The Snowy Monaro Regional Council is a local government area located in the Snowy Mountains and Monaro regions of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 through a forced merger of the Bombala, Cooma-Monaro and Snowy River shires.
The council comprises an area of 15,162 square kilometres (5,854 sq mi) and occupies the higher slopes of the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range between the Australian Capital Territory to the north and the state boundary with Victoria to the south. At the time of its establishment the council had an estimated population of 20,707. Its population at the 2021 census was 21,666.
The Mayor of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council is Chris Hanna since 21 September 2023.
Contents
Towns and localities
The following towns are located within Snowy Monaro Regional Council:
The following localities are located within Snowy Monaro Regional Council:
Heritage listings
The Snowy Monaro Region has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Bombala, Goulburn-Bombala railway: Bombala railway station
Bombala, 91 Main Road: Crankies Plain Bridge
Bredbo, Goulburn-Bombala railway: Bredbo Rail Bridge
Cooma, Bradley Street: Cooma railway station
Cooma, 59–61 Lambie Street: Royal Hotel
Cooma, Sharp Street: Rock Bolting Development Site
Eucumbene, Old Adaminaby and Lake Eucumbene
Kiandra: Kiandra Courthouse
Kiandra: Matthews Cottage
Demographics
The population for the predecessor councils was estimated in 2013 as:
2,401 in Bombala Shire
10,073 in Cooma-Monaro Shire and
8,087 in Snowy River Shire.
At the 2021 census there were 21,666 people in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council local government area; of these 51.5% were male and 48.5% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.1% of the population; the NSW and Australian averages are 3.4 and 3.2% respectively. The median age of people in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council was 43 years; the national median is 38 years. 78.9% of the population were born in Australia and 85.8% of households only speak English at home.
Council
The Snowy Monaro Regional Council comprises eleven Councillors elected proportionally in a single ward. The Councillors elected for a fixed four-year term of office with effect from 4 December 2021 were: Hanna was re-elected mayor while Hopkins became deputy mayor in the 2024 council elections. New councillor Andrew Thaler was sworn in October 2024, but has subsequently been suspended three times due to his behaviour.