Our Organisation

About us

City of Newcastle is a committed to creating a smart, liveable and sustainable global city that fosters innovation, investment and job creation.

Founded in April 1938 following the merger of 11 local Councils, City of Newcastle is now the second largest local government area outside of Greater Sydney, supporting a population forecast to grow to more than 202,000* residents by 2041.

City of Newcastle covers an area of 187sqkm and manages a vast network of facilities and infrastructure including 850km of roads, 974km of pathways, 147 sporting grounds, 116 playgrounds and seven ocean baths and aquatic centres.

Committed to meeting the needs of Newcastle’s growing population, we invested a record $92.5 million into the renewal and revitalisation of community infrastructure during 2019/20, delivering projects that ensure our city is an inclusive, vibrant and sustainable place to live and work, now and into the future.

Our natural landscapes underpin our unique Newcastle lifestyle and are among our greatest assets for residents and biggest tourism drawcards. City of Newcastle is responsible for six main beaches, 79km of creeks, 88 bushland parcels and more than 98,000 street and park trees. We ensure our beaches, waterways and urban forests are protected and accessible to our community, with a development focus on balancing growth while protecting our treasured heritage. We respect our proud Indigenous history and work closely with the traditional owners of our land to protect culturally significant and sacred sites.

Newcastle is a city of cultural creativity and sporting prowess with a reputation for proudly delivering and supporting significant national and international events, artists and cultural activities. We are a must-visit destination and a global innovation hub that hosts travellers, business leaders and students from all over the world. We are committed to investing further in events and tourism, which are integral to supporting Newcastle’s thriving, diverse and robust economy.

* Population based on .id forecasted figures.

What does City of Newcastle do?

City of Newcastle is responsible for looking after public facilities and providing community services. We provide more than 70 services such as:

• Town planning
• Construction and maintenance of local roads, streets and bridges
• Preservation of historic places
• Food and public health services
• Waste management and recycling
• Supervision of building and development control
• Parking control
• Maintenance of parks, golf courses, sporting fields, pools and beach facilities
• Provision and servicing of libraries, community centres, theatres and art galleries
• Pet registration and control
• Tourism services
• Promotion of economic development
• Child care facilities
• Fire prevention enforcement and many more.

Our structure

City of Newcastle has two main parts:

• The elected Council (the popularly elected Lord Mayor and 12 Councillors)
• The administration (led by the CEO).

The elected Council

Councillors are elected to represent the interests of residents and ratepayers and provide leadership and guidance to the community.

The administration

The CEO leads the administrative arm of City of Newcastle. The CEO is responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the organisation and for ensuring that the decisions of the elected Council are implemented.

Our values

City of Newcastle has adopted a set of values to guide organisational behaviour:

Cooperation - We work together as an organisation, helping and supporting each other
Respect - We respect diverse views and opinions and act with integrity
Excellence - We strive for quality and improvement in everything we do
Wellbeing - We develop a safe and supportive environment.