Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Encyclopedia
The Sunshine Coast Region is a Local Government Area located in the Sunshine Coast
region of South East Queensland
, Australia
.
It was created by the amalgamation in 2008 of the City of Caloundra
and the Shires of Maroochy and Noosa. It contains 4194 kilometres (2,606 mi) of roads, 211 kilometres (131 mi) of coastline and an estimated resident population of 323,423 (2009). The first budget of the new Council for the 2008-2009 financial year totals A$
673 million including $498 million operating expenditure, $168 million capital expenditure and $25.2 million for repayment of loans.
, while the northernmost part around Noosa was part of the Widgee Division
centred on Gympie
. The Maroochy Division split away from Caboolture on 5 July 1890. All three divisions became Shires on 31 July 1903 under the Local Authorities Act 1902.
In 1910, the Shire of Noosa split from Widgee, and on 22 February 1912 the Shire of Landsborough split from Caboolture. The two new entities together with Maroochy were to remain fairly stable for almost 100 years.
On 19 December 1987, the Shire of Landsborough was granted City status, and was renamed the City of Caloundra, reflecting the population boom in the coastal section of the City.
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the three local governments amalgamate. While it noted all three were "functioning councils with moderate to strong financial performance", it argued that they covered a self-contained region in a geographic, social and economic sense and that the advantages of coordinated planning in a high-growth area and the avoidance of duplication of facilities were arguments in favour of amalgamation. The councils opposed the amalgamation, and the Commission itself noted that the bulk of statewide individual submissions came from this region reflecting a "depth of feeling" regarding the issue. On 15 March 2008, the City and two Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect twelve councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
region of South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
It was created by the amalgamation in 2008 of the City of Caloundra
City of Caloundra
The City of Caloundra was a Local Government Area located about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia...
and the Shires of Maroochy and Noosa. It contains 4194 kilometres (2,606 mi) of roads, 211 kilometres (131 mi) of coastline and an estimated resident population of 323,423 (2009). The first budget of the new Council for the 2008-2009 financial year totals A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
673 million including $498 million operating expenditure, $168 million capital expenditure and $25.2 million for repayment of loans.
History
At the establishment of regional local government in Queensland on 11 November 1879 with the Divisional Boards Act 1879, most of the area was part of the Caboolture DivisionShire of Caboolture
The Shire of Caboolture was a Local Government Area located in the Australian state of Queensland on the northern urban fringe of the capital, Brisbane, and south of the Sunshine Coast...
, while the northernmost part around Noosa was part of the Widgee Division
Shire of Cooloola
The Shire of Cooloola was a Local Government Area located about north of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and was the product of a merger in 1993 between the City of Gympie and the Shire of Widgee, which had both existed since 1879-1880...
centred on Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
. The Maroochy Division split away from Caboolture on 5 July 1890. All three divisions became Shires on 31 July 1903 under the Local Authorities Act 1902.
In 1910, the Shire of Noosa split from Widgee, and on 22 February 1912 the Shire of Landsborough split from Caboolture. The two new entities together with Maroochy were to remain fairly stable for almost 100 years.
On 19 December 1987, the Shire of Landsborough was granted City status, and was renamed the City of Caloundra, reflecting the population boom in the coastal section of the City.
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the three local governments amalgamate. While it noted all three were "functioning councils with moderate to strong financial performance", it argued that they covered a self-contained region in a geographic, social and economic sense and that the advantages of coordinated planning in a high-growth area and the avoidance of duplication of facilities were arguments in favour of amalgamation. The councils opposed the amalgamation, and the Commission itself noted that the bulk of statewide individual submissions came from this region reflecting a "depth of feeling" regarding the issue. On 15 March 2008, the City and two Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect twelve councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.
Wards
The Region is divided into 12 divisions, each represented by one councillor, plus an elected mayor who represents the entire Region. The council is elected for a four-year term.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 (Caloundra) |
Population (Maroochy) |
Population (Noosa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 23,438 | 4,752 | 12,918 | 5,768 |
| 1947 | 27,399 | 6,460 | 15,014 | 5,925 |
| 1954 | 31,930 | 7,765 | 17,869 | 6,296 |
| 1961 | 33,507 | 8,319 | 19,071 | 6,117 |
| 1966 | 36,926 | 8,798 | 21,455 | 6,673 |
| 1971 | 44,582 | 11,314 | 25,522 | 7,746 |
| 1976 | 63,073 | 16,982 | 35,266 | 10,825 |
| 1981 | 100,204 | 29,705 | 53,428 | 17,071 |
| 1986 | 118,443 | 36,486 | 61,629 | 20,328 |
| 1991 | 167,254 | 53,434 | 84,442 | 29,378 |
| 1996 | 219,305 | 66,336 | 111,798 | 41,171 |
| 2001 | 252,011 | 75,261 | 129,429 | 47,321 |
| 2006 | 293,902 | 90,341 | 151,599 | 51,962 |
Sunshine Coast Regional Council - Australia Day Awards
| Year | Senior Citizen of the Year | Young Citizen of the Year | Community | Creative | Business | Environment | Sport and Recreation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Kevin Franzi (Kenilworth) | Manuel Barth (Currimundi) Nathanael Ford (Pomona) |
Glenda Lloyd (Aroona) | Cynthia Morgan (Caloundra) | Amber Werchon (Alex Headlands) | Leigh Warneminde (Yaroomba) | Guy Tanner (Mudjimba) |