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City of Canterbury-Bankstown New South Wales
Location in Metropolitan Sydney
Population	371,006 (2021 census) (2nd in NSW; 5th in Australia) 379,829 (2023 est.)
• Density	3,348.4/km (8,672/sq mi)
Established	12 May 2016
Area	110.8 km (42.8 sq mi)
Mayor	Bilal El-Hayek
Council seat	Bankstown
Region	Canterbury-Bankstown Inner West
State electorate(s)	Bankstown Canterbury East Hills Strathfield Summer Hill
Federal division(s)	Banks Barton Blaxland Watson
Website	City of Canterbury-Bankstown
LGAs around City of Canterbury-Bankstown: Cumberland Strathfield Burwood & Inner West City of Canterbury-Bankstown Inner West Georges River Bayside

Canterbury-Bankstown Council, trading as the City of Canterbury Bankstown and stylised as CBCity, is a local government area in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 from a merger of the City of Canterbury and the City of Bankstown, after a review of local government areas by the NSW Government.

The City of Canterbury Bankstown comprises an area of 110.8 square kilometres (42.8 sq mi) and as per the 2021 census, had a population of 371,006 making it the second most populous local government area in New South Wales.

The current mayor is Bilal El-Hayek, a member of the Labor Party, who was elected on 11 May 2023.

History

Early history

The traditional Aboriginal inhabitants of the land now known as the Canterbury-Bankstown were the Dharug (Darag, Daruk, Dharuk) and Eora peoples. Early indigenous groups relied upon the riparian network of the Georges River and Cooks River catchments towards Botany Bay, with extant reminders of this lifestyle dating back 3,000 years including rock and overhang paintings, stone scrapers, middens and axe grinding grooves.

Following the arrival of Europeans in 1788, the new British settlers in the area burned oyster shells from the middens along Cooks River to produce lime for use in building mortar. The first incursions and eventual land grants in the area by Europeans led to increasing tensions, culminating in a confrontation between Europeans and a group of Aboriginal people led by Tedbury, the son of Pemulwuy, in what is now Punchbowl in 1809. However, following Tedbury's death in 1810, resistance to European settlement generally ended.

In 1793, the eastern Canterbury area's first land grant was made to the chaplain of the First Fleet, the Reverend Richard Johnson, and given the name Canterbury Vale. The District of Bankstown was named by Governor Hunter in 1797 in honour of botanist Sir Joseph Banks. The area remained very rural until residential and suburban development followed the development of the Bankstown Railway Line with the passing of the Marrickville to Burwood Road Railway Act by the NSW Parliament in 1890, extending the rail line from Marrickville Station (later Sydenham Station) to Burwood Road (later Belmore Station) by 1895. With the passing of the Belmore to Chapel Road Railway Act in 1906, the line was extended further to Lakemba, Punchbowl and Bankstown by 1909.

Local government history

Canterbury

After much petitioning of the NSW Government by local residents, the Municipality of Canterbury was proclaimed on 17 March 1879. The council first met in the home of the first mayor, Alderman John Sproule, and premises were then leased in the St Paul's Church schoolroom at 47-49 Canterbury Road, Canterbury. The Canterbury Town Hall, located on Canterbury Road between Canton and Howard Streets, was opened in 1889 by the Premier of New South Wales, Sir Henry Parkes. However, over time, Campsie became a more important centre, particularly along Beamish Street and Canterbury Council planned a gradual move of civic services there when funds became available. In 1954 a Baby Health Centre by Davey & Brindley opened on Beamish Street, followed by a library next door by Davey, Brindley & Vickery in 1958 at a cost of £30,000, and the municipal administration finally moved in 1963. At the time of its opening by the mayor R. J. Schofield on 26 September 1958, the Campsie Library was reputed to be the largest municipal library in Sydney. The Canterbury Municipal Administration Building designed by architects Whitehead & Payne, built by Rex Building Company Pty Ltd, and completed at a cost of £163,000 was opened adjacent to the Library and Baby Health Centre by the mayor, James S. Scott, on 21 September 1963. The City of Canterbury was proclaimed on 16 November 1993 by the Governor of New South Wales, Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair.

Bankstown

In March 1895 a petition was submitted to the NSW Colonial Government by 109 residents of the Bankstown area, requesting the establishment of the "Municipal District of Bankstown" under the Municipalities Act, 1867. The petition was subsequently accepted and the "Municipal District of Bankstown" was proclaimed by Lieutenant Governor Sir Frederick Darley on 7 September 1895. The first six-member council, standing in one at-large constituency, was elected on 4 November 1895. With the passing of the Local Government Act 1906, the council area became known as the "Municipality of Bankstown".

Bankstown's city status was proclaimed in 1980 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the "City of Bankstown".

Establishment of Canterbury-Bankstown Council

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Canterbury merge with the City of Bankstown to form a new council with an area of 110 square kilometres (42 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 351,000. Following an independent review, on 12 May 2016 the Minister for Local Government announced, with the release of the Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016, that the merger with the City of Bankstown would proceed with immediate effect, creating a new council with an area of 72 square kilometres (28 sq mi).

The council was initially under the management of Administrator Richard Colley until elections were held. The first meeting of the council was held at Bankstown Council Chambers on 24 May 2016. The former Bankstown General Manager, Matthew Stewart was proclaimed as the first General Manager of the council. Jim Montague PSM, Canterbury Council General Manager from 1983 to 2016, was initially proclaimed as a Deputy General Manager of the new Council, but retired two weeks after the proclamation.

At the first council meeting on 24 May 2016, the administrator, Richard Colley, resolved to adopt city status and the council name would be known as the "City of Canterbury Bankstown" by way of changing the council's trading name and business registration. However, as this act merely changed the trading name of the council, the legal name as proclaimed in 2016 remains "Canterbury-Bankstown Council", which can only be changed by official proclamation in the NSW Government Gazette under section 206 of the Local Government Act, 1993.

Proposed de-amalgamation

In 2021, the council began resolving a proposal to de-amalgamate the City of Canterbury Bankstown. The de-amalgamation would restore the former City of Canterbury and City of Bankstown to their original boundaries. In July 2022, the council began preparations to submit a business case to the NSW Government for approval.

At the ordinary council meeting on 28 November 2023, it was resolved that council would halt all work, and financial spending, on preparing its implementation plan to de-amalgamate, until such time the NSW Government gave an iron-clad commitment to fully fund the cost of any de-amalgamation, and all ongoing costs. However, in 2024, it was confirmed that a bill would be passed in parliament by the NSW Government which would indicate that the government would not fit to bill for any council wishing to de-amalgamate.

Suburbs in the local government area

Suburbs in the City of Canterbury Bankstown area are:

• Ashbury
• Bankstown
• Bankstown Aerodrome
• Bass Hill
• Birrong
• Belfield
• Belmore
• Beverly Hills
• Campsie
• Canterbury
• Chester Hill
• Chullora
• Clemton Park
• Condell Park
• Croydon Park
• Earlwood
• East Hills
• Georges Hall
• Greenacre
• Hurlstone Park
• Kingsgrove
• Lakemba
• Lansdowne
• Leightonfield
• Milperra
• Mount Lewis
• One Tree Point
• Narwee
• Padstow
• Padstow Heights
• Panania
• Picnic Point
• Potts Hill
• Punchbowl
• Regents Park
• Revesby
• Revesby Heights
• Riverwood
• Roselands
• Sefton
• Villawood
• Wiley Park
• Yagoona

Economy

The City of Canterbury-Bankstown is home to the second highest number of registered businesses in NSW. In 2021–22, the City of Canterbury-Bankstown had an estimated Gross Regional Product (GRP) of $16.7 billion, making it the eight largest economy in the state.

Multinational companies including Volkswagen have based their Australian operations in Canterbury-Bankstown. The City of Canterbury-Bankstown is home to the largest postal distribution centre in the Southern Hemisphere, which is operated by the Australia Post. Bankstown Airport is a major employment area for aviation and logistics. The NSW Police Force, NSW Ambulance, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service have their flight operations at Bankstown Airport.

Demographics

Selected historical census data for the City of Canterbury Bankstown
Census year			2016	2021
Population		Estimated residents on census night	346,302	371,006
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales	1st	2nd
		% of New South Wales population	4.63%	4.59%
		% of Australian population	1.48%	1.46%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Lebanese	12.5%	14.1%
		Australian	11.8%	13.9%
		English	10.2%	11.3%
		Chinese	9.4%	11.6%
		Vietnamese	6.0%	7.3%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Arabic	17.2%	17.2%
		Vietnamese	7.2%	7.5%
		Greek	5.4%	4.7%
		Mandarin	5.0%	5.1%
		Cantonese	3.9%	3.7%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		Catholic	23.4%	21.5%
		Islam	20.8%	23.6%
		No religion	15.0%	17.5%
		Eastern Orthodox	8.9%	8.5%
		Not stated	8.6%	8.0%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income	A$502	A$625
		% of Australian median income	75.8%	77.6%
Family income		Median weekly family income	A$1,437	A$1,786
		% of Australian median income	82.9%	84.2%
Household income		Median weekly household income	A$1,298	A$1,556
		% of Australian median income	90.3%	89.1%
Dwelling structure
Dwelling type		Separate house	57.1%	55.0%
		Semi-detached, terrace or townhouse	16.1%	15.7%
		Flat or apartment	25.9%	28.5%

Council

City of Canterbury Bankstown Council
Leadership
Mayor	Bilal El-Hayek (Labor)
Deputy Mayor	Karl Saleh (Labor)
Structure
Seats	15 councillors
Map of elected councillors by party in each of the 5 wards
Political groups	Majority (8)   Labor (8) Others (7)  Liberal (3)  Greens (1)   Community Voice (1)  Our Local Community (1)  Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	Single transferable vote
Last election	14 September 2024
Next election	16 September 2028

The Council comprises fifteen Councillors elected proportionally, with three Councillors elected in five wards. On 9 September 2017 the current Council was elected for a fixed term of office. Although the fixed term of the council is typically four years, due to delays caused by amalgamations and the COVID-19 pandemic, the first term from 9 September 2017 expired on 4 December 2021. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected by the Councillors for two-year and one-year terms, respectively. The City of Canterbury Bankstown was under the management of Administrator Richard Colley and Interim General Manager Matthew Stewart until elections were held on 9 September 2017 and the first meeting of the elected Council on 26 September 2017.

Current composition

The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024, the makeup of the council, by order of election, is as follows:

Officeholders

Election results

2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Canterbury-Bankstown

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor		72,278	41.3	−6.1	8	1
	Liberal		30,096	17.2	−12.8	3	2
	Greens		17,350	9.9	+6.2	1	1
	Community Voice		10,093	5.8		1	1
	Our Local Community		6,308	3.6		1	1
	Libertarian		15,904	9.1		0
	Animal Justice		1,601	0.9	−0.7	0
	Unity		1,556	0.9		0
	Democrats		967	0.6		0
	Independents		19,042	10.9	−2.3	1
Formal votes			175,195	89.9
Informal votes			19,577	10.1
Total			194,772			15
Registered voters / turnout

2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Canterbury-Bankstown

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor		83,724	47.4	+0.0	9
	Liberal		52,960	30.0	+0.6	5
	Greens		6,608	3.7	−4.8	0	1
	Independent		16,221	9.1	+4.6	0
	Barbara Coorey Independent Group		9,027	5.1	+5.1	1	1
	Our Local Community		5,105	2.9	−7.2	0
	Animal Justice		2,746	8.2	+8.2	0
	Communist League		99	0.1		0
Formal votes			176,490

Heritage listings

The City of Canterbury Bankstown has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Ashbury, Holden Street: Ashfield Reservoir
• Belmore, Burwood Road: Belmore railway station
• Canterbury, Bankstown railway: Canterbury railway station, Sydney
• Canterbury, 9 Fore Street: Bethungra, Canterbury
• Canterbury, Sugar House Road: Old Sugarmill
• Condell Park, Corner of Marion and Edgar Street: Bankstown Bunker
• Earlwood, Pine Street: Cooks River Sewage Aqueduct
• Earlwood, Unwin Street: Wolli Creek Aqueduct

International relations

Sister cities

The City of Canterbury Bankstown has 7 sister cities.

• Broken Hill, Australia
• Cobar Shire, Australia
• Suita, Japan
• Yangcheon District, Seoul, South Korea
• Eunpyeong District, Seoul, South Korea
• Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China
• Colorado Springs, United States

See also

• Local government areas of New South Wales

Notes

1. with a minor portion in the Inner West region
2. with a minor portion within the Inner West Council
3. ^ with parts within Georges River Council
4. ^ with parts within Cumberland Council
5. with parts within the Municipality of Burwood and the Inner West Council
6. with a minor portion within Bayside Council
7. with a minor portion within the Municipality of Strathfield
8. with a minor portion within the Inner West Council
9. with parts within Georges River Council and Bayside Council
10. with parts within the City of Fairfield

References

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Canterbury-Bankstown (A)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
2. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 2018.
3. ^ "Canterbury-Bankstown Council". Stronger Councils. Government of New South Wales. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
4. "Aboriginal history and places of significance". City of Canterbury Bankstown. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
5. Muir, Lesley (2013). "Aboriginal people of the Cooks River valley". The Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
6. Irish, Paul (2017). "Aboriginal History along the Cooks River" (PDF). Cooks River Alliance. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
7. ^ Larcombe, Frederick A. (1979). Change and Challenge: A History of the Municipality of Canterbury. Canterbury: Canterbury Municipal Council. pp. 194–198.
8. ^ "Library Added to Canterbury Civic Centre". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 September 1958. p. 20.
9. "Library Opened". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 September 1958. p. 18.
10. "Civic Centre's Progress". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 February 1963. p. 17.
11. "101511 - Council Administration Building & Chambers, official opening, Campsie, 1963". Pictorial Canterbury. City of Canterbury Bankstown. 21 September 1963. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
12. "100913 - Canterbury City Council building, during construction, Campsie, 1962". Pictorial Canterbury. City of Canterbury Bankstown. 1962. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
13. "BANKSTOWN.—PETITION FOR A MUNICIPALITY". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 203. 23 March 1895. p. 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
14. "Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 603. 9 September 1895. p. 5823. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
15. "MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF BANKSTOWN". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 742. 8 November 1895. p. 7231. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
16. "Development Over Time". Bankstown City Council. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
17. "Merger proposal: Bankstown City Council, Canterbury City Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
18. ^ "Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016 [NSW] - Schedule 2 - Provisions for Canterbury-Bankstown Council" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. 12 May 2016. p. 14. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
19. Taylor, James (29 May 2016). "First Canterbury Bankstown merged council meeting with administrator Richard Colley over in a flash". Canterbury-Bankstown Express. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
20. Ngo, Cindy (31 May 2016). "Former Canterbury Council general manager Jim Montague steps down and bids farewell to local government after 50 years". Canterbury-Bankstown Express. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
21. "Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Council - Held on 24 May 2016" (PDF). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
22. "Local Government Act 1993 No 30 - sec.206". NSW Legislation. NSW Government. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
23. "Proposed de-amalgamation of the City of Canterbury Bankstown". City of Canterbury Bankstown. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
24. "Proposed De-amalgamation of the City of Canterbury Bankstown".
25. Rose, Tamsin; McLeod, Catie (5 February 2024). "NSW mega-councils to foot the bill if they want to reverse forced mergers". The Guardian.
26. "City of Canterbury-Bankstown". .id. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
27. "City of Canterbury-Bankstown Annual Report 2022–23" (PDF). City of Canterbury-Bankstown. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
28. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Canterbury-Bankstown (A)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
29. ^ Canterbury Bankstown Election 2024 results NSW Electoral Commission (Published: 30 September 2024) (Accessed: 13 December 2024)
30. Government, NSW. "NSW Gazette Number 347-Local Government" (PDF). Retrieved 4 September 2021.
31. Canterbury Bankstown election Bankstown Ward results 2024 NSW Electoral Commission (Published: 30 September 2024) (Accessed: 13 December 2024)
32. Canterbury Bankstown election Bass Hill Ward results 2024 NSW Electoral Commission (Published: 30 September 2024) (Accessed: 13 December 2024)
33. Canterbury Bankstown election Canterbury ward results 2024 NSW Electoral Commission (Published: 30 September 2024) (Accessed: 13 December 2024)
34. Wainwright, Robert (13 October 1995). "Mayoral Elections: The Results - Local councils, global issues". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 9.
35. Canterbury Bankstown election Revesby ward results 2024 NSW Electoral Commission (Published: 30 September 2024) (Accessed: 13 December 2024)
36. Canterbury Bankstown election Roselands ward results 2024 NSW Electoral Commission (Published: 30 September 2024) (Accessed: 13 December 2024)
37. "Richard Colley" (PDF). City of Canterbury Bankstown. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
38. ^ Buckley, Danielle (2 October 2017). "Labor's Khal Asfour elected first mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown". Canterbury-Bankstown Express. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
39. ^ "Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected". City of Canterbury Bankstown. 19 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
40. ^ "Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected". CBCity News. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
41. ^ "inutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council Held on 24 December 2021" (PDF). www.cbcity.nsw.gov.au. City of Canterbury Bankstown. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
42. "Khal re-elected as Mayor" (Media Release). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
43. ^ "New Mayor to Lead our City" (Media Release). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
44. ^ "Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor and Deputy Mayor Election" (Media Release). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
45. "Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Council Held on 25 September 2018" (PDF). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
46. "Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Council Held on 28 September 2020" (PDF). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
47. "Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council Held on 29 September 2022" (PDF). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
48. Canterbury Bankstown Mayor and Councillors (Canterbury Bankstown Council) (accessed 14 December 2024)
49. "Canterbury-Bankstown". ABC News.
50. "Ashfield Reservoir (Elevated) (WS 0003)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01622. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
51. "Belmore Railway Station Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01081. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
52. "Canterbury Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01109. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
53. "Bethungra". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00224. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
54. "Old Sugarmill". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00290. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
55. "Air Defence Headquarters Ruin Sydney (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01857. Retrieved 18 February 2020. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
56. "Cooks River Sewage Aqueduct". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01322. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
57. "Wolli Creek Aqueduct". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01355. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
58. "Sister city relationships". City of Canterbury Bankstown. Retrieved 10 March 2023.

External links

• City of Canterbury-Bankstown website

• New South Wales
• Australia

• City of Canterbury-Bankstown
• Local government areas in Sydney
• 2016 establishments in Australia
• Hume Highway
• South Western Sydney
• Georges River