Bega Valley Shire
Bega Valley | |||||||||||||
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Location in New South Wales | |||||||||||||
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| Coordinates: 36°40′S 149°50′E / 36.667°S 149.833°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | New South Wales | ||||||||||||
| Region | South Coast | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1981 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Bega | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Mayor | Russell Fitpatrick (Mayor) Anthony McMahon (CEO) | ||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 6,279 km2 (2,424 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 35,942 (LGA 2021) | ||||||||||||
| Website | Bega Valley | ||||||||||||
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The Bega Valley Shire is a local government area located adjacent to the south-eastern coastline of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed in 1981 with the amalgamation of the Municipality of Bega, Imlay Shire and Mumbulla Shire, with its name deriving from the town of Bega. The shire is also known as the Sapphire Coast for tourism and marketing purposes. During the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, the area was devastated by fire, with 448 houses being destroyed by fire and approximately 365,000 hectares burned, which is 58% of the Shire's total land mass.
The estimated population as at the 2021 census was 35,942.
The current mayor is Russell Fitzpatrick, an independent who joined the Liberal Party in 2023.