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Longreach Region

(Redirected from Longreach Regional Council)

The Longreach Region is a local government area in Central West Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it superseded three previous local government areas that had existed for more than a century.

Longreach Region
Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population3,647 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.089784/km2 (0.23254/sq mi)
Established2008
Area40,619.5 km2 (15,683.3 sq mi)
MayorTony Rayner
Council seatLongreach
RegionCentral West Queensland
State electorate(s)Gregory
Federal division(s)Maranoa
WebsiteLongreach Region
LGAs around Longreach Region:
Winton Flinders Barcaldine
Winton Longreach Region Barcaldine
Barcoo Quilpie Blackall-Tambo

It has an estimated operating budget of A$22.3m.

Traditionally, pastoral activities, tourism, and rural education have been the areas of focus within the region, with a major agricultural college and attractions such as the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Outback Museum.

In the 2021 census, the Longreach Region had a population of 3,647 people.[1]

History

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Longreach Region lay on the traditional tribal lands of the Iningai. Iningai (also known as Yiningay, Muttaburra, Tateburra, Yinangay, Yinangi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Iningai people. The Iningai language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Longreach Region, particularly the towns of Longreach, Barcaldine, Muttaburra and Aramac as well as the properties of Bowen Downs and catchments of Cornish Creek and Alice River.[2]

Kuungkari (also known as Kungkari and Koonkerri) is a language of Western Queensland. The Kuungkari language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Longreach Shire Council and Blackall-Tambo Shire Council.[3]

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Longreach Region existed as three distinct local government areas:

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report recommending that the three areas amalgamate. Ilfracombe was rated by a Treasury sustainability review as very weak with a negative outlook, while the other two were rated as moderate. All three councils opposed the amalgamation.[4] The legislation passed to effect the merger on 10 August 2007. A Local Transition Committee made up of staff and councillors of the three dissolving entities was formed to manage the process. On 15 March 2008, the three Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

In January 2019, it was decided to reduce the number of localities within Longreach Region by amalgamating the localities to the north and west of the town of Longreach into the locality of Longreach. The localities amalgamated were: Camoola, Chorregon, Ernestina, Maneroo, Morella, Tocal, and Vergemont.[5] As a consequence of this amalgamation, the Longreach Region has only three localities: Longreach, Ilframcombe and Isisford.[6]

On 10 September 2021, a new locality called Yaraka was created around the town of Yaraka, the land being excised from the locality of Isisford, to avoid confusion and restore historical connections.[7][8][9]

Council

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Current composition

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The current council, elected in 2020, is:[10]

Ward Councillor Party
Mayor   Anthony Rayner Independent
Councillor   Dale Bignell Independent
  Tony Emslie Independent
  Tracy Hatch Independent
  Tony Martin Independent
  Leonie Nunn Independent
  Trevor Smith Independent

Mayors

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2008−present

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No. Portrait Mayor Party Term start Term end
1   John Palmer Independent 15 March 2008 28 April 2012
2   R. L. "Joe" Owens Independent 28 April 2012 19 March 2016
2   Ed Warren Independent 19 March 2016 28 March 2020
4   Tony Rayner Independent 28 March 2020 incumbent

Past councillors

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2008−2012 (six wards)

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Year Division 1 Division 2 Division 3 Division 4 Division 5 Division 6
Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party
2008   Tony Nielsen Independent   Robert "Mick" Bischel Independent   Richard Murray Independent   Glennis Ford Independent   Norma Rae Bowden Independent   Ken Hoolihan Independent

2012−present (unsubdivided)

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Year Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party Councillor Party
2012   Jocelyn Avery Independent   Norma Rae Bowden Independent   Tony Emslie Independent   David Morton Independent   Tony Nielsen Independent   Trevor Smith Independent
2016   Trevor Harris Independent   Tony Martin Independent   Leonie Nunn Independent   Anthony Rayner Independent
2020   Dale Bignell Independent   Tracy Hatch Independent

Towns and localities

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The Longreach Region includes the following settlements:

Amenities

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Longreach Regional Council operates public libraries at Ilfracombe, Isisford, and Longreach.[11]

Demographics

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The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008 and combined population after amalgamation. The population has been in steady decline since the early 1960s.

Year Population
(Total) 		(Longreach) (Ilfracombe) (Isisford)
1933 6,079 4,564 642 873
1947 5,244 4,137 450 657
1954 5,694 4,343 544 807
1961 6,533 5,013 653 867
1966 6,366 4,959 660 747
1971 5,142 4,300 389 453
1976 4,911 4,052 428 431
1981 4,911 3,846 460 605
1986 4,663 3,871 327 465
1991 5,153 4,369 344 440
1996 5,054 4,419 333 302
2001 5,037 4,368 356 313
2006 4,806 4,180 279 347
2011 4,189 [12]
2016 3,660 [13]
2021 3,647 [1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Longreach Region (LGA)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ "Iningai". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  3. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates CC BY 4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  4. ^ Queensland Local Government Reform Commission (July 2007). Report of the Local Government Reform Commission (PDF). Vol. 2. pp. 194–198. ISBN 978-1-921057-11-3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  5. ^ "Recent place name decisions: Job number 17-050: Longreach". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Recent place name decisions: Job number 19-027: Yaraka". Queensland Government. 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Proposed Locality Names and Boundaries: Isisford and Yaraka" (PDF). Queensland Government. 14 May 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Locality Boundaries of Isisford and Yaraka" (PDF). Queensland Government. 10 September 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Electoral Commission Queensland". Electoral Commission Queensland. July 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Longreach Regional Council". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  12. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Longreach Region (LGA)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.  
  13. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Longreach Region (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
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