Toowoomba Region

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.

In the 2021 census, the Toowoomba Region had a population of 173,204 people.

History

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Toowoomba Region existed as eight distinct local government areas: the City of Toowoomba and the Shires of Cambooya, Clifton, Crows Nest, Jondaryan, Millmerran, Pittsworth, and Rosalie.

The City had its beginning in the Toowoomba Municipality which was proclaimed on 24 November 1860 under the Municipalities Act 1858, 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.

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. 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

Toowoomba Regional Council is unsubdivided and its elected body consists of 10 councillors and a mayor. Neither the Labor Party nor the Liberal National Party officially endorse candidates for council.

Current composition

The current council, elected in 2024, is:

Mayors

• Peter Taylor (2008-12). Elected 2008, defeated 2012.
• Paul Antonio (2012-23). Elected 2012, 2016, 2020. Retired 2023.
• Geoff McDonald (2023-current). Elected by council 2023, Elected 2024.

Election results

2024

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 Lockyer Valley Region>

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.

Demographics

The total population recorded at each census before the foundation of the Toowoomba Region combines the population of its component entities prior to their amalgamation in 2008. Its population was officially recorded for the first time in the 2011 Census.

Toowoomba Regional Library Services

The Toowoomba Regional Council operates the following libraries:

• Toowoomba City Library
• Toowoomba Local History Library
• 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, free computer classes, and a Homebound Library Service for those who are temporarily or permanently home bound.

References

External links

• Toowoomba.org - Toowoomba's Homepage