City - Country Partnership between City of Ryde and Central Darling Shire

The City of Ryde and the Central Darling Shire Council formalised a City/Country Council Partnership in 2007. The partnership aims to promote greater understanding between our communities through an appreciation of city and country knowledge and experiences.

Located in the far west of NSW, the Central Darling Shire takes in an area of over 53,000 square kilometres (about the size of Tasmania), making it the largest Local Government Area in NSW, but with one of the smallest residential populations of less than 2,000 people.

By contrast, the City of Ryde is home to 110,000 residents as well as the fourth largest CBD in Australia (Macquarie Park), and its 16 suburbs are spread over a 44 square kilometre area.

About the Partnership

This relationship between our Councils provides a unique opportunity to challenge perspectives and to learn from each other as we work towards the overall betterment and enrichment of our communities. The partnership seeks to explore and develop opportunities that provide benefits for our respective communities in areas such as work experience, employment, education, economic development and community harmony.

Country Council Partnership Advisory Committee

The role of the Country Council Partnership Advisory Committee is to generate ideas for new partnership proposals and to promote the partnership to the community, business, government agencies and other stakeholders. They also provide advice to Council on proposals, funding and compliance. The Committee meets throughout the year and meeting minutes are available.

Initiatives

The partnership has seen a number of initiatives already undertaken including:

• a staff exchange in the area of Environment/Economic Development and assistance from City of Ryde in development planning
• information and documentation exchange to assist Central Darling Shire in the areas of asset management, Councillor induction and building efficiency
• cricket coaching clinics for indigenous students from Central Darling Shire hosted by Ryde/Hunters Hill Cricket Club
• NAIDOC Week exhibition of Central Darling artists.

Profile of the Central Darling Shire

The Central Darling Shire is extremely diverse with four main communities that are all different in their commerce, geography and cultures.

Wilcannia, the administration centre of the Shire, has a fascinating history of river heritage, having once been the prime port for the shipping of wool for the entire western district of NSW. Once dubbed the 'Queen City of the West', Wilcannia boasts a large number of historic sandstone buildings and a rich Indigenous culture.

Menindee, also on the banks of the Darling River, was the stepping off point for Burke and Wills as they headed into the vast interior. Menindee today has a strong and quickly developing horticulture industry and is a growing tourism destination - an oasis in the Outback.

Ivanhoe was once a thriving rail town as the positioning point for change-over crews on the transcontinental rail line. It is now more of a stopping off point for tourists headed north and south along the Cobb Highway. It is the centre of a traditional pastoral area and still provides agricultural products and services for a large part of the Shire.

The discovery of precious seam opal at White Cliffs in the 1890s drew more than 4000 people to the town. Today, with a population of around 210, there is more tourism than mining, as the unique history of White Cliffs offers visitors a chance to stay in one of the old underground dugouts and fossick for opals in the old fields with their unique geological formations. Australia’s first experimental Solar Power Station is located at White Cliffs and there are galleries and jewellery manufacturers showcasing local talent.