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NSW Legislative Council

New South Wales Legislative Council
55th Parliament
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
Founded 1823
Leadership
The Hon. John Ajaka MLC, Liberal Party of Australia
Since 21 February 2017
Structure
NSW Legislative Council 2015.svg
Political groups

Total: 42 seats

Government
     Liberal (13)
     The Nationals (7)
Opposition
     Labor (12)
Crossbench
     Greens (5)
     Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (2)
     CDP (2)
     Animal Justice Party (1)
Elections
Last election
26 March 2015
Meeting place
Council Chamber.
Legislative Council Chamber
Parliament House, Sydney,
New South Wales, Australia
Website
NSW Legislative Council

Total: 42 seats

The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as the upper house. It is normal for legislation to be first deliberated on and enacted in the lower house, and then considered in the upper house, which acts in the main as a house of review. The Council has 42 members, elected by proportional representation in which the whole state is treated as a single electorate. Members serve eight-year terms, which are staggered so that half the Council is up for election every four years—roughly coinciding with elections to the Legislative Assembly.

The parliament of New South Wales is Australia's oldest legislature. It had its beginnings when New South Wales was a British colony under the control of the Governor and was first established in 1823 by the New South Wales Act. A small, 5-member appointed Legislative Council began meeting on 24 August 1824 to advise the Governor on legislative matters. It grew to seven members in 1825, and between ten and fifteen in 1829. Under the Constitution Act 1843, the Legislative Council was expanded to 36 members, of which 12 were appointed by the Governor in the name of the Crown, and the remainder elected from amongst eligible landholders. In 1851 the Council was enlarged to 54 members with 36 of its members elected by adult males who met certain property requirements and 18 appointed members. In 1856, under a new Constitution, the Parliament became bicameral with a fully elected Legislative Assembly and a fully appointed Legislative Council with a Government taking over most of the legislative powers of the Governor. The right to vote was extended to all adult males in 1858.

On 22 May 1856, the newly constituted New South Wales Parliament opened and sat for the first time. With the new 54-member Legislative Assembly taking over the council chamber, a second meeting chamber for the 21-member upper house had to be added to the Parliament building in Macquarie Street. In 1901, New South Wales became a sovereign state of the Commonwealth of Australia and many government functions were transferred to the new Commonwealth government. In 1902, women gained the right to vote and the current Constitution of New South Wales was adopted, and in 1918, reforms permitted women to be members of parliament.


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