| Tablelands Region Queensland |
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Location within Queensland |
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| Population: | 46,937(2010)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 2008 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 64999 km² (25,096.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Mayor: | Tom Gilmore | ||||||||||||
| Council Seat: | Mareeba | ||||||||||||
| Region: | Far North Queensland | ||||||||||||
| State District: | |||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Kennedy | ||||||||||||
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The Tablelands Region is a Local Government Area located 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.
It has an estimated operating budget of A$62.2 million.
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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 to the modern day. 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:
From 1933 until 2008, therefore, the Tablelands region came under four separate local government areas: Shire of Atherton, Shire of Eacham, Shire of Herberton and Shire of Mareeba.
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.[2] On 15 March 2008, the Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.
Although the Commission recommended the council be undivided with eight councillors and a mayor, the gazetted form was that of eight divisions each electing a single councillor, plus a mayor.
Elected on 15 March 2008, the Tablelands Regional Council consists of:[3]
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The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. The next census, due in 2011, will be the first for the new Region.
| Year | Population (Region total) |
Population (Mareeba) |
Population (Atherton) |
Population (Herberton) |
Population (Eacham) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 19,386 | 8,248 | 3,962 | 2,852 | 4,324 |
| 1947 | 17,585 | 6,312 | 4,335 | 3,198 | 3,740 |
| 1954 | 20,917 | 7,595 | 5,401 | 4,150 | 3,771 |
| 1961 | 23,675 | 10,212 | 5,806 | 3,815 | 3,842 |
| 1966 | 23,332 | 10,789 | 5,311 | 3,634 | 3,598 |
| 1971 | 24,367 | 11,676 | 5,638 | 3,726 | 3,327 |
| 1976 | 25,488 | 12,136 | 6,240 | 3,679 | 3,433 |
| 1981 | 29,329 | 14,003 | 7,501 | 3,688 | 4,137 |
| 1986 | 33,426 | 15,563 | 8,518 | 4,210 | 5,135 |
| 1991 | 36,816 | 17,129 | 9,518 | 4,560 | 5,609 |
| 1996 | 39,350 | 18,044 | 10,119 | 5,113 | 6,074 |
| 2001 | 39,629 | 17,961 | 10,509 | 5,083 | 6,076 |
| 2006 | 40,906 | 18,212 | 10,912 | 5,423 | 6,359 |
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