Weipa Town Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Departure lounge, Weipa Airport, 2007 | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 12°37′47″S141°52′41″E / 12.6298°S 141.8781°E Coordinates: 12°37′47″S141°52′41″E / 12.6298°S 141.8781°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 4,240 (2018) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 385/km2 (1,000/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1967 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 11 km2 (4.2 sq mi) [1] | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Michael Rowland (chairman) | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Rocky Point | ||||||||||||||
Region | Far North Queensland | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Cook | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Leichhardt | ||||||||||||||
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Website | Weipa Town | ||||||||||||||
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Weipa Town is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. It covers the town of Weipa on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula, including the localities of Rocky Point, Trunding, Nanum, Evans Landing, and Weipa Airport. It is an unusual local government area as it is not governed and managed by a council elected by residents but rather by the company Rio Tinto Aluminium (which operates a bauxite mine in the area) through a governing body called the Weipa Town Authority. In June 2018, Weipa Town had a population of 4,240. [1]
In 1955, New Zealand geologist Harry Evans discovered bauxite (the raw material used to make aluminium) on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula while he was exploring for oil. Further surveys established it was the largest bauxite deposit in the world. [2]
In November 1957, the Queensland Government approved a £50 million project of the British Australian Consolidated Zinc group to develop a bauxite mine on the Cape York Peninsula to be operated by its newly created subsidiary, Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty. Limited (from 1960 known as Comalco). As part of the agreement, the government passed legislation to enable a town, harbour and treatment works to be established at the company's expense at Kumrunja (Rocky Point) on the south side of the Mission River. Under the Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty. Limited Agreement Act (1957) the area for the town was excised from Shire of Cook and Comalco became the manager of the new town. [3] [4]
In 1964 the first housing was constructed in the new township of Weipa at Rocky Point. [4] In 1967 the Township of Weipa was officially opened by the Queensland Premier Frank Nicklin. [5]
In 1993, Comalco held elections to form a Citizens Advisory Committee to assist in the administration of the town. In 1997 the committee evolved into the present Weipa Town Authority. [4] [6]
Unlike most local government areas in Queensland, Weipa Town consists of two disconnected areas. The first covers the town of Weipa ( 12°37′47″S141°52′41″E / 12.6298°S 141.8781°E ) with a narrow connecting road to the harbour area ( 12°39′45″S141°51′03″E / 12.6625°S 141.8507°E ). The second area ( 12°40′53″S141°55′30″E / 12.6814°S 141.9250°E ) covers the Weipa Airport. Having been excised from Shire of Cook, Weipa Town is still surrounded by the Shire. However, the Napranum Aboriginal Shire (formerly known as the town of Weipa South) and Shire of Aurukun (also excised from Shire of Cook) are very close by and, although also split in a number of disconnected areas are effectively neighbouring local government areas. [7]
Weipa is the only town in this local government area. The residential area of Weipa comprises three localities; from north to south, they are Rocky Point, Trunding, and Nanum. The harbour area is within the locality of Evans Landing. The airport area is the locality of Weipa Airport.
While Rio Tinto (formerly Comalco) remains responsible for the administration of the town, it discharges this obligation through the Weipa Town Authority. The Authority has seven members: four elected by the residents, two appointed by Rio Tinto, and one appointed by the Alngith indigenous people. Weipa Town is a gazetted local government area and the Weipa Town Authority undertakes the duties of a typical local government, such as: [8]
Services provided by the authority include road maintenance, water supply, garbage collection, parks, sports ovals, and public swimming pools. [8] The authority provides the Hibberd Library in Hibberd Drive, Rocky Point. [9]
However, the Weipa Town Authority is not a true local government authority as defined in the Local Government Act (2009) because it is part of a corporation. This has implications in relation to loan and budget requirements, Goods and Services Tax on rates, the development of land, and changes to the town boundaries. [8]
Unlike other local governments in Queensland, the Weipa Town Authority has a chairman rather than a mayor. In 2017, the chairman is Michael Rowland. [4]
In 2016, discussions took place in regard to "normalising" Weipa Town into a true local government authority . The three options under discussion were to make Weipa Town a normal local government authority with its present boundaries, to absorb Weipa Town back into the Shire of Cook, or to create a new Western Cape Region centred on Weipa. [10]
Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia. The land is mostly flat and about half of the area is used for grazing cattle. The relatively undisturbed eucalyptus-wooded savannahs, tropical rainforests and other types of habitat are now recognized and preserved for their global environmental significance. Although much of the peninsula remains pristine, with a diverse repertoire of endemic flora and fauna, some of its wildlife may be threatened by industry and overgrazing as well as introduced species and weeds.
Manapōuri Power Station is an underground hydroelectric power station on the western arm of Lake Manapouri in Fiordland National Park, in the South Island of New Zealand. At 850 MW installed capacity, it is the largest hydroelectric power station in New Zealand, and the second largest power station in New Zealand. The station is noted for the controversy and environmental protests by the Save Manapouri Campaign against raising the level of Lake Manapouri to increase the station's hydraulic head, which galvanised New Zealanders and were one of the foundations of the New Zealand environmental movement.
Weipa is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland. It is the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly involved in exports of bauxite. There are also shipments of live cattle from the port.
Coen is a town and coastal locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. The town of Coen is inland on the Peninsula Developmental Road, the main road on the Cape York Peninsula in far northern Queensland. In the 2016 census, Coen had a population of 364 people.
Rio Tinto Aluminium is now known as Rio Tinto Alcan after Rio's takeover of Alcan. It was the world's eighth largest aluminium company. It mines and manufactures bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium.
The Shire of Aurukun is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. The shire covers part of western Cape York Peninsula, the most northerly section of the Australian mainland.
Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf Country. The waters of Torres Strait include the only international border in the area contiguous with the Australian mainland, between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Mapoon is a coastal town in the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and a locality split between the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and the Shire of Cook in Queensland, Australia.
Napranum is a town in the locality of Mission River in the Aboriginal Shire of Napranum, Queensland, Australia.
The Shire of Carpentaria is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia on the Gulf of Carpentaria, for which it is named.
Boyne Smelters is located on Boyne Island, Queensland, Australia, approximately 12 km south of the port of Gladstone. The smelter has a production capacity of 545,000 tonnes of aluminium per year. The operating company Boyne Smelters Ltd is 59.4% owned by Rio Tinto Alcan with the balance held by a consortium of Japanese participants including Sumitomo, Marubeni, Mitsubishi and YKK Group. 2011 saw the construction of a new carbon bake furnace to replace the original bake furnace.
Henry James Evans was the leading exploration geologist and discoverer of the immense bauxite deposits near Weipa, on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, Australia.
Bauxite mining in Australia is an economically significant industry both for Australia and globally. The industry focuses on the mining of bauxite, the primary raw material for alumina and aluminium. Australia is the world's bauxite producer, producing almost a third of global bauxite.
Nanum is a coastal residential locality in Weipa Town, Far North Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census Nanum had a population of 921 people.
The Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is managed as a Deed of Grant in Trust under the Local Government Act 2004.
Yarwun is a rural coastal town and locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Yarwun had a population of 119 people.
The Aboriginal Shire of Napranum is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is on the western side of the Cape York Peninsula around Weipa.
Mission River is a coastal rural locality split between the Shire of Cook and the Aboriginal Shire of Napranum in Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census Mission River had a population of 987 people.
Rocky Point is a residential locality in the Weipa Town, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census Rocky Point had a population of 1,957 people.
Albatross Bay is a bay on the eastern shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia.
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