Shire of Irwin

What Shire of Irwin does

The Shire of Irwin is a local government entity established under the Local Government Act 1995 of Western Australia, serving the twin coastal towns of Dongara and Port Denison in the Mid West region, approximately 3.5 hours north of Perth along the Coral Coast. The Shire delivers statutory municipal services to its resident and ratepayer base, including rates and property tax collection, waste management (weekly household collection via contractor Avon Waste and a Transfer Station/Recycling Centre), planning and building approvals, ranger and animal control services, environmental health administration, emergency management coordination, library services (part of the Midwest Consortium with BorrowBox and OverDrive digital lending), and operation of community facilities including the Irwin Recreation Centre, Skate Precinct, and function rooms. The Shire operates an online services portal for development applications, building permits, animal registration, and facility bookings, and actively promotes tourism through a visitor centre, partnership with charter operators and tour guides, and information resources covering beaches, camping grounds, heritage sites, and the 1967 Dongara Denison Drive-In.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: rates and property taxes levied on property owners within the district (the principal recurring revenue source), fees and charges for transactional services such as building permits, planning applications, animal registration ($20-$250 lifetime), recreation centre memberships ($144-$618 annually), and camping fees ($20 per vehicle per night), and government grants from state and federal programs for infrastructure and community services. The Shire's customer segments are residents/ratepayers (primary), tourists and visitors (secondary), local businesses and traders requiring permits, and developers undertaking property development. Major capital initiatives include the $4.5 million Port Denison Foreshore Core Precinct redevelopment (construction anticipated mid-2026, funded by $1.5M Growing Regions, $1.5M Lotterywest, and $1.5M Shire contribution) and the development of a draft Local Planning Scheme No. 6.

The Shire is governed by elected councillors accountable to residents, with a small administrative team of approximately 21 staff. It maintains operational partnerships with state agencies (DFES, Main Roads WA, Department of Energy Mines Industry Regulation and Safety), engineering and consulting firms (GHD for foreshore design, Common Ground Trails for pump track construction), healthcare providers (Five Gums Family Medical Practice, Dongara Eneabba Mingenew Health Service), and tourism operators. The entity is not privately held, has no parent company, no public listing, and is funded exclusively through rates, fees, and grants — with no venture capital or external equity ownership.

Name

Shire of Irwin

Legal name

Shire of Irwin

Website

https://irwin.wa.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Shire of Irwin is a Western Australian local government entity serving the twin towns of Dongara and Port Denison, delivering statutory municipal services including rates collection, waste management, planning and building approvals, ranger and emergency services, library and recreation facilities, and tourism promotion to its resident, ratepayer, and visitor population.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dongara, Western Australia

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Rates and Property Taxes: Local government rates levied on property owners within the Shire of Irwin district as the primary source of recurrent funding for council services and infrastructure.
2. Fees and Charges: Various service fees including building permits, planning applications, facility hire, animal registration, waste collection, and other statutory and discretionary services.
3. Government Grants: State and federal government grants for infrastructure projects, community services, and development programs including funding for foreshore redevelopment.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Shire of Irwin is a Western Australian local government authority delivering statutory municipal services to residents and ratepayers across the Dongara and Port Denison twin towns. Core offerings include waste collection and recycling, statutory and strategic planning, building permits, ranger and animal registration services, environmental health approvals, public library services, the Irwin Recreation Centre, coastal camping grounds, community grants, and tourism promotion for the Mid West region.

Product overview

The Shire of Irwin is a local government council in Western Australia operating a comprehensive website that provides access to community services and council functions. The council offers a unified platform delivering services across waste management (rubbish collection, recycling, Transfer Station), library services (physical and digital collections via Midwest Consortium), environmental health (food business approvals, septic systems), building and planning services, ranger/animal control services, emergency management, community facilities (Irwin Rec Centre, Skate Precinct, Function Rooms), camping facilities, tourism services, and civic functions (rates, elections, council meetings). The website also supports the Port Denison Foreshore Redevelopment project, a major infrastructure initiative with $4.5 million funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waste Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Foreshore redevelopment project budget of $4.5 million with external funding contributions from Growing Regions and Lotterywest
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avon WastecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracted waste collection service provider for weekly household rubbish collection across the Shire of Irwin. Handles 240-litre bin collection according to published service timetable.
• WA Return Recycle Renew (WARRRL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Containers for Change scheme operation at the Dongara Recycling Centre. Provides drink container recycling refund point for community.
• GHDcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering and consulting firm engaged to design the new playspace and pavilion for Port Denison Foreshore Core Precinct redevelopment project.
• Common Ground TrailscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged for design review and construction of the Irwin Pump Track at Port Denison Skate Precinct, completed September 2020.
• New Leaf ConnectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal tourism operator offering guided tours including wildflower tours, signature tours, and experiences in the Midwest region.
• Ocean Addiction ChartersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharter boat operator offering fishing charters, lobster pot pulling experiences, and sunset tours in Port Denison.
• Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government emergency services body providing volunteer support, total fire ban information, and emergency management coordination with local bush fire brigades.
• Main Roads Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government agency responsible for Brand Highway and Midlands Road maintenance, traffic enquiries, and regulatory signage within the Shire.
• Five Gums Family Medical PracticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral practice operating from Dongara Medical Centre providing family medicine, vaccinations, chronic disease management, and other healthcare services.
• Dongara Eneabba Mingenew Health ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic hospital facility providing 24-hour emergency services, domiciliary care, and nursing home care to Dongara and surrounding areas.
• Department of Energy Mines Industry Regulation and SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government department providing building and energy regulation, owner builder approvals, and building permit guidance information.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Shire of Three Springs: Neighbouring small rural shire in the Midwest WA region delivering the same set of council services (rates, waste, planning, recreation) to a similarly small population, making it a structurally comparable local government peer.
• Shire of Dandaragan: Neighbouring coastal/rural WA shire along Indian Ocean Drive with overlapping tourism assets (beaches, camping) and a comparable small-team operating model.
• Shire of Coorow: Small rural WA shire in the same broader region providing standard local government services to a comparable population, useful as a peer benchmark for operating scale and revenue mix.
• Shire of Northampton: Midwest WA coastal shire operating tourism, camping, and beach management alongside standard statutory local government services. Directly comparable on coastal-tourism economic profile and small-team operating model.
• Shire of Mingenew: Small rural Midwest WA shire with an agriculture-dependent economy and similar scale of statutory services. Closely comparable as a peer-tier small WA local government authority.
• Shire of Carnamah: Small rural shire in the Midwest region of WA with comparable size, agricultural/rural economy, and statutory local government functions. Provides a directly comparable benchmark for a small-population WA shire.
• City of Greater Geraldton: The nearest larger local government authority to the Shire of Irwin, located approximately 45 minutes north of Dongara. Operates the same range of statutory local government functions (rates, planning, building, waste, recreation) for a Midwest WA catchment, making it a directly comparable regional council peer.

Broad incumbents

• City of Busselton: Larger WA coastal local government with a strong tourism and lifestyle economy similar to Dongara/Port Denison. A broader incumbent peer that demonstrates how a comparable tourism-driven WA shire scales services and infrastructure.

Others

• Avon Waste: Contracted waste service provider to the Shire of Irwin and adjacent WA local councils. Comparable as an ecosystem service partner involved in delivering the Shire's waste services.
• Lotterywest: WA state-owned grant-making body funding community infrastructure projects including the Port Denison Foreshore Redevelopment ($1.5M) and the Irwin Pump Track ($250K). Relevant as a key funding/ecosystem counterparty for the Shire's capital pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ShireofIrwin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shire-of-irwin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shire of Irwin