Bega Valley Shire

Bega Valley Shire is a local government area located on the south-eastern coastline of New South Wales, Australia.

The area extends from Bermagui in the north to the Victorian border in the south and includes the towns of Bega, Tathra, Merimbula, Tura Beach, Wolumla, Cobargo, Bemboka, Pambula, Pambula Beach, Towamba and the former whaling port of Eden. The Bega Valley Shire is also known as the Sapphire Coast for tourism and marketing purposes.

The Shire is the largest local government area in coastal New South Wales, with an area of 6,280 square kilometres (2,420 sq mi), and has the longest coastline of any local government area in the state. It is sparsely populated, largely because 75% of the area belongs to various national parks and state forests. The population as of the 2006 Census was 31,062.

Bega Valley is particularly known for its dairy industry, though tourism is of growing importance.

The Mayor of Bega Valley Shire Council is Cr. Bill Taylor, an unaligned politician.