Toowoomba Region

The Toowoomba Region is a local government area (LGA) on the border of Darling Downs and South East Queensland regions of Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, the LGA was preceded by several other local government authorities with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond.

Toowoomba Region
Local government area
Location within Queensland
Coordinates: 27°34′30.60″S 151°56′48.75″E
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	Darling Downs, South East Queensland
Established	2008
Council seat	Toowoomba
Government
• Mayor	Geoff McDonald
• State electorates	Toowoomba North Toowoomba South Condamine Nanango Southern Downs
• Federal divisions	Groom Maranoa
Area [1]
• Total	12,957 km2 (5,003 sq mi)
Population
• Total	173,204 (2021 census)[2]
• Density	13.3676/km2 (34.6219/sq mi)
Website	Toowoomba Region
LGAs around Toowoomba Region Western Downs South Burnett Somerset Western Downs Toowoomba Region Lockyer Valley Goondiwindi Southern Downs Lockyer Valley

Aerial views of the Toowoomba Region.

In 2018–2019, it had a A$491 million budget, of which A$316 million is for service delivery and A$175.13 million capital (infrastructure) budget.^[3]

In the 2021 census, the Toowoomba Region had a population of 173,204 people.^[2]

History

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Toowoomba Region existed as eight distinct local government areas: the City of Toowoomba and the Shires of Cambooya, Clifton, Crows Nest, Jondaryan, Millmerran, Pittsworth, and Rosalie.

The City had its beginning in the Toowoomba Municipality which was proclaimed on 24 November 1860 under the Municipalities Act 1858,^[4] a piece of New South Wales legislation inherited by Queensland when it became a separate colony in 1859. William Henry Groom, sometimes described as the "father of Toowoomba", was elected its first mayor. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Toowoomba became a town council on 31 March 1903. On 29 October 1904, Toowoomba was proclaimed a City.^[5]

The Toowoomba Region also encompassed four of Queensland's 74 divisions created under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 on 11 November 1879: Clifton, Highfields, Jondaryan and Rosalie. On 31 March 1903, these became Shires. Between 1913 and 1917, a number of changes occurred: the Millmerran and Pittsworth areas voted to split from Jondaryan on 24 April 1913, whilst in the same year Crows Nest became a shire, and in 1914, Cambooya followed. On 19 March 1949, Highfields and Drayton were abolished, with their land going to Crows Nest and Toowoomba respectively.

2008 amalgamation

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the eight areas amalgamate. Its main reason for recommending such a large area was that the region was a growth area and a new organisation would have political advocacy capabilities on behalf of the region. Two other key factors were that Toowoomba's suburbs had expanded well beyond the City of Toowoomba and a new entity would be able to manage the entire area under one plan. Additionally, environmental and natural resource challenges could, in the Commission's view, be better met by an organisation with "a scale and capacity to undertake... management across the region in an integrated manner." Four of the councils, Jondaryan, Millmerran, Pittsworth and Rosalie were rated as financially weak by the Queensland Treasury. While no council had supported the Commission's model, most were willing to consider some form of amalgamation, and the Commission considered whether Millmerran should be united with Dalby or Toowoomba carefully. In the end, its proposal was unchanged.^[6] On 15 March 2008, the City and Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

Since amalgamation

Council

Toowoomba Regional Council is unsubdivided and its elected body consists of 10 councillors and a mayor.^[7] Neither the Labor Party nor the Liberal National Party officially endorse candidates for council.

Current composition

The current council, elected in 2024, is:

Position	Councillor		Party
Mayor		Geoff McDonald	Independent
Councillor		Bill Cahill	Independent
		Edwina Farquhar	Independent
		Gary Gardner	Independent
		Trevor Manteufel	Independent Labor
		Tim McMahon	Independent LNP
		James O'Shea	Independent
		Kerry Shine	Independent Labor
		Carol Taylor	Independent
		Melissa Taylor	Independent
		Rebecca Vonhoff	Independent LNP

Mayors

• Peter Taylor (2008–12). Elected 2008,^[8] defeated 2012.^[9]
• Paul Antonio (2012–23). Elected 2012,^[10] 2016,^[11] 2020.^[12] Retired 2023.^[13]
• Geoff McDonald (2023-current). Elected by council 2023,^[14] Elected 2024.^[15]

Election results

2024

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 Queensland local elections in Darling Downs § Toowoomba results.[edit]

2024 Queensland local elections: Toowoomba Regional Council^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent LNP	Rebecca Vonhoff (elected)	77,397	7.96	+1.87
	Independent	James O'Shea (elected)	60,790	6.25	+0.86
	Independent	Melissa Taylor (elected)	60,401	6.21	+1.56
	Independent Labor	Kerry Shine (elected)	58,902	6.06	+0.78
	Independent	Gary Gardner (elected)	57,155	5.88	+5.88
	Independent LNP	Tim McMahon (elected)	56,265	5.79	+2.02
	Independent	Carol Taylor (elected)	52,561	5.40	−0.14
	Independent	Bill Cahill (elected)	50,050	5.15	−0.17
	Independent	Edwina Farquhar (elected)	48,765	5.01	+5.01
	Independent Labor	Trevor Manteufel (elected)	39,979	4.11	+4.11
	Independent	Andrew Reeson	31,890	3.28	+3.28
	Independent	Mark Orford	31,492	3.24	+3.24
	Independent	Paul Wilson	30,086	3.09	+3.09
	Independent	Scot McPhie	29,207	3.00	+3.00
	Greens	Ellisa Parker	28,645	2.95	+2.95
	Independent	Eakraj Adhikari	28,163	2.90	+1.62
	Say NO to WOKE	Nathan Essex	27,976	2.88	+2.88
	Independent	Chris Brameld	27,121	2.79	+2.79
	Independent	Michelle McIntyre	24,626	2.53	+2.53
	Independent	Robert Relvas	23,951	2.46	+1.34
	Independent	David King	23,138	2.38	+0.96
	Say NO to WOKE	Adam Carney	22,442	2.31	+2.31
	Independent	Gavin Mingay	18,992	1.95	+1.95
	Independent Federation	Martin Hartwig	18,801	1.93	+1.93
	Westgarths	Leeanne Westgarth	18,438	1.90	+1.90
	Westgarths	George Westgarth	13,912	1.43	+1.43
	Westgarths	Angus Westgarth	11,315	1.16	+1.16
Total formal votes			972,460	100.00
Total formal ballots			97,246	89.52	+0.47
Informal ballots			11,384	10.48	−0.47
Turnout			108,630	85.86	+3.79

Towns and localities

The Toowoomba Region includes the following settlements:

Toowoomba suburbs

Blue Mountain Heights1 Centenary Heights Cotswold Hills2 Cranley Darling Heights Drayton East Toowoomba Glenvale2 Harlaxton

Harristown Highfields1 Kearneys Spring Middle Ridge Mount Kynoch Mount Lofty Newtown North Toowoomba Prince Henry Heights

Rangeville Redwood Rockville South Toowoomba Toowoomba City Torrington2 Wilsonton Wilsonton Heights

Close Regional Localities

Birnam1 Charlton2 Finnie3 Gowrie Junction2

Hodgson Vale3 Mount Rascal3 Preston4 Spring Bluff1

Top Camp3 Vale View3 Wellcamp2

¹ - split with the former Shire of Crows Nest ² - split with the former Shire of Jondaryan ³ - split with the former Shire of Cambooya> ⁴ - split with Lockyer Valley Region>

Regional localities

Cambooya area: Cambooya East Greenmount Greenmount Westbrook Clifton area: Back Plains Clifton Ellangowan Kings Creek Nobby Pilton Ryeford Spring Creek Crows Nest area: Crows Nest Cabarlah Cawdor Djuan Emu Creek Geham Glenaven Haden Hampton Meringandan Pechey Pierces Creek Ravensbourne

Jondaryan area: Oakey Athol Aubigny Evanslea Gowrie Mountain Grassdale Jondaryan Millmerran area: Millmerran Bringalily Cecil Plains Domville Lavelle Lemontree Millmerran Downs Pampas Tummaville Turallin Yandilla

Pittsworth area: Pittsworth Biddeston Bongeen Branchview Brookstead Broxburn Felton Irongate Kincora Linthorpe Mount Tyson Nangwee North Branch Norwin Rossvale Scrubby Mountain Southbrook Springside St Helens Stoneleigh Yarranlea

Rosalie area: Goombungee Acland Evergreen Glencoe Gowrie Junction Meringandan West Upper Yarraman Yarraman Mixed-area localities: Bowenville Gowrie Mountain Kingsthorpe Nobby Wyreema

Economy

Economic growth potential in the region has been identified through retail, construction and the development of energy resources found in the Surat Basin and in food processing. As well as the development of the newly built Wellcamp Airport and Second Range Crossing, and proposed Inland Rail the city is set to become one of the largest logistical centres in the country as well as a major inland port.^[17]

Demographics

The total population recorded at each census before the foundation of the Toowoomba Region combines the population of its component entities prior to their amalgamation in 2008. Its population was officially recorded for the first time in the 2011 Census.

Year	Total Region	Toowoomba	Cambooya	Clifton	Crows Nest	Jondaryan	Millmerran	Pittsworth	Rosalie	Notes
1933	56,687	26,423	2,047	3,105	2,850	5,231	2,335	3,544	7,095	[citation needed]
1947	62,548	33,290	1,780	2,760	2,361	5,346	3,012	3,599	6,716	[citation needed]
1954	70,430	43,149	1,848	2,542	3,733	5,416	3,473	3,731	6,538	[citation needed]
1961	77,131	50,134	1,732	2,572	3,474	5,785	3,423	3,821	6,190	[citation needed]
1966	81,757	55,799	1,617	2,549	3,244	5,752	3,512	3,713	5,571	[citation needed]
1971	84,295	59,524	1,558	2,378	3,111	5,704	3,435	3,795	4,790	[citation needed]
1976	92,144	66,436	1,676	2,260	3,445	6,576	3,309	3,714	4,728	[citation needed]
1981	94,605	66,698	1,894	2,188	4,125	7,832	3,047	3,605	5,216	[citation needed]
1986	106,596	73,390	2,477	2,354	5,308	9,457	3,115	3,880	6,615	[citation needed]
1991	117,500	81,043	2,860	2,301	6,644	10,308	3,014	4,035	7,295	[citation needed]
1996	124,849	83,633	4,079	2,308	8,644	11,056	2,830	4,264	8,035	[citation needed]
2001	132,868	86,642	4,856	2,327	10,005	12,323	3,935	4,445	8,335	[citation needed]
2006	141,986	90,466	5,652	2,549	12,595	13,965	3,078	4,688	8,993	[citation needed]
2011 census	151,189	[18]
2016 census	160,779	[19]
2021 census	173,204	[2]

Toowoomba Regional Library Services

The Toowoomba Regional Council operates the following libraries:^[20]

• Toowoomba City Library
• Toowoomba Local History Library^[21]
• Cecil Plains library
• Clifton Library
• Crows Nest Library (also known as the John French Library)
• Goombungee Library
• Highfields Library
• Millmerran Library
• Oakey Library
• Pittsworth Library
• Quinalow Library
• Yarraman Library
• and a mobile library which visits the communities of Bowenville, Cambooya, Cooyar, Gowrie Junction, Greenmount, Haden, Jondaryan, Kingsthorpe, Kulpi, Meringandan West, Mount Tyson, Westbrook, and Wyreema.

The Toowoomba Regional Libraries also provide a range of services including (but not limited to) free computer and internet access,^[22] free computer classes, and a Homebound Library Service for those who are temporarily or permanently home bound.^[23]