Local government in the Australian state of South Australia describes the organisations and processes by which towns and districts can manage their own affairs to the extent permitted by section 64A of Constitution Act 1934 (SA).

LGAs sorted by region

The organisations, often called local government areas (LGAs) are constituted and managed in accordance with the Local Government Act 1999 (South Australia). They are grouped below by region, as defined by the Local Government Association of South Australia. Maralinga Tjarutja and Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara aboriginal councils both located in the remote north of the state are by far the largest South Australian LGAs, both exceeding 100,000 km2. Coorong District Council and Loxton Waikerie are the next largest LGAs. The smallest LGAs are Walkerville and then Prospect, both occupying less than 10 km2 each.

The area with the largest population growth was Playford in Adelaide's northern suburbs with a net increase of 2,847 people from June 2021 to June 2022. Port Pirie had the largest net reduction in population of 106. The fastest growth of an LGA in South Australia was in Adelaide Plains at 4.9 percent. Coober Pedy was the fastest shrinking LGA, at -3.0 percent.

Metropolitan Adelaide

This group of areas are found around Metropolitan Adelaide along a 70 km stretch of the Gulf St Vincent coast and up to 50 km inland. Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq miDensity (2022) 2021 2022 Adelaide 1840 167725,551 26,120 Capital city of South Australia1840 Established as Adelaide Corporation1843 Managed by the Colonial government, and then a commission1852 Re-established1919 Office of Mayor raised to Lord Mayor Woodside 1997 5241,250 41,448 Amalgamation of District Councils of East Torrens, Gumeracha, Onkaparinga and Stirling Tusmore 1856 1,69746,444 46,692 1856 gazetted as District Council of Burnside1935 became the Municipality of Burnside1943 proclaimed the City of Burnside Rostrevor 1854 2,30155,475 56,013 1854 established as the District Council of Payneham1867 District Council of Stepney (later itself called Payneham) seceded1868 renamed to District Council of Campbelltown1946 became the Town of Campbelltown1960 proclaimed the City of Campbelltown Woodville 1997 2,280123,146 124,906 Amalgamation of City of Hindmarsh Woodville and the City of Henley and Grange Gawler 1857 63525,304 26,123 Established as the Corporation of the Town of Gawler in 1857 following resident dissatisfaction at being governed by three different district councils Brighton 1997 2,76837,868 38,061 Amalgamation of Glenelg and Brighton city councils Sturt 1853 1,73795,650 96,658 1853 established as the District Council of Brighton1886 renamed to the District Council of Marion1944 gazetted as the municipality, City of Marion Torrens Park 1853 90568,180 68,403 First LGA formally founded after the City of Adelaide Norwood 1997 2,51637,850 38,001 Amalgamation of the City of Kensington and Norwood, the City of Payneham and the Town of St Peters. Noarlunga Centre 1997 345176,628 178,546 Amalgamation of Cities of Happy Valley and Noarlunga with part of the District Council of Willunga Elizabeth 1997 300100,573 103,420 Amalgamation of the cities of Elizabeth and Munno Para Port Adelaide 1997 1,480134,202 135,844 Amalgamation of the cities of Port Adelaide and Enfield Prospect 1872 2,91922,497 22,741 Separated from District Council of Yatala South Salisbury 1933 926147,602 148,003 Amalgamation of District Council of Yatala North and large part of District Council of Munno Para West Modbury 1858 1,078102,067 102,666 1858 established by separation from District Council of Highercombe1935 reunited with Highercombe under current name Unley 1871 2,73939,082 39,085 Separated from District Council of Mitcham as the Corporate Town of Unley Gilberton 1855 2,3178,091 8,179 Separated from District Council of Yatala Hilton 1856 1,70262,469 63,105 1856 established as the District Council of West Torrens1944 became a municipal corporation, the Corporate Town of West Torrens1950 gained city status as the City of West Torrens1997 annexed the Town of Thebarton

Regional South Australia Eyre Peninsula Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq miDensity (2022) 2021 2022 Ceduna 1896 0.7 3,651 3,650 Cleve 1911 0.4 1,776 1,765 Separated from Franklin Harbour Elliston 1887 0.2 1,038 1,037 Boundary changes in 1989 Cowell 1888 0.5 1,323 1,323 Kimba 1924 0.2 1,053 1,057 Cummins 1921 1.3 6,060 6,100 Part of District Council of Port Lincoln (proclaimed 1880). District Council of Tumby Bay separated in 1906. Corporation of Port Lincoln separated in 1921. Remainder named District Council of Lincoln. Renamed Lower Eyre Peninsula in 1988. Port Augusta 1964 12.5 14,453 14,456 Port Lincoln 1921 492.2 14,880 14,947 Separated from District Council of Port Lincoln in 1921. Proclaimed a city in 1971. Streaky Bay 1887 0.4 2,241 2,254 Tumby Bay 1906 1.1 2,875 2,889 Separated from District Council of Port Lincoln Whyalla 1970 20.4 21,960 21,894 Wudinna District CouncilWudinna 1925 0.2 1,163 1,164 Established as the District Council of Minnipa. Later renamed as District Council of Le Hunte. Given present name in 2008.

Central region Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq miDensity (2022) 2021 2022Adelaide Plains CouncilMallala 1935 11.2 9,977 10,461 Amalgamation of the district councils of Grace, Dublin and Port Gawler Barossa CouncilAngaston 1996 29.0 25,569 25,878 Amalgamation of district councils of Angaston, Barossa, Tanunda and, since 1997, part of Mount Pleasant Port Broughton 1997 1.7 2,676 2,676 Amalgamation of the District Council of Bute and the District Council of Port Broughton Clare 1997 5.0 9,366 9,393 Amalgamation of the district councils of Clare, Riverton and Saddleworth and Auburn Copper Coast CouncilKadina 1997 20.3 15,336 15,652 Amalgamation of the District Council of Northern Yorke Peninsula and Corporate Town of Wallaroo Flinders Range CouncilQuorn 1997 0.4 1,686 1,682 Amalgamation of the District Council of Kanyaka-Quorn and the District Council of Hawker Burra 1997 0.6 4,138 4,134 Amalgamation of the district councils of Burra Burra Eudunda, Hallet and Robertstown. Light Regional CouncilKapunda 1996 12.8 16,083 16,332 Amalgamation of the District Council of Light (1977–1996) and the District Council of Kapunda Melrose 1980 0.9 2,921 2,915 Amalgamation of District Council of Port Germein and District Council of Wilmington Northern Areas CouncilJamestown 1997 1.6 4,659 4,671 Amalgamation of the district councils of Rocky River, Spalding, and Jamestown Orroroo 1997 0.3 891 890 Amalgamation of the District Council of Orroroo and District Council of Carrieton Peterborough 1935 0.6 1,669 1,670 Port Pirie Regional CouncilPort Pirie 1997 10.0 17,754 17,648 Amalgamation of the City of Port Pirie and the District Council of Crystal Brook-Redhill Wakefield Regional CouncilBalaklava 1997 2.0 6,926 6,958 Amalgamation of the District Council of Blyth-Snowtown and District Council of Wakefield Plains Yorke Peninsula CouncilMaitland 1997 2.0 11,828 11,922 Established as the District Council of Yorke Peninsula in 1997 by amalgamation of the district councils of Central Yorke Peninsula, Minlaton, Warooka and Yorketown.Renamed in 2013.

Southern and Hills region Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq miDensity (2022) 2021 2022Alexandrina CouncilGoolwa 1997 16.3 29,257 29,780 Amalgamation of the District Council of Strathalbyn, the District Council of Port Elliot and Goolwa, and a portion of the District Council of Willunga. Kangaroo Island CouncilKingscote 1996 1.2 4,999 5,084 Amalgamation of the District Council of Kingscote and the District Council of Dudley. Mount Barker 1853 69.0 39,627 41,059 Victor Harbor 1975 43.5 16,427 16,720 Amalgamation of District Council of Encounter Bay and the Corporation of Victor Harbor in 1975. Formerly a district council, became a city in 2000. Yankalilla 1854 8.0 5,928 5,998

Murray Mallee region Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq miDensity (2022) 2021 2022Berri Barmera CouncilBerri 1996 22.5 10,747 10,713 Amalgamation of district councils of Barmera and Berri. Coorong District CouncilMeningie 1995 0.6 5,599 5,569 Amalgamation of District Council of Coonalpyn Downs, Peake District Council and Meningie District Council. Gerard Community CouncilWinkie 1996 1.1 50 50 Karoonda1979 0.2 1,025 1,028 Amalgamation of District Council of Karoonda and District Council of East Murray. Loxton1997 1.5 11,922 11,928 Amalgamation of district councils of Loxton, Waikerie and Browns Well. Mid Murray CouncilMannum1997 6,272 2,422 1.5 9,355 9,415 Amalgamation of district councils of Mannum, Morgan, Ridley-Truro and part of the District Council of Mount Pleasant. Murray Bridge1977 12.3 22,348 22,554 Renmark Paringa CouncilRenmark1996 11.0 10,009 10,044 Amalgamation of Town of Renmark and the District Council of Paringa. Southern Mallee District CouncilPinnaroo1997 5,7022,202 0.4 2,029 2,013

Southeast region Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq miDensity (2022) 2021 2022 Mount Gambier 1996 4.7 8,862 8,925 Amalgamation of District Councils of Mount Gambier and Port MacDonnell. Kingston District CouncilKingston SE 1873 0.7 2,375 2,389 Renamed from Lacepede District Council in 2000. City of Mount GambierMount Gambier 1876 3413 819.4 27,642 27,771Naracoorte Lucindale CouncilNaracoorte 1993 2.0 8,896 8,928 Amalgamation of District Council of Naracoorte, District Council of Lucindale and the Corporate Township of Naracoorte. Robe 1869 1.5 1,568 1,583 Tatiara District CouncilBordertown 1876 1.1 7,072 7,040 Wattle Range CouncilMillicent 1997 3.1 12,127 12,163 Amalgamation of district councils of Beachport, Millicent and Penola.

Outback Local government area Council seat Year est. Land area Population Notes Map km2 sq mi Density (2022) 20212022Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara YankunytjatjaraUmuwa 1981 0.0 2,554 2,595 Coober Pedy 1987 20.3 1,624 1,576 Maralinga TjarutjaCeduna 2006 0.0 102 102 Roxby Council Roxby Downs1982 37.2 4,115 4,105

Maps

See also

District Councils Act 1887 List of cities and towns in South Australia

References

Further reading

External links

Local Government Association of South Australia Local Government Regions of SA – clickable maps