Kempsey Shire Council was incorporated in 1975 and comes under local Government with a population of approximately 28.390. Kempsey is the largest town in the Shire and is located on the Mid North Coast and is approximately 428kms north of Sydney on the Pacific Highway. Kempsey Shire is surrounded by rural villages such as Frederickton, Smithtown, Gladstone, Willawarrin, Bellbrook and coastal seaside villages such as South West Rocks, Crescent Head, Hat Head and Stuarts point which gives Kempsey 80 km of superb coastline.

Kempsey Shire Council operates and maintains Council’s town water and sewerage services to the residents and ratepayers of the Shire. Council operates 9 sewerage and 9 water supply schemes, including a Water Recycling Scheme in South West Rocks delivering to households (toilet flushing, outdoor use and washing machine cold stream) and municipal irrigation.