About Inverell Shire & its Council
Inverell Shire has a growing population which now stands at 16,936. In 2016, Inverell was named one of the fastest growing inland communities in NSW. Due to its location, Inverell is a commercial hub which services an estimated 60,000 people, with a catchment stretching as far as southern Queensland.
Founded originally as a small town to support agriculture, mainly grazing, discovery of tin then diamonds saw Inverell become the centre for mining tin, diamonds, lead and silver. The town grew rapidly to support the mining industry and workers flocked to the district with the hope of striking it rich.
By the 1950’s, Inverell had become the largest producer of sapphires in the world, with mining companies large and small in search of the precious gemstones which had been known to exist for three quarters of a century. This led to Inverell becoming known as the Sapphire City. Nowadays, sapphire mining continues in the east of the shire. The collapse of the tin cartel in the 1980’s saw tin mining cease throughout the region. Future information on Inverell’s history can be found on our History and Heritage page.
In 1979, three councils amalgamated to form what is now the Inverell Shire Council. With this progression, local government had undertaken a new approach in its role of not just being a provider of essential services but entered into the field of land purchase for residential and industrial use.
Council proceeded to lay a new pipeline from Copeton Dam on the Gwydir River to secure long-term water supply for the Inverell community and a new water reticulation system for the township. A new sewerage treatment plant was subsequently constructed, with a further upgrade in 2017-18. Both facilities were designed with the future in mind and are able to service a population well above the present levels.
The Council’s philosophy has always been to create employment for its citizens and support industry while accessing funding from State and Federal governments where available.
