Colac Otway Shire

Contact Information

Address: 2-6 Rae Street, COLAC 3250
Postal: PO Box 283, COLAC 3250
Phone: 03 5232 9400
Fax: 03 5232 1046
Contact: inq@colacotway.vic.gov.au
Web: http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au
Mayor: Cr Chris Potter
CEO: Ms Sue Wilkinson
Service Seeker: infoxchange.serviceseeker.com.au/#services/site/830384

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.

Colac Otway is part of the Large Shire council grouping and can be compared with similar councils. More information on council groupings can be found here.

Victoria in Future

Colac Otway - Victoria in Future 2016

Aboriginal Community Profile

Colac Otway Aboriginal Community Profile (includes Aboriginal organisations)

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.

Community Satisfaction

Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey Statewide Results 2016

Elections

Colac Otway Shire Council is an unsubdivided municipality consisting of 7 councillors.

Councillors are elected through proportional representation voting. Since 2008, all Victorian councillors serve a four year term. The next general election is in October 2020.

Visit the Guide for more information on Council Elections.
Visit the Victorian Electoral Commission for more elections details.

Councillors

7 Councillors elected in October 2016.

Unsubdivided - Cr Stephen Hart

Unsubdivided - Cr Chris Smith

Unsubdivided - Cr Terry Woodcroft

Unsubdivided - Cr Kate Hanson

Unsubdivided - Cr Joe McCracken

Unsubdivided - Cr Chris Potter - Mayor

Unsubdivided - Cr Jason Schram

Population data

Estimated resident population. Source: Victoria in Future 2016 - Population and Household Projections to 2031

2016 20,142
2021 19,942
2026 19,918
2031 19,969

Finances

Source: Victoria Grants Commission.
The figures in the bottom two rows of the table show combined one-off and ongoing funding received by council from both the Federal and State Governments. It is important to note that this amount can change significantly from year to year as individual government funding programs change and natural events such as fires and floods occur.

Data shows the amount allocated in respect of the relevant financial year. In some years, that amount will vary from the payments received that year, as a result of the Commonwealth "bringing forward" some payments.

	2015-16	2014-15	2013-14	2012-13	2011-12	2010-11	2009-10
Recurrent Expenditure ($)	44.515m	42.919m	41.434m	41.237m	37.759m	37.745m	36.533m
Recurrent Revenue ($)	45.960m	54.412m	43.789m	44.295m	43.485m	40.051m	38.504m
- Rates and Charges	27.614m	26.631m	25.055m	23.349m	21.789m	18.214m	18.742m
- VGC Grants	5.984m	5.985m	5.907m	5.726m	5.799m	5.583m	5.163m
Non-Recurrent Government Grants	1.245m	7.592m	5.456m	5.821m	3.548m	3.883m	2.249m
Recurrent Government Grants	10.952m	4.950m	5.293m	3.853m	4.663m	4.700m	4.791m

Check council performance

View Colac Otway Shire's performance across a wide range of service areas

View Performance