North Burnett Region

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.

North Burnett Region Queensland
Location in Queensland
Population	10,068 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.51185/km2 (1.3257/sq mi)
Established	2008
Area	19,670 km2 (7,594.6 sq mi)[2]
Mayor	Les Hotz
Council seat	Gayndah
Region	Wide Bay–Burnett
State electorate(s)	Callide
Federal division(s)	Flynn, Hinkler
LGAs around North Burnett Region: Banana Gladstone Gladstone Banana North Burnett Region Bundaberg Western Downs South Burnett Gympie, Fraser Coast

It has an estimated operating budget of A$32  million.

In the 2021 census, the North Burnett Region had a population of 10,068 people.^[1]

History

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the North Burnett Region, located in the northern catchment of the Burnett River, existed as six distinct local government areas:

• the Shire of Biggenden;
• the Shire of Eidsvold;
• the Shire of Gayndah;
• the Shire of Monto;
• the Shire of Mundubbera;
• and the Shire of Perry.

The first local government in the North Burnett area was the Gayndah Municipality, which was created on 28 November 1866 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1864. On 11 November 1879, the Rawbelle and Perry Divisions were created to serve regional areas under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. A third division, Eidsvold, was proclaimed on 25 January 1890.

On 31 March 1903, following the enactment of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Gayndah became a town while the three divisions became shires. On 3 June 1905, the Shire of Degilbo, centred on Biggenden, was established from part of the Shire of Burrum. On 19 May 1915, the Shire of Auburn (later renamed Mundubbera) was separately incorporated. On 17 March 1923, the Shire of Rawbelle was renamed Gayndah and on 24 May 1924, it absorbed the Town. On 3 March 1932, the Shire of Monto came into being and Eidsvold was reincorporated. Finally, on 12 July 1941, Degilbo was renamed Biggenden.

Council service centre, 2008

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the six areas amalgamate, asserting that there were "inefficiencies with having six local governments to manage the economic and community interests of a relatively small geographic region which has a static population of just over 10,000". It believed amalgamation would offer potential for both strategic planning and improving the quality of governance and decision-making, as well as allowing one of the towns to emerge as a regional centre for the area. Queensland Treasury had rated all of the councils for financial sustainability, with all except Perry and Biggenden attracting a weak rating. Each of the councils apart from Gayndah opposed the Commission's model, with several suggesting either amalgamation with one or two other shires, or with local governments outside the region (in particular the Shire of Kolan and Gladstone/Calliope). In the end, its proposal was unchanged.^[3] 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.

Wards and councillors

The Region is divided into six divisions, each electing one councillor, with a mayor elected by the entire Region. Joy Jensen, the mayor for the Shire of Perry, was elected at the March 2008 local government elections but was not re-elected in 2012.^[4]

Mayors

• 2008–2012: Joy Jensen ^[5]
• 2012–2016: Don Waugh ^[6]
• 2016–2021: Rachel Louise Chambers^[7][8][9]

• 2022-Current: Les Hotz^[10]

Towns and localities

The North Burnett Region includes the following settlements:

Biggenden area: Biggenden Coalstoun Lakes Dallarnil Degilbo Didcot Eidsvold area: Abercorn Ceratodus Eidsvold Wuruma Dam Gayndah area: Ban Ban Springs Binjour Byrnestown Gayndah Gooroolba Ideraway Wetheron

Monto area: Bancroft Bukali Cannia Cannindah Coominglah Coominglah Forest Glenleigh Harrami Kalpowar Kapaldo Langley Monal Monto Moonford Mulgildie Mungungo Rawbelle Selene Splinter Creek Tellebang Three Moon Ventnor

Mundubbera area: Boynewood Dykehead Gurgeena Monogorilby Mundubbera Philpott Riverleigh Perry area: Mount Perry

Other areas: Aranbanga Ban Ban Barlyne Beeron Blairmore Bon Accord Branch Creek Brovinia Campbell Creek Cattle Creek Cheltham Coonambula Coringa Cynthia Deep Creek Derri Derra Dirnbir

Dundarrah Eidsvold East Eidsvold West Ginoondan Glenrae Golden Fleece Good Night Grosvenor Harriet Hawkwood Humphery Lakeside Malmoe Mingo, Queensland Mount Debateable Mount Lawless Mount Steadman

Mundowran Mungy O'Bil Bil Old Cooranga Penwhaupell Pile Gully Reids Creek Stockhaven The Limits Toondahra Wahoon Wateranga Wilson Valley Woodmillar Woowoonga Yarrol Yenda

Libraries

The North Burnett Regional Council operates public libraries at Biggenden, Eidsvold, Gayndah, Monto, Mount Perry, and Mundubbera.^[11]

Planning scheme

The North Burnett Regional Council's first planning scheme commenced on 3 November 2014.^[12] It replaced the six planning schemes prepared by the former Councils. As a scheme that follows the State-mandated structure it contains the following key components: a Strategic framework (Part 3), Priority infrastructure plan (Part 4), Tables of assessment (Part 5), Zones (Part 6), Overlays (Part 8), Other codes (Part 9), Definitions (Schedule 1), Mapping (Schedules 2 and 3) and Planning scheme policies (Schedule 6).

Planning scheme mapping is accessible via the Council's online interactive mapping.^[13]

Heritage

On 5 May 2014, the North Burnett Regional Council published their first Local Heritage Register, containing 64 sites out of a proposed 71.^[14]

Demographics

Year	Total Region	Biggenden	Eidsvold	Gayndah	Monto	Mundubbera	Perry
1933	14,322	2,476	1,475	3,760	3,514	2,302	795
1947	13,861	2,179	1,313	3,407	4,270	2,064	628
1954	13,917	1,974	1,311	3,352	4,458	2,326	496
1961	13,993	1,882	1,242	3,400	4,397	2,617	455
1966	13,715	1,722	1,702	3,182	4,155	2,580	374
1971	12,230	1,639	1,222	3,107	3,495	2,391	376
1976	11,504	1,532	1,231	2,814	3,228	2,395	304
1981	11,565	1,411	1,256	2,859	3,249	2,481	309
1986	11,583	1,553	1,212	2,887	3,266	2,355	310
1991	11,230	1,574	1,028	2,856	3,058	2,340	374
1996	11,243	1,570	970	2,916	2,922	2,514	351
2001	10,782	1,486	933	2,894	2,592	2,451	426
2006	10,551	1,506	876	2,911	2,577	2,236	445
2016	10,478	[15]
2021	10,068	[1]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "North Burnett Region (LGA)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
3. Queensland Local Government Reform Commission (July 2007). Report of the Local Government Reform Commission (PDF). Vol. 2. pp. 228–233. ISBN 978-1-921057-11-3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
4. "2012 North Burnett Regional Council - Mayoral Election". Election Summary. Electoral Commission Queensland. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
5. "2008 North Burnett Regional Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
6. "2012 North Burnett Regional Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
7. "2016 North Burnett Regional Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
8. "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
9. Loram, Lucy (21 September 2021). "Rachel Chambers resigns as Mayor of North Burnett". ABC Wide Bay. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021.
10. "Meet Your Councillors". North Burnett Regional Council. February 2022. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022.
11. "Library Services". Gympie Regional Council. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
12. "North Burnett Regional Council - Planning and Building". North Burnett Regional Council. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
13. "North Burnett Regional Council - Interactive Mapping". North Burnett Regional Council. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
14. "Local Heritage Register". North Burnett Regional Council. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "North Burnett Region (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.

External links

Media related to North Burnett Region at Wikimedia Commons

• Report of the Local Government Reform Commission Volume 1 July 2007 (Queensland Parliament) Retrieved 3 Nov 2018
• Interactive Map of North Burnett Region (from Electoral Commission Queensland website) Retrieved 17 April 2008
• Library Services
• Annual reports North Burnett Hospitals Board, State Library of Queensland

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