Wellington Shire
Wellington Shire is one of VIC's top-performing councils, ranking 2nd of 79 and strongest on lifestyle & amenity.
"Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach — Sale, Maffra, and vast coastal wilderness"
See where Wellington Shire ranks: Best Councils in Victoria 2026
Victoria · regional council · Pop. 46,533
Data last updated: 2024-25 · Data confidence: high
Overall Score
68 out of 100
#1 of 29 regional councils in VIC
#2 in Victoria
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Sustainability | 69/100 |
| Community Services | 46/100 |
| Lifestyle & Amenity | 82/100 |
| Core Operations | 76/100 |
What This Means For You
Among regional councils, Wellington Shire performs strongest in Lifestyle & Amenity (scoring 82 out of 100 against peers). Performance in Community Services is moderate, scoring 46 out of 100 against peers.
What Makes This Place Unique
Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach — Sale, Maffra, and vast coastal wilderness
Wellington covers Sale, Maffra, and the enormous Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach area. It's a large shire with a strong agricultural base (dairy, beef, oil and gas) and access to some of Victoria's most spectacular coastal landscapes. Sale is the service centre.
Known For
- Ninety Mile Beach — one of the world's longest uninterrupted beaches
- Gippsland Lakes — boating, fishing, and waterfront living
- Sale — a well-serviced Gippsland town with good amenity
- Oil and gas industry presence in the Bass Strait fields
Living Here
Wellington offers affordable regional living with remarkable natural assets. Sale has good services and a pleasant town centre. The lakes and Ninety Mile Beach are world-class. The shire is large and dispersed — communities outside Sale are small and remote.
Hidden Gem
The Port Albert coastline — Victoria's oldest port, with historic buildings, a tiny fishing fleet, and access to Corner Inlet's pristine waterways and Wilsons Promontory's eastern shore.