Kempsey Shire Council
Nestled in between the coastal towns of Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour is the Macleay Valley. The Kempsey Shire covers an area of 337,874 hectares between the Pacific Ocean in the east, Five Day Creek in the west, and from Grassy Head in the north to Kundabung in the south. The Shire-wide population is now nearly 30,000 residents.
The Macleay Valley has natural environmental beauty with a stunning coastline framed by the Great Dividing Range and bush hinterland in between. The hinterland takes in the heritage river towns of Bellbrook and Willawarrin that provide scenic lookouts, country markets, canoeing and world class bass fishing. The Macleay River is the lifeblood of the Shire, surrounded by a wide floodplain giving us rich pastoral land and productive farms. We are strategically located midway between Sydney and Brisbane.
Kempsey is the commercial, education and health hub with a population of around 12,000. The Kempsey Shire is proudly the home of Slim Dusty, Akubra and Milo – strong Australian and International brands – and the growing local economy is based on tourism, farming and service industries. Along with a great climate and the stunning coastal resort towns of Grassy Head, South West Rocks, Hat Head and Crescent Head, this makes the Macleay Valley a prime tourism destination. We are Aussie country on the coast.
Mayor, Leo Hauville
General Manager, Craig Milburn