Tablelands Region

Tablelands Region Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population:	46,937(2010)
Established:	2008
Area:	64999 km² (25,096.3 sq mi)
Mayor:	Tom Gilmore
Council Seat:	Mareeba
Region:	Far North Queensland
State District:	Cook Barron River Dalrymple
Federal Division:	Kennedy
Website: http://www.trc.qld.gov.au/
LGAs around Tablelands Region: Carpentaria Cook Cairns Carpentaria Tablelands Region Cairns Etheridge Charters Towers Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook

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.

History

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:

• 15 September 1888 - Formation of the Borough of Herberton to manage the town of Herberton.
• 14 May 1889 - Walsh Division (Irvinebank) separated from Woothakata.
• 20 December 1890 - Barron Division separated from Tinaroo.
• 11 May 1895 - Herberton Division separated from Tinaroo; amalgamated the Borough.
• 31 March 1903 - Under the Local Authorities Act 1902, Barron, Herberton, Tinaroo, Walsh and Woothakata became Shires.
• 16 December 1908 - Shire of Chillagoe formed from part of Woothakata.
• 18 November 1910 - Shire of Eacham formed from part of Tinaroo.
• 20 December 1919 - Shire of Barron abolished and divided between Mulgrave and Woothakata.
• 1933 - Shires of Walsh and Chillagoe amalgamated into Woothakata.
• 1935 - Shire of Tinaroo renamed Shire of Atherton.
• 20 December 1947 - Shire of Woothakata renamed Shire of Mareeba.

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. 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

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:

• Mayor: Tom Gilmore
• Division 1 Councillor: Alan Pedersen
• Division 2 Councillor: Shaaron Linwood
• Division 3 Councillor: Rhonda Sorensen
• Division 4 Councillor: Fred Williams
• Division 5 Councillor: Len Curtis
• Division 6 Councillor: Chris Adams
• Division 7 Councillor: Evan McGrath
• Division 8 Councillor: Jenny Jensen

Towns and localities

• Mareeba
• Atherton
• Herberton

Almaden Biboohra Butchers Creek Chewko Chillagoe Dimbulah Glen Allyn Innot Hot Springs Irvinebank Jaggan Julatten Kairi

Koah Kowrowa Kuranda Lake Eacham Lake Tinaroo Malanda Millaa Millaa Millstream Mount Garnet Mount Molloy Mungana Mutchilba

Paddys Green Peeramon Petford Ravenshoe Speewah Tarzali Thornborough Tinaroo Tolga Walkamin Wondecla Yungaburra

Population

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