Scenic Rim Region

This article is about local government. For the geographic features of this area, see Scenic Rim.

The Scenic Rim Region is a local government area (LGA) in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately 80 kilometres due south of Brisbane. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond. The main town of the region is Beaudesert.

Scenic Rim Region Queensland
Location within South East Queensland
Population	42,984 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	10.1306/km2 (26.238/sq mi)
Established	2008
Area	4,243 km2 (1,638.2 sq mi)[2]
Mayor	Tom Sharp
Council seat	Beaudesert
Region	West Moreton
State electorate(s)	Scenic Rim
Federal division(s)	Wright
Website	Scenic Rim Region
LGAs around Scenic Rim Region: Lockyer Valley Ipswich Logan Southern Downs Scenic Rim Region Gold Coast Southern Downs Kyogle (NSW) Tweed (NSW)

It has an estimated operating budget of A$33 million.

In the 2021 census, the Scenic Rim Region had a population of 42,984 people.^[1]

History

Prior to 2008, the new Scenic Rim Region was an entire area of three previous and distinct local government areas:

• the Shire of Boonah;
• the southern part of the Shire of Beaudesert;
• and the Harrisville and Peak Crossing areas from the City of Ipswich.

Beaudesert Shire Tramway, 1903

A bullock team at Kalbar, 1915

Timber yards at Canungra, 1939

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the areas amalgamate. It identified a rural community of interest as well as ecotourism potential from the Scenic Rim, a group of mountain ranges forming part of the Great Dividing Range, and recommended the transfer of the entire urban growth corridor previously within Beaudesert to Logan City. Along with Lockyer Valley and Somerset, it was expected to provide a rural hinterland for urban South East Queensland. The arrangement was Boonah's second preference (its first was simply absorbing the rural areas of Ipswich) while Beaudesert opposed splitting or amalgamation.^[3]

The legislation passed to effect the merger on 10 August 2007. A Local Transition Committee made up of staff and councillors of the dissolving entities was formed to manage the process. 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.

Geography

Mount Lindesay from Palen Creek

Mount Maroon, 2009

The region is mostly rural, with Beaudesert and Boonah the main towns. It lies within the catchment areas of the Bremer River, the Logan River/Albert River and the Coomera River/Nerang River. The centre of the area is dominated by the Flinders Peak Group and broad sweep of mountainous terrain forming a southern boundary with the local government area on Queensland's southern border with New South Wales. Many high-altitude areas are covered by forests and protected in national parks (including World Heritage listings) at Tamborine Mountain, McPherson Range, Main Range National Park, Mount Barney National Park and landforms including Cunninghams Gap and Fassifern Valley. South East Queensland's highest mountain is Mount Barney, reaching 1,356 metres (4,449 ft) above sea level. Wyaralong Dam is the region's newest reservoir.

In the south east of the local government area is the Lamington National Park. It includes villages such as Canungra, Kooralbyn, Rathdowney, Beechmont and Harrisville. The peak at Mount French, part of Moogerah Peaks National Park is noted for its traditional rock climbing and does not have bolted climbing routes. The peak also boasts a '32' rated climb (one of the hardest in the world) which attracts international rock climbing visitors to the area. The area of Boonah is fairly flat with large areas of very productive soils for the growing of vegetables and other crops. Beechmont and O'Reillys are mountainous areas overlooking the Gold Coast hinterland. These areas attract visitors for camping, bushwalking and bird watching.

Council

The council is split into six wards (divisions), each returning one councillor, along with a directly-elected mayor.

Current composition

The current council, elected in 2024, is:

Ward	Councillor		Party
Mayor		Tom Sharp	Independent
Division 1		Amanda Hay	Independent
Division 2		Kerri Cryer	Independent
Division 3		Stephen Moriarty	Independent
Division 4		Jennifer Sanders	Independent
Division 5		Marshall Chalk	Independent
Division 6		Duncan McInnes	Independent

Mayors

John Brent was the region's first mayor. He was first elected as a councillor in the Shire of Boonah in 1976 and was chairman of the Shire of Boonah beginning on 12 April 1994, becoming mayor of the Scenic Rim Region following the amalgamation.^[4]

2008−present

No.	Portrait	Mayor	Party	Term start	Term end	Council control (term)
1		John Brent	Independent	15 March 2008	19 March 2016		Independents majority (2008–present)
2		Greg Christensen	Independent LNP	19 March 2016	26 April 2023[5]
(2)			Independent	27 April 2023	16 March 2024
3		Tom Sharp	Independent	16 March 2024	incumbent

Deputy mayors

In 2016, the council resolved to review the position of deputy mayor annually, instead of having it be the longer-term position it was from 2008 to 2016.^[6]

No.	Portrait	Mayor	Party	Term start	Term end	Mayor
1		Dave Cockburn	Independent	2008	2012		Brent (Independent)
2		Virginia West	Independent	2012	2016
3		Nigel Waistell	Independent	2016	2017		Christensen (Ind. LNP/Independent)
4		Nadia O'Carroll	Independent	2017	2018
5		Rick Stanfield	Independent	2018	2019
6		Duncan McInnes	Independent	2019	2021
7		Michael Enright	Independent	2021	2022
8		Jeff McConnell	Independent	2021	2024
9		Duncan McInnes	Independent	2024	incumbent		Sharp (Independent)

Past councillors

2008−present

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		Derek Swanborough	Independent		Richard Adams	Independent		Virginia West	Independent		Dave Cockburn	Independent		Kathy Bensted	Independent		Heather Wehl	Independent
2012		Nigel Waistell	Independent		Nadia O'Carroll	Independent					Jennifer Sanders	Independent		Rick Stanfield	Independent		Duncan McInnes	Independent
2016											Michael Enright	Independent
2020		Derek Swanborough	Independent		Jeff McConnell	Independent								Marshall Chalk	Independent
2023		Amanda Hay	Independent
2024		Amanda Hay	Independent		Kerri Cryer	Independent		Stephen Moriarty	Independent		Jennifer Sanders	Independent		Marshall Chalk	Independent		Duncan McInnes	Independent

Towns and localities

Main Street, Boonah, 2008

Moogerah Dam and Main Range, 2011

The Scenic Rim Region includes the following settlements:

Beaudesert area: Beaudesert Beechmont Benobble Biddaddaba Birnam Boyland Bromelton Canungra Christmas Creek Cryna Gleneagle Hillview Innisplain Josephville

Kerry Kooralbyn Lamington Lamington National Park Laravale Palen Creek Rathdowney Tabooba Tabragalba Tamborine Mountain Tamrookum Tamrookum Creek Witheren Wonglepong

Boonah area: Boonah Aratula Charlwood Coulson Fassifern Harrisville1 Kalbar Maroon Moogerah Mount Alford Mount Walker Roadvale Rosevale Silverdale Tarome Templin Warrill View

Other areas:

Allandale Allenview Anthony Barney View Binna Burra Blantyre Bunburra Bunjurgen Burnett Creek Cainbable Cannon Creek Carneys Creek Chinghee Creek Clumber Coleyville Coochin Croftby Darlington Dugandan Fassifern Valley Ferny Glen Flying Fox Frazerview

Frenches Creek Hoya Illinbah Kagaru Kents Lagoon Kents Pocket Knapp Creek Kulgun Limestone Ridges1 Lower Mount Walker Merryvale Milbong Milford Milora Moorang Morwincha Mount Barney Mount Edwards Mount Forbes1 Mount French Mount Gipps Mount Lindesay Mount Walker West

Munbilla Mutdapilly1 Nindooinbah North Tamborine Oaky Creek Obum Obum O'Reilly Peak Crossing1 Radford Running Creek Sarabah Southern Lamington Tamborine2 Teviotville Undullah2 Veresdale2 Veresdale Scrub2 Wallaces Creek Washpool Wilsons Plains Woolooman Wyaralong

¹ - split with the City of Ipswich ² - split with Logan City

Demographics

The rugged terrain around Moogerah Peaks National Park, 2013

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Year	Population
1986	22,992
1991	28,512
1996	32,997
2001	35,342
2006	34,659

In the 2011 census, the Scenic Rim Region had a population of 36,456 people.^[7]

In the 2016 census, the Scenic Rim Region had a population of 40,072 people.^[8]

In the 2021 census, the Scenic Rim Region had a population of 42,984 people.^[1]

Heritage register

In 2014, the Scenic Rim Regional Council established its local heritage register as required by the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. In February 2015, it listed 54 places based on criteria in the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter 1999.^[9]

Libraries

The Scenic Rim Regional Council operate libraries in Beaudesert, Boonah, Canungra and Tamborine Mountain. The council commenced a mobile library service in 2008,^[10] which serves Beechmont, Harrisville, Hillview, Kalbar, Kooralbyn, Peak Crossing, Rathdowney and Tamborine.^[11]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Scenic Rim 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. Archived from the original on 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. 32–36. ISBN 978-1-921057-11-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
4. "One of the most enduring leaders in Queensland local government, Scenic Rim Mayor John Brent has a blunt and simple response to questions about the role of a council and its mayor... - Local Government Association of Queensland". lgaq.asn.au. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
5. "Nomination for Mayor or Councillor". Electoral Commission of Queensland. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
6. "COUNCIL ELECTS NEW DEPUTY MAYOR". Scenic Rim Regional Council. 28 May 2019. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
7. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Scenic Rim Region (LGA)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
8. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Scenic Rim Region (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
9. "Local Heritage Register". Scenic Rim Regional Council. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
10. "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
11. "Locations and Membership". Scenic Rim Regional Council. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.

Further reading

• Teese, Nerelie (2001), Hurricane lamps & handmilking : a history of dairy farming along the Logan & Albert River Valleys, Nerelie Teese, ISBN 978-0-9579326-0-9

External links

• "Local Heritage Register". Scenic Rim Regional Council. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

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