Lockyer Valley Region Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Population | 41,011 (2018) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 18.074/km2 (46.813/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 2008 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 2,269 km2 (876.1 sq mi) [1] | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Tanya Milligan | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Gatton | ||||||||||||||
Region | West Moreton | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Lockyer | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Wright | ||||||||||||||
Website | Lockyer Valley Region | ||||||||||||||
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The Lockyer Valley Region is a local government area in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia, between the cities of Ipswich and Toowoomba. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Gatton and the Shire of Laidley. It has an estimated operating budget of A$35m.
Prior to European settlement, the Lockyer Valley area was home to the Kitabul Aboriginal people.
Tarampa Division, as it was then known, was created on 15 January 1880 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879, with its first board meeting being held on 20 February 1880. On 25 April 1888, the Laidley district broke away and separately incorporated as the Laidley Division, and later on 25 January 1890, the Forest Hill area moved from Tarampa to Laidley. [2] On 1 July 1902, the town of Laidley was created as a separate municipality with its own Borough Council.
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, the borough and divisions became a town and shires respectively on 31 March 1903. The town council was dissolved on 8 February 1917, and Laidley absorbed part of the Shire of Rosewood.
On 3 September 1938, Tarampa was renamed the Shire of Gatton. [3] On 19 March 1949 it grew to incorporate part of the former Shires of Drayton and Highfields, while losing some of its original area to the City of Toowoomba and Shire of Crows Nest. [4]
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Gatton and Laidley amalgamate, uniting the major farming, cropping and horticultural production area of South East Queensland under one local authority. While both councils opposed the amalgamation, they identified each other as preferred partners if it had to go ahead. [5] On 15 March 2008, the two Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect six councillors and a mayor to the Lockyer Valley Regional Council.
After the deadly 2010–11 Queensland floods, which destroyed the town of Grantham, the council responded quickly to relocate the town to non-flood prone land. [6] The council purchased freehold land adjoining the existing town for the voluntary resettlement of eligible residents. [6] To speed the recovery process normal land use planning procedures were dropped although there was a public consultation period. Support from the state government was muted, partly because the new urban development was contrary to the South East Queensland Regional Plan.
The council has also responded to floods by installing a network of cameras around the region which can be viewed by members of the public on a web page. [7]
The Lockyer Valley Region includes the following settlements:
Gatton area: | Laidley area: | Other areas: |
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1 - split with Somerset Region
Prior to 2008, the populations given relate to the previous component entities. The 2011 census marks the first for the region to be recorded as a single area.
Year | Population (Region total) | Population (Gatton) | Population (Laidley) |
---|---|---|---|
1933 | 11,153 | 6,053 | 5,100 |
1947 | 11,158 | 6,403 | 4,755 |
1954 | 11,754 | 7,137 | 4,617 |
1961 | 12,387 | 7,594 | 4,793 |
1966 | 12,661 | 7,814 | 4,847 |
1971 | 12,592 | 8,099 | 4,493 |
1976 | 13,324 | 8,689 | 4,635 |
1981 | 15,055 | 9,675 | 5,380 |
1986 | 18,546 | 11,734 | 6,812 |
1991 | 22,273 | 13,810 | 8,463 |
1996 | 26,846 | 14,730 | 12,116 |
2001 | 27,561 | 14,925 | 12,636 |
2006 | 29,883 | 15,572 | 14,311 |
Year | Population | Notes |
---|---|---|
2011 | 34,954 | [8] |
2016 | 38,609 | [9] |
2021 | 41,101 |
The Lockyer Valley Regional Council remains undivided and its elected body consists of six councillors and a popularly elected mayor, elected for a four-year term. A deputy mayor is also appointed by council for a four-year term.
The current council, elected in 2020, is:
Position | Councillor | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
Mayor | Tanya Milligan | Independent | |
Councillor | Jason Cook | Independent | |
Michael Hagan | Independent | ||
Janice Holstein | Independent | ||
Brett Qualischefski | Independent LNP | ||
Rick Vela | Independent | ||
Chris Wilson | A Better Lockyer |
Steve Jones, former mayor of Gatton, was elected as first mayor of the Lockyer Valley Region. He died in office on 19 February 2016. Deputy mayor Tanya Milligan was acting mayor until she was elected as mayor in her own right on 16 April 2016. [10]
No. | Portrait | Mayor | Party | Term start | Term end | Council control (term) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Steve Jones | Independent | 15 March 2008 | 19 February 2016 † | Independents majority (2008–present) | |||
− | Tanya Milligan | Independent | 19 February 2016 | 16 April 2012 | ||||
2 | 16 April 2012 | incumbent |
No. | Portrait | Mayor | Party | Term start | Term end | Mayor | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tanya Milligan | Independent | 2012 | 19 February 2016 | Jones (Independent) | ||||
Jason Cook | Independent | 2016 | incumbent | Milligan (Independent) |
Year | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Peter Friend | Independent | Janice Holstein | Independent | Jim McDonald | Independent LNP | Tanya Milligan | Independent | Graham Moon | Independent | Dave Neuendorf | Independent | ||||||
2012a | Katter's Australian | |||||||||||||||||
2012b | Vacant | |||||||||||||||||
2012 | Kathy McLean | Independent | Derek Pingel | Independent | ||||||||||||||
2016 | Jason Cook | Independent | Michael Hagan | Independent | Chris Wilson | Independent | ||||||||||||
2018 | Rick Vela | Independent | ||||||||||||||||
2020 | Brett Qualischefski | Independent LNP | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | A Better Lockyer |
The Lockyer Valley Region Council provide public libraries in Gatton and Laidley. [11]
Gatton is a rural town and locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Gatton had a population of 7,101 people.
The Shire of Crows Nest was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, immediately northeast of the regional city of Toowoomba. The shire, administered from the town of Crows Nest, covered an area of 1,629.9 square kilometres (629.3 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1913 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Toowoomba area to form the Toowoomba Region. Its growth in later years has been fuelled by the expansion of Toowoomba, particularly the suburbs of Highfields and Blue Mountain Heights which, with a combined population of 7,333 in 2006, were home to over half the shire's population.
The Shire of Jondaryan was a local government area located in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, immediately west of the regional city of Toowoomba. The shire, administered from the town of Oakey, covered an area of 1,910.0 square kilometres (737.5 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1890 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Toowoomba area to form the Toowoomba Region. Its growth in later years has been fuelled by the expansion of Toowoomba and suburbs such as Glenvale and Westbrook.
The Lockyer Valley is an area of rich farmlands that lies to the west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and east of Toowoomba. The Lockyer Valley is rated among the top ten most fertile farming areas in the world, and the intensively cultivated area grows the most diverse range of commercial fruit and vegetables of any area in Australia. The valley is referred to as "Australia's Salad Bowl" to describe the area as one of Australia's premium food bowls.
Laidley is a rural town and locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Laidley had a population of 3,808 people.
Lockyer is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.
The Shire of Gatton was a local government area located in the Lockyer Valley region between the cities of Toowoomba and Ipswich, and about 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of 1,571.8 square kilometres (606.9 sq mi), and existed from 1880 until its merger with the Shire of Laidley to form the Lockyer Valley Region on 15 March 2008.
The Shire of Cambooya was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, immediately south of the regional city of Toowoomba. The shire, administered from the town of Greenmount, covered an area of 638.5 square kilometres (246.5 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1914 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Toowoomba area to form the Toowoomba Region.
The Shire of Laidley was a local government area located in the Lockyer Valley region between the cities of Toowoomba and Ipswich, and about 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of 700.6 square kilometres (270.5 sq mi), and existed from 1888 until its merger with the Shire of Gatton to form the Lockyer Valley Region on 15 March 2008.
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.
The Southern Downs Region is a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, along the state's boundary with New South Wales. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Warwick and the Shire of Stanthorpe.
The Somerset Region is a local government area located in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Brisbane and centred on the town of Esk. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Esk and the Shire of Kilcoy. It is commonly known as the Brisbane Valley, due to the Brisbane River which courses through the region, although significant parts of the region lie outside the hydrological Brisbane Valley itself.
The Gympie Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about 170 kilometres (110 mi) north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is between the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay and centred on the town of Gympie. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shires of Cooloola and Kilkivan and part of the Shire of Tiaro.
The Scenic Rim Region is a local government area in West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond. The main town of the region is Beaudesert.
Forest Hill is a rural town and locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Forest Hill had a population of 968 people.
The Town of Laidley is a former local government area comprising the town of Laidley in the Lockyer Valley area between the cities Ipswich and Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia. It existed between 1902 and 1917.
Fordsdale is a rural locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Fordsdale had a population of 52 people.
Glenore Grove is a rural locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Glenore Grove had a population of 883 people.
Laidley North is a rural locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Laidley North had a population of 593 people.
Regency Downs is a mixed-use locality in the Lockyer Valley Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Regency Downs had a population of 2,623 people, an increase of 12% from the 2016 census.
Media related to Lockyer Valley Region at Wikimedia Commons