Tablelands Region Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Population | 26,244 (2021 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 2.32392/km2 (6.0189/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 2008 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 11,293 km2 (4,360.3 sq mi) [2] | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Rodney Donald Marti | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Atherton | ||||||||||||||
Region | Far North Queensland | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Kennedy | ||||||||||||||
Website | Tablelands Region | ||||||||||||||
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The Tablelands Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia inland from the city of Cairns. Established in 2008, it was preceded by four previous local government areas which dated back more than a century. On 1 January 2014, one of those local government areas, the Shire of Mareeba, was re-established independent of the Tablelands Region.
It has an estimated operating budget of A$62.2 million.
In the 2021 census, the Tablelands Region had a population of 26,244 people. [1]
Yidinji (also known as Yidinj, Yidiny, and Idindji) is an Australian Aboriginal language. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns, Gordonvale, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi. [3]
Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Tablelands Region consisted the entire area of four previous local government areas:
On 11 November 1879, when the Divisional Boards Act 1879 came into effect proclaiming 74 divisions around Queensland, the nature and distribution of the population in the Tablelands region was vastly different from today. Most of the area was divided between the Hinchinbrook and Woothakata divisions. On 3 September 1881, Tinaroo Division was proclaimed from part of Hinchinbrook, making the mining towns of Tinaroo and Thornborough the administrative centres of the region.
A number of changes occurred from that point:
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the four areas amalgamate. Amongst its reasons given for this recommendation were that a community of interest revolved around the towns of Mareeba and Atherton, with residents travelling to Cairns for services not offered in the region. The opportunity for tourism and leisure promotion under a single banner, the close proximity of most major towns, the lack of natural barriers and similar economic interests including beef, dairy, fruit and sugar production. All councils opposed the amalgamation, although Atherton, Herberton and Eacham were willing to consider shared service delivery. [4] On 15 March 2008, the Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a to the Regional Council.
In 2012, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Mareeba from the Tablelands Region. [5] On 9 March 2013, the citizens of the former Mareeba shire voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate. [6] The Shire of Mareeba was re-established on 1 January 2014. [7] [8]
Tablelands Regional Council consists of:[ when? ] [9]
The Tablelands Region includes the following settlements:
Atherton area: | Eacham area: | Herberton area: | Others:
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1 - shared with Cassowary Coast Region
2 - shared with Cairns Region and Cassowary Coast Region
The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. The 2011 census was the first for the Tablelands Region.
Year | Population (Region total) | Population (Mareeba) | Population (Atherton) | Population (Herberton) | Population (Eacham) | Notes |
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1933 | 19,386 | 8,248 | 3,962 | 2,852 | 4,324 | [ citation needed ] |
1947 | 17,585 | 6,312 | 4,335 | 3,198 | 3,740 | [ citation needed ] |
1954 | 20,917 | 7,595 | 5,401 | 4,150 | 3,771 | [ citation needed ] |
1961 | 23,675 | 10,212 | 5,806 | 3,815 | 3,842 | [ citation needed ] |
1966 | 23,332 | 10,789 | 5,311 | 3,634 | 3,598 | [ citation needed ] |
1971 | 24,367 | 11,676 | 5,638 | 3,726 | 3,327 | [ citation needed ] |
1976 | 25,488 | 12,136 | 6,240 | 3,679 | 3,433 | [ citation needed ] |
1981 | 29,329 | 14,003 | 7,501 | 3,688 | 4,137 | [ citation needed ] |
1986 | 33,426 | 15,563 | 8,518 | 4,210 | 5,135 | [ citation needed ] |
1991 | 36,816 | 17,129 | 9,518 | 4,560 | 5,609 | [ citation needed ] |
1996 | 39,350 | 18,044 | 10,119 | 5,113 | 6,074 | [ citation needed ] |
2001 | 39,629 | 17,961 | 10,509 | 5,083 | 6,076 | [ citation needed ] |
2006 | 40,906 | 18,212 | 10,912 | 5,423 | 6,359 | [ citation needed ] |
2011 census | 43,727 | [13] | ||||
2016 census | 24,827 | Following the deamalgation of the Shire of Mareeba. [14] | ||||
2021 census | 26,244 | [1] |
The Tablelands Regional Council operate public libraries in Atherton, Herberton, Malanda, Millaa Millaa, Mount Garnet, Ravenshoe and Yungaburra. [15]
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau, which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It has very deep, rich basaltic soils and the main industry is agriculture. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River, which was dammed to form the irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinaroo. Unlike many other rural areas, the Tablelands is experiencing a significant growth in population.
The Shire of Mareeba is a local government area at the base of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, inland from Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mareeba, covered an area of 53,491 square kilometres (20,653.0 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several councils in the Atherton Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
The Shire of Douglas is a local government area in Far North Queensland. It is located on the coast north of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, covers an area of 2,428 square kilometres (937.5 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1880 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Cairns to become the Cairns Region. Following a poll in 2013, the Shire of Douglas was re-established on 1 January 2014.
The Shire of Eacham was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Atherton Tableland, a plateau forming part of the Great Dividing Range west of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Malanda, covered an area of 1,126.4 square kilometres (434.9 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
The Shire of Herberton was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Atherton Tableland, a plateau forming part of the Great Dividing Range west of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Herberton, covered an area of 9,607.0 square kilometres (3,709.3 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1895 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
The Shire of Atherton was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Atherton Tableland, a plateau forming part of the Great Dividing Range west of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Atherton, covered an area of 623.1 square kilometres (240.6 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1881 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
The Shire of Hinchinbrook is a local government area in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Ingham, covers an area of 2,807 square kilometres (1,083.8 sq mi), and has existed since its creation on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879.
The City of Cairns was a local government area centred on the Far North Queensland city of Cairns. Established in 1885, for most of its existence it consisted of approximately 51.5 square kilometres (19.9 sq mi) around Cairns itself, with much of the metropolitan area being located in the Shire of Mulgrave. The Shire amalgamated into the City on 22 March 1995, as did small sections of neighbouring shires.
The Gillies Highway is a road that runs from Gordonvale in the Cairns Region through the Gillies Range to Atherton in the Tablelands Region, both in Queensland, Australia. Its official name is Gillies Range Road, and it was originally known as the Cairns Range Road.
The North Burnett Region is a local government area in Queensland, Australia in the northern catchment of the Burnett River. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s.
The Cassowary Coast Region is a local government area in the Far North Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, south of Cairns and centred on the towns of Innisfail, Cardwell and Tully. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Cardwell and the Shire of Johnstone.
The Bundaberg Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about 360 kilometres (220 mi) north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is centred on the city of Bundaberg, and also contains a significant rural area surrounding the city. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the City of Bundaberg with the Shires of Burnett, Isis and Kolan.
The Toowoomba Region is a local government area (LGA) located within the larger Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, the LGA was preceded by several other local government authorities with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond.
The Southern Downs Region is a local government area (LGA) in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The region runs along the state's southern boundary with New South Wales and was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Warwick and the Shire of Stanthorpe. As at 2024, it has an area of 7,088 square kilometres (2,737 sq mi).
The Whitsunday Region is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by two previous local government areas with a history extending back to the establishment of regional local government in Queensland in 1879.
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 Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. However, following public protest and a referendum in 2013, on 1 January 2014, the Shire of Douglas was de-amalgamated from the Cairns Region and re-established as a separate local government authority.
The Shire of Mulgrave was a local government area surrounding the City of Cairns in the Far North region of Queensland. The shire, administered from Cairns, covered an area of 1,718.3 square kilometres (663.4 sq mi); it existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1995, when it was dissolved and amalgamated into the City of Cairns.
The 2013 Queensland local elections were held on 9 November 2013 to elect the mayors and councils of four local government areas in Queensland, Australia.