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Area Snapshot

Wingecarribee Shire covers an area of 2700 square kilometres. This area is known to tourists as the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

This Shire is an important catchment area for water supply to Sydney, Wollongong and the Northern Shoalhaven.

Much of the Shire located at or above 640 metres above sea level. The main towns are Bowral [10,402], Moss Vale [6,623], Mittagong [7,432 - which includes Welby, Willow Vale, Braemar and Balaclava] and Bundanoon [1950] (BASED ON 2001 CENSUS FIGURES).

As well there are smaller villages like Hill Top [1607], Yerrinbool [973], Colo Vale [1180], Robertson [1023], Berrima [320], New Berrima [559], Exeter [359], Burrawang [191], Penrose, Wingello [295], Sutton Forest, Avoca, Fitzroy Falls and Balmoral Village.

The total urban population at 2001 was 33,071, with the rural population 7,769.   The pattern of development is one of small towns and villages, separated by a semi rural landscape and from a Planning perspective; Council intends to retain this character for the Shire.

The Eastern parts of the Shire are bounded by the Illawarra escarpment and Morton National Park, with some remnant rainforest and headland. The North of the Shire is characterised by rugged Eucalypt bushland, with gullies, gorges and sandy soils. This area forms part of the catchment for Sydney's water supply and three major storage dams [Avon, Nepean and Cordeaux]. The Wollondilly and Wingecarribee Rivers flow through the West of the Shire, through deep sandstone valleys and much of this area forms part of the catchment for Warragamba Dam. The South of the Shire is bounded by Uringalla Creek and includes the villages of Bundanoon, Wingello and Penrose. This area is a sandstone plateaux dissected by deep gorges.