District Council of Grant

The District Council of Grant is a local government area located in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, and is the southernmost council in the state.

The council was formed on 1 July 1996 after the amalgamation of the District Council of Mount Gambier and the District Council of Port MacDonnell, and currently surrounds the City of Mount Gambier.^[4] The economy of the district is based on agriculture, forestry and fishing.

The council seat and administration offices are outside the council boundaries in Mount Gambier, while it maintains a branch office in Port MacDonnell.^[5]

Geography

The council includes the towns and localities of Allendale East, Blackfellows Caves, Canunda, Cape Douglas, Caroline, Carpenter Rocks, Caveton, Compton, Dismal Swamp, Donovans, Eight Mile Creek, German Creek, Kongorong, Mil-Lel, Mingbool, Moorak, Mount Schank, Nene Valley, Pelican Point, Pleasant Park, Port MacDonnell, Racecourse Bay, Square Mile, Tarpeena, Wandilo, Wye and Yahl, and parts of Burrungule, Glenburnie, OB Flat, Suttontown, Tantanoola, Wepar and Worrolong.^[6]

History

The District Council of Mount Gambier

Local government in Mount Gambier was established in 1863, when the District Council of Mount Gambier met for the first time, and Edward Wehl was elected the inaugural chairman. In December 1864 the District Council of Mount Gambier was divided into the District Council of Mount Gambier West (Town Council) and the District Council of Mount Gambier East. In May 1876 another division occurred resulting in the formation of the first town council with John Watson as Mayor.^[7]

The three local governments operated independently up until 1932 when the District Council of Mount Gambier West and District Council of Mount Gambier East were merged to once again be united under the banner of the District Council of Mount Gambier. The town council never merged back, instead becoming what is now the City of Mount Gambier.^[7]

The District Council of Port MacDonnell

Land around Port MacDonnell was taken up by pastoralists as early as the 1840s. Settlement started in the 1850s.

By the end of the 1860s there were enough people in town and surrounding smaller settlements to warrant the proclamation of the District Council of Port MacDonnell.^[8]

With Port MacDonnell being the second largest port in South Australia, the population held steady until the decision was made not to connect the port to the newly south east railway network. This resulted in loss of trade, and declining populations in the town.^[8]

The two councils merged in 1996 to form the District Council of Grant.^[9]

Economy

The economy of the district relies on a range of industries, including agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism.

Cereal crops and horticulture dominate many agricultural areas in the district, with beef, dairy and sheep production also prominent activities.

The fishing industry in Port MacDonnell is mostly reliant on the rock lobster industry, as well as certain scalefish, and is a significant factor in the economy of the area.

Forestry production and related secondary industries of logging, milling and paper production are major economic and employment generating activities.

Tourists are attracted to the district by natural features such as the coastline, the Canunda National Park and Lake Bonney SE as well as the European heritage making the area a popular and growing tourist destination.^[9] A niche tourism activity is cave diving in the water-filled caves and sinkholes present in the council's area as well of those of the City of Mount Gambier and the Wattle Range Council. This activity attracts cave divers from around the globe. Popular sites within the council's area include Ewens Ponds and Piccaninnie Ponds.^[10]^[11]

Further information: Cave diving sites in the Limestone Coast region

During autumn, many visitors also arrive to take advantage of the run of bluefin tuna along the coast, with fish caught out over the edge of the continental shelf.

Councillors

Ward		Notes
Mayor ^[2]	Richard Sage
Central ^[2]	Bruce Bain
	Brian Collins	Deputy Mayor
	Gill Clayfield
	Alan Hill
	Barry Kuhl
	Julie Reis
	Graham Slarks
Port MacDonnell ^[2]	Greg Saunders
Tarpeena ^[2]	Shirley Little

The District Council of Grant has a directly-elected mayor.^[12]

References

↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
1 2 3 4 5 "Elected Members". District Council of Grant. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
↑ "Limestone Coast SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
↑ "More councils merge in SA". Local Government Focus. July 1996. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
↑ "Contact Us". District Council of Grant. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
↑ "Location SA Map Viewer". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
1 2 Mount Gambier City Council, History, archived from the original (– ^{Scholar search}) on 1 July 2007, retrieved 30 May 2007
1 2 Flinders Ranges History, Port MacDonnell, retrieved 30 May 2007
1 2 District Council of Grant, Profile, retrieved 30 May 2007
↑ "Scuba Diving in South Australia". Outdoors SA. 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
↑ Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park Diving and Snorkelling Guidelines, , retrieved 27 October 2013.
↑ "Election Results 2014" (PDF). Local Government Association of South Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2016.

External links

Council page

Towns and localities of the District Council of Grant

Allendale East Blackfellows Caves Burrungule Canunda Cape Douglas Caroline Carpenter Rocks Caveton Compton Dismal Swamp Donovans Eight Mile Creek German Creek Glenburnie Kongorong Mil-Lel Mingbool Moorak Mount Schank Nene Valley OB Flat Pelican Point Pleasant Park Port MacDonnell Racecourse Bay Square Mile Suttontown Tarpeena Wandilo Wepar Worrolong Wye Yahl

Local government areas of South Australia

Metropolitan Adelaide	Adelaide Adelaide Hills Burnside Campbelltown Charles Sturt Gawler Holdfast Bay Marion Mitcham Norwood Payneham & St Peters Onkaparinga Playford Port Adelaide Enfield Prospect Salisbury Tea Tree Gully Unley Walkerville West Torrens

Eyre Peninsula	Ceduna Cleve Elliston Franklin Harbour Kimba Lower Eyre Peninsula Port Augusta Port Lincoln Streaky Bay Tumby Bay Wudinna Whyalla

Central	Adelaide Plains Barossa Barunga West Clare and Gilbert Valleys Copper Coast Flinders Ranges Goyder Light Mount Remarkable Northern Areas Orroroo Carrieton Peterborough Port Pirie Wakefield Yorke Peninsula

Southern and Hills	Alexandrina Kangaroo Island Mount Barker Victor Harbor Yankalilla

Murray Mallee	Berri Barmera Coorong Gerard Karoonda East Murray Loxton Waikerie Mid Murray Murray Bridge Renmark Paringa Southern Mallee

Southeast	Grant Kingston Mount Gambier Naracoorte Lucindale Robe Tatiara Wattle Range

Outback	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Coober Pedy Maralinga Tjarutja Nepabunna Outback Communities Authority Roxby Downs Yalata

Limestone Coast, South Australia

Cities

Mount Gambier

Towns and localities

Governance

Federal division	Division of Barker

State electoral districts	Electoral district of MacKillop Electoral district of Mount Gambier

Local Government	City of Mount Gambier District Council of Grant District Council of Robe Kingston District Council Naracoorte Lucindale Council Tatiara District Council Wattle Range Council

Hills, mountains and volcanoes

Caves, sinkholes and freshwater lakes

Islands

Coastal features

Protected areas

National parks	Canunda Coorong (southern end only) Naracoorte Caves

Conservation parks	Aberdour Baudin Rocks Bangham Beachport Belt Hill Big Heath Butchers Gap Calectasia Carpenter Rocks Christmas Rocks Custon Dingley Dell Douglas Point Ewens Ponds Fairview Furner Geegeela Glen Roy Gower Grass Tree Guichen Bay Gum Lagoon Hacks Lagoon Hanson Scrub Jip Jip Kungari Lake Frome Lake Hawdon South Lake St Clair Little Dip Lower Glenelg River Mary Seymour Mount Monster Mount Scott Nene Valley Ngarkat Padthaway Paranki Lagoon Penambol Penguin Island Penola Piccaninnie Ponds Pine Hill Soak Reedy Creek Talapar Tantanoola Caves Telford Scrub Tilley Swamp Vivigani Ardune Woakwine Wolseley Common

Game reserves	Bool Lagoon Bucks Lake Lake Robe Poocher Swamp

Conservation reserves	Desert Camp Bernouilli

Related and uncategorised

Limestone Coast zone (wine)

Coordinates: 37°50′00″S 140°47′00″E / 37.8333333333°S 140.783333333°E / -37.8333333333; 140.783333333

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