Newcastle City Council was formed in April 1938 with the merger of Adamstown, Carrington, Hamilton, Lambton. Merewether, Newcastle, New Lambton, Stockton, Wallsend, Waratah and Wickham Councils.

What does Council do?

Council is responsible for looking after public facilities and providing community services. Newcastle City Council provides more than 150 services such as:

• Town planning
• Construction and maintenance of local roads, streets and bridges
• Preservation of historic places
• Food and public health services
• Waste management and recycling
• Supervision of building and development control
• Parking control
• Maintenance of parks, golf courses, sporting fields, pools and beach facilities
• Provision and servicing of libraries, community centres, theatres and art galleries
• Pet registration and control
• Tourism services
• Promotion of economic development
• Child care facilities
• Fire prevention enforcement and many more

Council's Structure

Newcastle City Council has two main parts:

• The elected Council, (the popularly elected Lord Mayor and 12 Councillors)
• The administration (led by the General Manager)

The Elected Council

Councillors are elected to represent the interests of residents and ratepayers and provide leadership and guidance to the community.

Find out more about the role of Newcastle City Councillors and the Lord Mayor.

The Administration

The General Manager leads the administrative arm of Council. The General Manager is responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the Council’s organisation and for ensuring that the decisions of the Council are implemented.

Find out how the organisation is structured by going to the organisation chart.