Colac Otway Shire Council
Address
2-6 Rae Street, COLAC 3250
Postal
PO Box 283, COLAC 3250
Tel
03 5232 9400
Fax
03 5232 1046
inq@colacotway.vic.gov.au
Website
Municipality Profile
Located in Victoria’s south west, the Colac Otway Shire is diverse, with volcanic lakes, craters and plains in the north, the hinterland forests of the Otway Ranges and the Great Ocean Road coastline. Colac City is situated beside Lake Colac, on the Princes Highway, 138 kms south west of Melbourne, 74 kms south west of Geelong, and 101 kms south of Ballarat.
The Colac region supports a network of over 1200 businesses and well over 800 farms. The main industries are dairy, beef, sheep, crops, specified pastures, horticulture and organic farming; timber, manufacturing and service, construction, retail and wholesale. Tourism, centring on the Great Ocean Road and the coastline, is becoming increasingly important.
Localities
Aire Valley, Alvie, Apollo Bay, Balintore, Barongarook, Barongarook West, Barramunga, Barwon Downs, Beeac, Beech Forest, Birregurra, Bungador, Cape Otway, Carlisle River, Carpendeit, Chapple Vale, Colac, Colac East, Colac West, Coragulac, Cororooke, Corunnun, Cressy, Cundare, Cundare North, Dreeite, Dreeite South, Elliminyt, Eurack, Ferguson, Forrest, Gellibrand, Gellibrand Lower, Gerangamete, Glenaire, Grey River, Horden Vale, Irrewarra, Irrewillipe, Irrewillipe West, Jancourt East, Johanna, Kawarren, Kennedys Creek, Kennett River, Larpent, Lavers Hill, Marengo, Mount Sabine, Murroon, Nalangil, Ombersley, Ondit, Pennyroyal, Petticoat Creek, Pirron Yallock, Separation Creek, Simpson, Skenes Creek, Skenes Creek North, Stonyford, Sugarloaf, Swan Marsh, Tanybryn, Warncoort, Warrion, Weeaproinah, Weering, Whoorel, Winchelsea, Wingeel, Wongarra, Wool Wool, Wye River, Wyelangta, Yeo, Yeodene and Yuulong. For a detailed map showing shire boundaries and locality names, visit
VICNAMES.
Area
3433 sq km
Population
Estimated Resident Population
 | Total | 0-17 | 18-34 | 35-64 | 65+ |
| 2006 | 21,030 | 25% | 19% | 40% | 17% |
| 2007 | 21,183 | 25% | 19% | 41% | 17% |
| 2016 | 21,910 | 21% | 17% | 39% | 22% |
2006 & 2007 - Australian Bureau of Statistics - ABS Census 2006 (and updates).
2016 - DSE, Victoria in Future 2004 – Projections based on 2001 Census.
Elections
Colac Otway Shire is an unsubdivided municipality consisting of 7 councillors.
Councillors are elected through proportional representation voting.
From November 2008 general council elections, all Victorian councillors serve a four year term.
The council's next independent Electoral Representation Review is scheduled to be conducted prior to the 2016 elections.
Visit the Victorian Electoral Commission for more elections details.
Councillors
7 Councillors elected in Nov 2008.
Unsubdivided - Cr Chris Smith
Unsubdivided - Cr Frank Buchanan
Unsubdivided - Cr Brian Crook (Mayor)
Unsubdivided - Cr Stuart Hart
Unsubdivided - Cr Stephen Hart
Unsubdivided - Cr Geoff Higgins
Unsubdivided - Cr Lyn Russell
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Rob Small
Finances
| Recurrent Income | VGC Grants | Rates Income | % Income from rates |
| 2005/06 | $ 29.970 M | $ 4.235 M | $ 13.197 M | 44% |
| 2006/07 | $ 29.294 M | $ 4.401 M | $ 14.748 M | 50% |
| 2007/08 | $ 32.525 M | $ 4.624 M | $ 16.201 M | 50% |
Map Source: Maps prepared by the Victorian Electoral Commission using Vicmap spatial data provided by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
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