Shire of Harvey councillors vote in favour of city status

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 11:05

By Monique Welhan

The Shire of Harvey could soon become a city after councillors voted in favour of a reclassification.

Tuesday night's council meeting saw councillors vote 6-3 in favour of the plan to seek city status from the State Government.

The move comes despite a community consultation survey revealed 69 per cent of nearly 1500 respondents opposed the plan.

Some cited a potential loss of rural identity if the shire was to be reclassified as a city.

Shire president Michelle Campbell said it was a significant decision and not one council made lightly.

"We understand many community members who shared their views during consultation did not support pursuing reclassification," Ms Campbell said on the Shire's Facebook page.

"Council believes city status will strengthen our ability to advocate for the Harvey region, improve our visibility when seeking state and federal funding and help protect our local identity and independence into the future.

"Importantly, council also sees this as a way to reduce the risk of future amalgamation or boundary changes.

"I want to assure our community that your feedback remains an important part of council's decision making process and we sincerely appreciate the time that you took to participate through surveys, submissions, information sessions and conversations with councillors and staff."

The Shire will now formally seek approval for reclassification from the Minister for Local Government Hannah Beazley.

The Shire of Harvey's population is the largest of any shire in regional WA at over 30,000 residents.