Diversity by the numbers: how do our councils stack up?

While we've come a long way since the days when your typical councillor was a middle-aged business man, we still have a way to go in the areas of gender, background and age.

We ran some numbers in these categories to see the make up of our councils across NSW.

Read more:

It probably doesn't come as a surprise to many but representation of gender is one of the main areas of disparity on the state's local councils.

In fact, there isn't a lot of data has been recorded on the issue.

Reportable numbers to the Office of Local Government (OLG) on the gender of councillors only began in 2012/13, and while the data indicates the gender of council populations have been split fairly evenly since then, councillors have not.

In the 2012/13 reporting period (prior to local government amalgamations) there were a total of 1480 councillors across the state's 152 councils.

While a few councils did not report their breakdown, the ones that did showed only 390 councillors were women, a mere 26 per cent.

While male councillors made up 71 per cent with 1044 of the total men.

A few years later, following council elections and the amalgamation period in 2016/17, the amount of women on councils increased to 31 per cent, with 329 women making up the 1059 councillors across NSW.

While 730 men made up the remainder, 69 per cent, not all councils reported due to administration periods.

In 2017/18 following those amalgamated councils' elections, women's representation only increased by a per cent, with 409 women out of 1293 councillors across 128 councils.

This did take away a percentage from men, down to 68 per cent however the number of men increased to 884.

This is where the numbers remained during the 2019/20 reporting period and continue to remain as we await our chance to hit the ballot box.

Councillors' backgrounds is the other area where representation is lacking.

While not as accurate as statistics collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), OLG has collected data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) and Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) councillors since 2012/13.

Although they have kept track of those demographics' populations since 2000/01.

In the 2012/13 reporting period, the OLG's data showed 2.4 per cent of the state's population identified as ATSI, though only 1.8 per cent of the state's councillors were identified as such - or just 28 out of the 1480 councillors.

For the population who spoke a language other than English, they made up 19 per cent of the population but only make up 7.5 per cent of the state's councillors.

In 2016/17 the state's ATSI population had increased to 2.8 per cent and made up 2.1 per cent of the state's councillors.

While the NESB population had increased to 25 per cent and made up 4.6 per cent part of the state's councillors.

Following amalgamated councils' elections in 2017/18, the ATSI population remained at 2.8 per cent however their representation on councils had dropped back to 1.8 per cent.

The NESB population also stayed at 25 per cent but their representation had risen to seven per cent.

For the ATSI population this is where the numbers remained for the 2019/20 reporting period, while the NESB population has risen to 26 per cent and an eight per cent share of councillors.

Age of councillors is the one area where we do see some parity to the population, but not until you are over 30.

In the OLG data for 2012/13, people under 30 made up 39 per cent of the population but only 3.5 per cent of councillors.

Those aged 30 to 60 made up 40 per cent of the population and made up 56 per cent of councillors, while those aged over 60 made up 20 per cent of the population and 37 percent of councillors.

The data since then has remained steady with only slight changes throughout the amalgamation period.

In 2016/17, 39 per cent of the population was under 30 and 4.3 per cent of councillors were in that age bracket.

People aged 30 to 60 made up 40 per cent of the population and 54 per cent of councillors, with those over 60 making up 21 per cent of the population and 41 per cent of councillors.

Following the amalgamated councils' elections in 2017/18, the under 30s data remained the same at 30 per cent of the population and 4.3 per cent of councillors.

Population aged 30 to 60 remained at 40 per cent but increased to 55 per cent of councillors, while the population over 60 remained at 21 per cent but dropped to 40 per cent of councillors.

Over the the last few years the numbers have again remained steady with the last reporting period in 2019/20 only recording minor changes.

The state population under 30 has dropped to 24 per cent making up 4 per cent of councillors.

Population aged 30 to 60 has increased to 54 per cent with representation on council remaining at 55 per cent, while population over 60 has risen to 22 per cent with representation on council remaining at 40 per cent.

Unfortunately this is only a small snapshot of how councils represent their communities with no data recorded on disability, education or employment.

This small insight we do get is a clear indication of how not everyone has a voice inside our closest branch of government.

Australian Local Government Women's Association NSW Branch President, Casandra Coleman, said multiple points of view were needed in making decisions.

"Diversity is important because you get a different view point, you get different ideas and that makes for a better council... we're only richer for it," she said.

Associate Professor of Anthropology at the ANU, Tanya Jakimow, said underrepresentation of women was only one aspect of the challenge.

"Women's under representation is one element of local councils," she said.

"Certainly they are underrepresented across NSW, but what are really under represented across NSW is women of colour.

"This is more of a factor in greater Sydney and some of the council areas that have a more diverse population.

"We need to transform the opportunity structures that perpetuate the overrepresentation of 'white' men, while making harder the pathway to council for women, especially women of 'colour'."