Toowoomba Region

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Toowoomba Region
Queensland
Toowoomba LGA Qld 2008.png
Location within Queensland
Coordinates27°34′30.60″S 151°56′48.75″E / 27.5751667°S 151.9468750°E / -27.5751667; 151.9468750Coordinates: 27°34′30.60″S 151°56′48.75″E / 27.5751667°S 151.9468750°E / -27.5751667; 151.9468750
Population167,657 (2018)[1]
 • Density12.9395/km2 (33.5131/sq mi)
Established2008
Area12,957 km2 (5,002.7 sq mi)[1]
MayorPaul Antonio[2]
Council seatToowoomba
RegionDarling Downs
State electorate(s)
  • Toowoomba North
  • Toowoomba South
  • Condamine
  • Nanango
  • Southern Downs
Federal division(s)
  • Groom
  • Maranoa
Toowoomba Region logo.png
WebsiteToowoomba Region
LGAs around Toowoomba Region:
Western Downs South Burnett Somerset
Western Downs Toowoomba Region Lockyer Valley
Goondiwindi Southern Downs Lockyer Valley

The Toowoomba Region is a local government area located in the Darling Downs part of Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond.

In 2018-2019, it had a A$491 million budget, of which A$316 million is for service delivery and A$175.13 million capital (infrastructure) budget.[3]

History[]

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Toowoomba Region existed as eight distinct local government areas:

  • the City of Toowoomba;
  • the Shire of Cambooya;
  • the Shire of Clifton;
  • the Shire of Crows Nest;
  • the Shire of Jondaryan;
  • the Shire of Millmerran;
  • the Shire of Pittsworth;
  • and the Shire of Rosalie.

The City had its beginning in the Toowoomba Municipality which was proclaimed on 24 November 1860 under the Municipalities Act 1858,[4] a piece of New South Wales legislation inherited by Queensland when it became a separate colony in 1859. William Henry Groom, sometimes described as the "father of Toowoomba", was elected its first mayor. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Toowoomba became a town council on 31 March 1903. On 29 October 1904, Toowoomba was proclaimed a City.[5]

The Toowoomba Region also encompassed four of Queensland's 74 divisions created under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 on 11 November 1879: Clifton, Highfields, Jondaryan and Rosalie. On 31 March 1903, these became Shires. Between 1913 and 1917, a number of changes occurred: the Millmerran and Pittsworth areas voted to split from Jondaryan on 24 April 1913, whilst in the same year Crows Nest became a shire, and in 1914, Cambooya followed. On 19 March 1949, Highfields and Drayton were abolished, with their land going to Crows Nest and Toowoomba respectively.

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the eight areas amalgamate. Its main reason for recommending such a large area was that the region was a growth area and a new organisation would have political advocacy capabilities on behalf of the region. Two other key factors were that Toowoomba's suburbs had expanded well beyond the City of Toowoomba and a new entity would be able to manage the entire area under one plan. Additionally, environmental and natural resource challenges could, in the Commission's view, be better met by an organisation with "a scale and capacity to undertake... management across the region in an integrated manner." Four of the councils, Jondaryan, Millmerran, Pittsworth and Rosalie were rated as financially weak by the Queensland Treasury. While no council had supported the Commission's model, most were willing to consider some form of amalgamation, and the Commission considered whether Millmerran should be united with Dalby or Toowoomba carefully. In the end, its proposal was unchanged.[6] On 15 March 2008, the City and Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

Council[]

The council remains undivided and its elected body consists of 10 councillors and a mayor.[7] Toowoomba Regional Councillors are not officially endorsed by political parties. They are required to declare memberships of political parties, bodies, associations and trade or professional organisations.

Councillor Declared political membership Term Notes
Cr. Paul Antonio Independent (LNP 2008-2017) 2008–present Mayor 2012-present [8]
Cr. Bill Cahill Independent 2008–present [8]
Cr. Geoff McDonald Independent 2012–present [8]
Cr. Timothy McMahon LNP 2020–present [8]
Cr. ALP 2016–present [8]
Cr. James O'Shea Independent 2016–present [8]
Cr. Kerry Shine ALP 2020–present [8]
Cr. Nancy Sommerfield LNP 2012–present [8]
Cr. Carol Taylor Independent 2008–present [8]
Cr. Melissa Taylor Independent 2020–present [8]
Cr. Rebecca Vonhoff LNP 2020–present [8]

Mayors[]

  • 2008: Peter Taylor [9]
  • 2012: Paul Antonio [10]
  • 2016: Paul Antonio [11]
  • 2020: Paul Antonio [12][8]

Towns and localities[]

The Toowoomba Region includes the following settlements:

Toowoomba suburbs[]

Close Regional Localities[]

1 - split with the former Shire of Crows Nest 2 - split with the former Shire of Jondaryan 3 - split with the former Shire of Cambooya> 4 - split with >

Regional localities[]

Economy[]

Economic growth potential in the region has been identified through retail, construction and the development of energy resources found in the Surat Basin and in food processing. As well as the development of the newly built Wellcamp Airport and Second Range Crossing, and proposed Inland Rail the city is set to become one of the largest logistical centres in the country as well as a major inland port.[13]

Population[]

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. The next census in 2011 was the first for the new Region.

Year Total Region Toowoomba Cambooya Clifton Crows Nest Jondaryan Millmerran Pittsworth Rosalie
1933 56,687 26,423 2,047 3,105 2,850 5,231 2,335 3,544 7,095
1947 62,548 33,290 1,780 2,760 2,361 5,346 3,012 3,599 6,716
1954 70,430 43,149 1,848 2,542 3,733 5,416 3,473 3,731 6,538
1961 77,131 50,134 1,732 2,572 3,474 5,785 3,423 3,821 6,190
1966 81,757 55,799 1,617 2,549 3,244 5,752 3,512 3,713 5,571
1971 84,295 59,524 1,558 2,378 3,111 5,704 3,435 3,795 4,790
1976 92,144 66,436 1,676 2,260 3,445 6,576 3,309 3,714 4,728
1981 94,605 66,698 1,894 2,188 4,125 7,832 3,047 3,605 5,216
1986 106,596 73,390 2,477 2,354 5,308 9,457 3,115 3,880 6,615
1991 117,500 81,043 2,860 2,301 6,644 10,308 3,014 4,035 7,295
1996 124,849 83,633 4,079 2,308 8,644 11,056 2,830 4,264 8,035
2001 132,868 86,642 4,856 2,327 10,005 12,323 3,935 4,445 8,335
2006 141,986 90,466 5,652 2,549 12,595 13,965 3,078 4,688 8,993

Toowoomba Regional Library Services[]

The Toowoomba Regional Council operates the following libraries:[14]

  • Toowoomba City Library
  • Toowoomba Local History Library[15]
  • Cecil Plains library
  • Clifton Library
  • Crows Nest Library (also known as the John French Library)
  • Goombungee Library
  • Highfields Library
  • Millmerran Library
  • Oakey Library
  • Pittsworth Library
  • Quinalow Library
  • Yarraman Library
  • and a mobile library which visits the communities of Bowenville, Cambooya, Cooyar, Gowrie Junction, Greenmount, Haden, Jondaryan, Kingsthorpe, Kulpi, Meringandan West, Mount Tyson, Westbrook, and Wyreema.

The Toowoomba Regional Libraries also provide a range of services including (but not limited to) free computer and internet access,[16] free computer classes, and a Homebound Library Service for those who are temporarily or permanently home bound.[17]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Newly elected council 2012". Toowoomba Regional Council. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  3. ^ "TRC adopts 2018-19 Operational Plan, Budget and Revenue Statement". Toowoomba Regional Council. 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  4. ^ 22 Vic No. 13 (Imp), assented 27 October 1858
  5. ^ Queensland Government Gazette, Vol. LXXXIII, 29 October 1904, p.878.
  6. ^ Queensland Local Government Reform Commission (July 2007). Report of the Local Government Reform Commission (PDF). Vol. 2. pp. 315–322. ISBN 1-921057-11-4. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  7. ^ Toowoomba Regional Council. "Introducing Councillors". Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.[dead link]
  9. ^ "2008 Toowoomba Regional Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  10. ^ "2012 Toowoomba Regional Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  11. ^ "2016 Toowoomba Regional Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Vote Results - Toowoomba Regional Council". Electoral Commission of Queensland. ECQ. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  13. ^ "About Council: Economic development". Toowoomba Regional Council. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  14. ^ "Toowoomba Regional Libraries Locations and Hours". Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Local History Library". Toowoomba Regional Council. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  16. ^ "Toowoomba Regional Libraries Public Use PCs". Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  17. ^ "Toowoomba Regional Libraries Homebound Services". Retrieved 24 October 2014.

External links[]

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