they
want on their local council by voting in council elections. Elections are held every four
years and any resident or ratepayer can stand for office.
All residents must vote if they:
• Are 18 years old or over
• Are Australian citizens
• Have lived in the area for at least three months
• Are on the electoral roll
Council areas are divided into regions known as ‘wards’. Warringah is divided into three
wards and three councillors are elected for each ward.
Warringah’s Councillors
Councillors do not get paid for the time and service they give to the community but they
do receive an allowance to help cover expenses. They stand for election because they
are interested in the wellbeing of their district and generally carry out these duties on
top of a full time job. Councillors are similar to a board of directors with ratepayers and
residents being the shareholders.
Warringah’s Mayor and Councillors

The Mayor
At the elections in September 2008 nine councillors, three from each ward, and a
Mayor were elected by Warringah voters. Council may also elect a Deputy Mayor who
represents the Mayor when he, or she, is away.
Warringah’s Councillors
Ward A
The Mayor presides at council meetings. If the votes for and against a proposal are
equal, the Mayor has the right to give a casting or deciding vote.
It is the Mayor’s duty to keep order at meetings and can have a member of the council
removed if that member doesn’t behave properly.
Council Meetings
Warringah Council and major committee meetings
are held in Council Chambers to discuss local
issues and make decisions on behalf of the local
community. The Mayor is the chairperson and the
council’s General Manager and other staff also
attend to answer questions and explain reports.
Wayne Gobert Vanessa Moskal Vincent De Luca OAM
Ward B
Meetings are open to the public and any resident
can attend.
Sue Heins Bob Giltinan Pat Daley
Ward C
Michael Regan
Michael Regan
Past Mayors
ELECTED TERM NAME
28/9/1993 1993-1994 B GREEN
20/9/1994 1994-1995 B GREEN
19/9/1995 1995-1996 J SUTTON
24/9/1996 1996-1997 S DANIELI
23/9/1997 1997-1998 S DANIELI
22/9/1998 1998-1999 J CAPUTO
23/9/1999 1999-2000 P MOXHAM
26/9/2000 2000-2001 P MOXHAM
27/9/2001 2001-2002 D JONES
26/9/2002 2002-2003 J SUTTON
Roslyn Harrison Duncan Kerr Jose Menano-Pires
Councillors stand for election because they are interested in the wellbeing of their
district. They generally carry out their council duties on top of another job. Councillors
are similar to a board of directors with ratepayers and residents being the shareholders.

History of Warringah
The name ‘Warringah’ was taken from the Aboriginal
word for Middle Harbour.
‘Warringah’ also has other meanings in various Aboriginal
languages including ‘grey head’ and ‘signs of rain’.
‘Garigal’ is the name of the Aboriginal clan who occupied
the Manly Warringah Pittwater area on the coast.
The Guringai lived in large groups throughout the region
because it was so rich in food supplies such as fruit, nuts,
seeds, leaves, roots, bulbs, honey, nectar, insect grubs and
fish.
Governor Phillip made expeditions to the northern
beaches within weeks of the landing of the First Fleet.
Although initial land grants occurred in the early 1800s,
settlement was slow until transport links in the 1850s.
European settlement resulted in the almost total
destruction of Aboriginal traditional way of life. Today,
you can see evidence of the Guringai’s life and culture
through local Aboriginal sites.
Warringah’s First Council
The first Council was elected in November 1906 and consisted of six councillors. The
Council moved from Narrabeen to Smith’s Hall at Brookvale in December 1906. In 1973
the Council moved to the new Civic Centre at Dee Why.
At the time of incorporation Warringah was almost entirely a rural area with holiday
resorts and a population of only 3,000 people.
Warringah expanded after World War I with a lifting of building restrictions and
completion of the Spit Bridge in 1924. The 1930s’ depression and inadequate transport
slowed progress until 1932 when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened giving greater
access to the peninsula. By 1933 the population had reached 16,800 and by the start of
World War II it was almost 20,000.
Today Warringah covers an area of 152.55 square kilometres and more then 141,000
people live in Warringah.
Council’s logo, the flannel flower, was adopted in 1998. The flannel flower is native to
the Warringah area and blooms in late spring and early summer. This fragile but tough
plant does well in times when other plants fade. It is a symbol of endurance, achievement
and beauty.
(Since 1907 the flannel flower has been part of Warringah’s logo and was Council’s first
official seal. The logo is displayed on all the stationary, vehicles, signs, uniforms, parking
stickers, advertising, publications, border signs, and any other items that fall within
Council’s responsibilities.)

Map of Warringah
This is a map of your Local Government Area.
What Your Council Does
Warringah Council’s mission is to create a better and exciting Warringah through
innovative leadership, partnerships and outstanding service. Its vision is:
• Leading our community
• Protecting our environment
• Creating our future
Some of the things Warringah Council looks after include:
Local roads, waste, parks and foreshores, bushland, Glen Street Theatre, libraries,
beaches, childcare, youth, disability and age services, the Warringah Aquatic Centre,
urban planning, development assessments and companion animals.
What Do Council
Staff Do
Councils do a lot of different things to
keep your local area running. However, the
councillors elected to the council do not do
these things themselves.
Qualified and skilled staff provide reports and
advice to help councillors make decisions.
Warringah Council employs almost 600
people. These people are not elected and are
paid for their work.
Staff carry out Council’s programs, according
to the relevant laws and council policy which
is reviewed regularly. For example, if you
want to build a house in Warringah you have
to follow the rules in the Warringah Local
Environmental Plan.

Where Does the
Money Come From
In all levels of government much of the decision
making is about where money should be spent in
the community and how to raise the finance to carry
out required tasks.
The work council does costs money. It must buy
machines and vehicles for roadwork; materials to
build roads and bridges; books for the libraries;
maintain parks and swimming pools; and pay
wages to its staff.
Warringah has an annual budget of approximately
$170 million to provide all the facilities and services
in the local community. Council has many ways to
raise the money to pay for its work.
Much of a council’s money comes from taxes on
land called rates. Each year the owners of houses
or other property must pay rates to the council.
Councils also charge fees for some of the services
they provide, like swimming at council pools.
Councils also receive money from the state and
federal governments. These are called grants.
Geography
Warringah is mainly an urban area, although
it still has large tracts of land which remain
undeveloped. The bush and beaches in
Warringah are major attractions.
Bush
Bushland is a significant feature of Warringah.
Presently, 28 per cent of Warringah is bushland.
There are 19 types of bush in Warringah
including heathland communities to the
sheltered rainforest gullies, to open forest
and grasslands.
Beach
Warringah’s coastline is 14 kilometres long and
includes nine beaches stretching from North
Narrabeen Beach at the entrance of Narrabeen
Lagoon to Freshwater Beach in the south.
The present coastline of Warringah was formed
over many thousands of years as a result of
erosion and deposition that took place as sea
level fluctuated.

Looking After the Environment
The care and protection of our native
flora and fauna is of major concern to
Warringah Council. Urbanisation and
environmental changes have disturbed
and reduced the quality of our remnant
bushland. Vegetation removal, domestic
feral animals, dumped garden rubbish,
increased stormwater runoff, changed
fire regimes and vandalism have led to
weed invasion in our bushland by exotic
species such as lantana and privet.
Council is responsible for maintaining
and improving public property which
includes places such as roads, bridges,
parks, playing fields and footpaths. This
involves building and repairing roads
and public works, preserving the area
and waste disposal.
Aboriginal Sites
Warringah has many valuable
Aboriginal cultural and heritage
sites such as rock engravings, rock
art, open campsites, rock shelters,
scarred trees and middens.
It is important to respect and
protect them because they provide
a historical link to the traditional
owners of the Manly Warringah
Pittwater area. The people who
lived here before European
settlers belonged to the ‘Garigal’
Aboriginal clan.
The NSW National Parks and
Wildlife Service is responsible
for protecting and preserving
Aboriginal sites in NSW. It is
illegal to damage or destroy an
Aboriginal relic.

Warringah at a Glance
Area
153 square kms
Population
146,000
Council’s forecast 2012/13 expenditure
$173 million
Council assets
$3.3 billion
Suburbs 27
Properties 54,711
Patrolled beaches 9
Beach patrol rescues during 2011/12 beach season 1,146
First aid actions during 2011/12 beach season 2,503
Visitors to Warringah’s beaches during 2011/12 beach season 2.5 million
Number of parks and reserves maintained by Council 421
Customer service inquiries per month 14,000
Bins emptied daily 600
Street name signs replaced 2011/12 656
Bookings taken for Council’s vacation care 2011/12 9,749
Children who perform at Glen Street Theatre per year 6,000
Graffiti removal jobs 2011/12 8,603
Contact Us
warringah.nsw.gov.au
9942 2111
facebook.com/warringahcouncil
twitter.com/mywarringah

warringah.nsw.gov.au