Leeton Shire is one of the most innovative, inclusive and progressive places in regional Australia.
Located in the Riverina 584km from Sydney, 470km from Melbourne and 371km from Canberra, Leeton is the second largest regional centre in the Western Riverina region outside of Griffith and plays an integral role in value-added agricultural processing, agriculture, education and research, transport and logistics.
Leeton is the birthplace of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and was purposely built as part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme.
Being 1,167 square kilometres in size, Leeton Shire includes the towns of Yanco and Whitton and the villages of Murrami and Wamoon.
Leeton’s design was influenced by Sir Walter Burley Griffin – who also designed the national capital Canberra. 35 buildings in the town are listed with the Australian Institute of Architects’ Register of Significant 20th Century Buildings, including the landmark Roxy Theatre, which has been screening movies since the 1930s.
Water is central to Leeton Shire. The Murrumbidgee River and the Ramsar-listed Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands plays an important part in the local ecology. Up to 174 bird species have been recorded at the Wetlands during the warmer months, many of those being migratory birds from the northern hemisphere.
Families, children, youth and retirees are all well catered for with high quality health, schooling, educational pathways, sporting and community facilities.
Leeton’s population is 11,602 and is forecast to reach 12,528 by 2036. The age structure in Leeton Shire up until 2026 indicates that there will be an 11.7% increase in population under the working age, there will be a 26.3% increase in population retirement age and the greatest increase in Shire residents will be between the ages of 0-4 years.
Leeton has a semi-arid climate with hot dry summers and cool winters. The maximum average summer temperature is 32°C and the maximum average winter temperature is 15°C. The average annual rainfall is 457mm.
See below for a map of Leeton, Yanco and Whitton townships.
