and in the subsequent five years to the , population growth was 3.68%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in the Penrith local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the City of Penrith was on with par with the national average. At the , the proportion of residents in the Penrith local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 62.5% of all residents (national average was 59.6%). In excess of 52.8% of all residents in the City of Penrith area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the , which was significantly higher than the national average of 38.5%. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Penrith local government area had a marginally lower than average proportion (20.7%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 22.2%); and a higher proportion (77.2%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.7%). Council Composition and election methods Current composition and election method Penrith City Council is composed of fifteen Councillors elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing five Councillors. All Councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is elected by the Councillors at the first meeting of the council for a two-year term, while the Deputy Mayor is elected for a single-year term only. The most recent election was held on 10 September 2016, with a by-election held on 12 May 2018 to replace two Councillors who resigned during the Council term. The current Council is as follows: The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election by ward, is: Mayors Media The City of Penrith is served by a weekly newspaper, The Western Weekender, which was founded in 1991. It produces a print edition each Friday as well as a digital news service. The newspaper is independently owned. Sister cities Since it signed its first agreement with Fujieda, Japan in 1984, Penrith City has gradually expanded its sister cities and international links programme. Presently Penrith has links with: Penrith, Cumbria, England - Sister City Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan - Sister City Hakusan City (incorporating Matto City), Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan - Friendship City Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China - Friendship City Xicheng District of Beijing City,