The Fraser Coast Region is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia, about north of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

, the state capital. It is centred on the twin cities of

Hervey Bay Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the bay of the same name open to ...

and Maryborough and also contains

Fraser Island Fraser Island ( Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fras ...

. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Cities of Maryborough and

and the Shires of Woocoo and most of Tiaro. In June 2018 it had a population of 105,463. The 2021-2022 budget of the Fraser Coast Regional Council is A$387 million. Eli creek fraser island

History

Butchulla (also known as Batjala, Badtjala, Badjela and Badjala) is the language of the Fraser Coast region, including Fraser Island. Butchulla language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Fraser Coast Regional Council, particularly the towns of Maryborough and

extending south towards

Noosa The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of . It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it wa ...

and north to

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

. Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Fraser Coast Region existed as four distinct local government areas: * the

City of Hervey Bay The City of Hervey Bay was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the urban centre of Hervey Bay as well as the northern half of Fraser Island. The City covered an area of , and exis ...

; * the City of Maryborough; * the

Shire of Woocoo The Shire of Woocoo was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the rural residential area to the west of the town of Maryborough, and surrounding countryside. The shire covered ...

; * and Divisions 1 & 2 of the

Shire of Tiaro The Shire of Tiaro was a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, between the regional cities of Gympie and Hervey Bay about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The shire covered an area of , and exi ...

. On 10 March 1861, the Municipal Borough of Maryborough, governed under the ''Municipalities Act 1858'' which had been inherited from

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

upon the

separation of Queensland The Separation of Queensland was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day State of Queensland in Australia was excised from the Colony of New South Wales and created as a separate Colony of Queensland. History European set ...

in 1859, was proclaimed, becoming the sixth municipal government in Queensland. Henry Palmer was appointed as its first Mayor. On 11 November 1879, when the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' came into effect, the Antigua and Burrum Divisions were created around what is now Hervey Bay, and on 15 September 1883, the Granville Division was established to serve the district surrounding Maryborough. A later division, Howard, was split away from the Division of

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...

in 1900. With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', all four divisions became Shires on 31 March 1903, and Maryborough became a Town. On 7 January 1905 Maryborough achieved City status, and a Town Hall was built on the corner of Kent and Adelaide Streets and became the administrative centre of the City. At around this time, the Shire of Degilbo, later renamed

Biggenden Biggenden is a rural town and locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Biggenden had a population of 845 people. Geography Biggenden is on the Isis Highway north-west of the state capital Brisbane, and west of ...

, split away on 3 June 1905. On 23 December 1905, Burrum was renamed Pialba. On 17 February 1917, the Granville, Antigua and Pialba shires were dissolved, and split between a new

Shire of Burrum Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the b ...

and the

, which had been gazetted three years earlier. By the 1920s the Hervey Bay area was rapidly expanding due to continuing growth in the primary industries such as sugar cane, citrus, pineapples, beef cattle and fishing, as well as investment in transport infrastructure. In the 1950s and 1960s, population and development increased, and the coastal towns slowly merged into a single urban area. On 20 December 1975, but effective from 27 March 1976 local government elections, the Shire of Burrum was renamed the Shire of Hervey Bay. With the new focus on the coastal region, of its area, with an estimated population of 1,119, was annexed by the City of Maryborough, while with an estimated population of 2,629 was annexed by the

. In September 1977, the Shire of Hervey Bay received Town status, and on 18 February 1984 it became a City. The ''Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993'', which took effect on 31 March 1994, effected the City's annexation of about of the

. At this time, Maryborough was resubdivided into eight divisions each with one councillor, plus an elected mayor. On 15 March 2008, under the ''Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007'' passed by the

Parliament of Queensland The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral s ...

on 10 August 2007, the

merged with the City of Maryborough,

and part of Tiaro to form the Fraser Coast Region. SeawallUranganQLD

Wards

The council consists of ten councillors and a mayor, elected for a four-year term. Each of the councillors represent one of the ten divisions.

Towns and localities

The Fraser Coast Region includes the following settlements: Urban

: * Booral * Bunya Creek *

Craignish Craignish (Scottish Gaelic, ''Creiginis'') is a peninsula in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies around south of Oban, and north-west of Lochgilphead. The peninsula is around long, and is aligned along a north-east to south-west orie ...

* Dundowran * Dundowran Beach * Eli Waters * Kawungan * Nikenbah *

Pialba Pialba is a coastal town and suburb of Hervey Bay in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the central business district of Hervey Bay. In the , Pialba had a population of 3,678 people. Geography Pialba is a located north ...

* Point Vernon * Scarness * Sunshine Acres * Susan River *

Takura Takura Tendayi is a Zimbabwean singer and songwriter. He is well known for his frequent collaborations with Chase & Status and Sub Focus, as well as many other dubstep and drum and bass artists. His guest appearances have accumulated over 17 m ...

* Toogoom *

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paig ...

* Urangan * Urraween * Walligan * Wondunna Rural

: * Beelbi Creek * Burgowan * Burrum * Burrum Heads * Burrum River * Burrum Town * Cherwell * Dundathu *

* Pacific Haven * River Heads * Torbanlea * Walliebum Maryborough area: * Maryborough ** Granville ** Island Plantation **

Maryborough West Maryborough West or West Maryborough () is a barony in County Laois (formerly called ''Queen's County'' or ''County Leix''), Ireland. Etymology Maryborough is the former name of the town of Portlaoise, established in 1548 and named after Que ...

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alder ...

* Beaver Rock * Bidwill * Boonooroo * Boonooroo Plains * Duckinwilla * Eurong (

) * Ferney * Glenorchy * Great Sandy Strait * Maaroom *

Poona Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

Poona National Park Poona National Park is located in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is a wildlife refuge with some endangered trees and animals. Geography The national park occupies the central and eastern parts of the locality of Boonooro ...

* St Helens *

Teddington Teddington is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In 2021, Teddington was named as the best place to live in London by ''The Sunday Times''. Historically in Middlesex, Teddington is situated on a long me ...

* The Dimonds * Tinana * Tuan * Tuan Forest * Walkers Point Woocoo area: *

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

* Aramara * Bidwill * Boompa * Brooweena * Dunmora * Grahams Creek *

Mungar Mungar is a rural locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mungar had a population of 309 people. Geography Mungar is north of the state capital Brisbane and south west of the regional centre of Maryborough. The ...

* Oakhurst * Owanyilla * Tinana South * Woocoo *

Yengarie Yengarie is a rural locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yengarie had a population of 460 people. Heritage listings Yengarie has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Old Mill Road: Central Sugar Mill ...

* Yerra North Tiaro - Division 1 area: * Tiaro * Blackmount * Pioneers Rest *

St Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

* Thinoomba North Tiaro - Division 2 area: * Bauple * Bauple Forest * Glenbar * Glenwood * Gootchie *

Gundiah Gundiah is a rural town and locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Gundiah had a population of 123 people. Geography Gundiah is by road north of the state capital, Brisbane. The Mary River forms ...

* Kanigan * Mount Urah * Munna Creek * Neerdie * Netherby * Paterson * Talegalla Weir *

Tin Can Bay Tin Can Bay is a coastal town and locality in the Wide Bay–Burnett region in Queensland, Australia. The locality is split between the Fraser Coast Region (the northern part of the locality) and the Gympie Region (southern part of the localit ...

¹ * Tinnanbar ¹ - split with Gympie Region

Libraries

The Fraser Coast Regional Council operates public libraries at Burrum Heads,

(Hervey Bay),

, Maryborough (John Anderson), Maryborough (Toys and Special Needs), and Tiaro (Tom Gee Memorial).

Population

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. The 2011 census was the first for the new Region.

Current Councillors/Mayor

The current mayor of the Fraser Coast Regional Council is George Seymour elected in a by-election held in May 2018 and re-elected in 2020. The by-election followed the dismissal of Chris Loft as Mayor on 16 February 2018 by the Minister for Local Government,

Stirling Hinchliffe Stirling James Hinchliffe (born 23 November 1970), is an Australian politician. Born in Dalby, Queensland, he was educated at state schools and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. He was a property industry analyst, ...

who alleged Mr Loft made "serial breaches of the Local Government principles outlined in the Local Government Act." As at 2020, the councillors are: * Cr James Hansen * Cr Phil Truscott * Cr Paul Truscott * Cr Daniel Sanderson * Cr Jade Wellings * Cr David Lewis * Cr Darren Everard * Cr Denis Chapman * Cr David Lee * Cr Zane O'Keefe

List of mayors

* 2008-2012: Mick Kruger * 2012-2016: Gerard Daniel O'Connell * 2016-2018 (dismissed): Chris Loft * 2018–present: George Seymour

References

External links

Fraser Coast Regional Council WebsiteLocal Government & Municipal Knowledge Base – Fraser Coast Regional Council Page
{{coord, 25, 17, 28.5, S, 152, 49, 51.3, E, type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD, display=title Local government areas of Queensland Wide Bay–Burnett 2008 establishments in Australia