About Tenterfield Shire Council
What is Tenterfield Shire Council?
Tenterfield Shire Council is the local government for the Tenterfield district on the New South Wales Northern Tablelands — a high-country shire of about 6,600 people hard against the Queensland border. A small rural council, it delivers local roads and bridges, water and sewer for the township, waste services, parks, saleyards, and community and tourism services across a large, sparsely-populated landscape. Tenterfield itself carries outsized history: Sir Henry Parkes delivered his 1889 Federation speech — the Tenterfield Oration — here, earning the town its "Birthplace of Our Nation" title, and Peter Allen's "Tenterfield Saddler" made his grandfather's saddlery famous.
Where will I work?
The council chambers on Rouse Street in Tenterfield township, with works depots and sites across the shire. This is genuine tree-change territory: granite country, national parks and a four-season highland climate midway between Brisbane and the NSW coast.
What is the Tenterfield team like?
A small council team of roughly 140 — which is precisely the appeal for senior professionals: the current Manager Infrastructure Delivery recruitment (negotiable up to $169K including super) runs the whole infrastructure programme, and a Land Management Officer covers work that in a metro council would be sliced across three teams. Small-council breadth, real delegation, no big-city commute.
Work-Life Balance
The council leads its own adverts with the schedule: "Enjoy a 9-day fortnight with relocation assistance and short-term rental subsidy" (Manager Infrastructure Delivery), and "9-day fortnight for better work-life balance" (Land Management Officer). On NSW local-government indoor conditions of 35-hour weeks, the nine-day fortnight is a genuine reduction — around 70 hours per fortnight with every second Friday off. Four weeks accumulative annual leave and relocation support for incoming professionals round out the package.
Perks and Benefits
- 9-day fortnight — "Enjoy a 9-day fortnight" verbatim on the council's own ads (2/2 full-time white-collar ads)
- Relocation assistance + short-term rental subsidy on professional recruitments (verbatim in ads)
- Four weeks accumulative annual leave (verbatim in ads)
- Local-government superannuation and conditions
- Small-council breadth — senior roles own whole programmes