Bellingen Shire is a local government area in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.

The shire is located adjacent to the Pacific Highway, Waterfall Way and the North Coast railway line.

When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Bellingen local government area was significantly lower than the national average.

At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Bellingen local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Celtic exceeded 82 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent).

[4] Bellingen Shire Council is composed of seven councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office.