The Cassowary 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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

in the

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns, Queensland, Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stret ...

region of

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia, south of

Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...

and centred on the towns of Innisfail, Cardwell and Tully. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire of Cardwell and the

Shire of Johnstone The Shire of Johnstone was a Local government in Australia, local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Coral Sea coast about south of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Innisfail, Qu ...

. The Regional Council, which administers the region, has an estimated operating budget of A$64 million. In the , the Cassowary Coast Region had a population of 29,157 people.

History

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Cassowary Coast Region consisted of the entire area of two previous local government areas: * Shire of Cardwell *

The Hinchinbrook Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879''. On 28 October 1881, the Johnstone Division split away from it. On 18 January 1884, the Cardwell Division also split away. With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', both Cardwell and Johnstone became shires on 31 March 1903. In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Cardwell and Johnstone merge. Cardwell was in particular opposed because Johnstone was rated as "financially distressed" and its council had just been sacked by the state government. On 15 March 2008, the two shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect six councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

Mayors

* 2008–2016: Bill Shannon * 2016–2020: John Kremastos *2020–2024: Timothy Mark Nolan *2024-present: Teresa Millwood

Wards and councillors

Although the commission recommended the council be undivided with six councillors and a mayor, the gazetted form was that of six divisions each electing a single councillor, plus a mayor. Below is the current council, elected in 2024:

Towns and localities

The Cassowary Coast Region includes the following settlements: Greater Innisfail area: * Innisfail **

Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa * Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco * Belvedere, Harare, Zi ...

** Cullinane ** Eaton ** East Innisfail ** Eubenangee¹ ** Goondi ** Goondi Bend ** Goondi Hill **

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson Rodrigues dos Santos, Brazilian f ...

Innisfail Estate Innisfail Estate is a semi-rural Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Innisfail Estate had a population of 1,454 people. Geography Innisfail Estate is bounded by the Johnst ...

** Jubilee Heights ** Mighell ** Palmerston² ** Ngatjan¹ ** South Innisfail ** Sundown **

Webb Webb may refer to: Places Antarctica *Webb Glacier (South Georgia) *Webb Glacier (Victoria Land) * Webb Névé, Victoria Land, the névé at the head of Seafarer Glacier * Webb Nunataks, a group of nunataks in the Neptune Range * Webb Peak (disa ...

** Wooroonooran³ Greater Tully area: * Tully ** Birkalla ** Dingo Pocket **

Silky Oak ''Grevillea robusta'', commonly known as the southern silky oak, silk oak or silky oak, silver oak or Australian silver oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. Despite its common names, it is unrelated to true oaks, whic ...

Cardwell area: * Cardwell * Carruchan * Bilyana * Bulgun * Cardstone * Carmoo * Coquette Point * Damper Creek * Djiru * East Feluga * Ellerbeck * Euramo * Feluga * Hull Heads * Jarra Creek * Jumbun *

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * Kennedy (surname), including any of several people with that surname ** Kennedy family, a prominent American political family that includes: *** Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969), American businessman, investor, ...

* Lower Tully * Lumholtz * Merryburn * Midgenoo * Murray Upper * Murrigal * Rockingham *

South Mission Beach South Mission Beach is a coastal town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of South Mission Beach had a population of 968 people. Geography As the name s ...

* Tam O'Shanter * Tully Heads *

Walter Hill Walter Hill (born January 10, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer known for his action films and revival of the Western (genre), Western genre. He has directed such films as ''The Driver'', ''The Warriors (film), The ...

* Wongaling Beach Johnstone area: *

Basilisk In European bestiary, bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a Serpent symbolism, serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Natural History (Pliny), Naturalis Histo ...

* Bingil Bay * Camp Creek * Comoon Loop *

Coconuts The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

* Coorumba * Cowley * Daradgee * East Palmerston *

El Arish ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ' ) is the capital and largest city of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediterranean coast northeast of Cairo and west of the Egypt–Gaza border ...

Etty Bay Etty Bay is a relatively sheltered bay in Far North Queensland with a long beach in the Far North Queensland, far north of the Australian state of Queensland. The beach is by road from the township of Innisfail, Queensland, Innisfail, 20 mi ...

* Fitzgerald Creek * Flying Fish Point * Garners Beach * Garradunga * Germantown * Gulngai * Japoonvale * Kurrimine Beach * Maria Creeks * Mena Creek * Midgeree Bar * Mission Beach * Moresby * Mourilyan * Mourilyan Harbour * Mundoo * New Harbourline *

Silkwood ''Silkwood'' is a 1983 American biographical drama film directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher. The screenplay by Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen was adapted from the book ''Who Killed Karen Silkwood?'' by ''Ro ...

* South Johnstone * Vasa Views * Wangan ¹ - shared with

Cairns Region The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. ...

² - shared with

Tablelands Region The Tablelands Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia inland from the city of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns. Established in 2008, it was preceded by four previous local government areas ...

³ - shared with

and

Libraries

The Cassowary Coast Regional Council operate public libraries in Cardwell, Tully (Dorothy Jones Library), Innisfail and Wongaling Beach.

Demographics

The total population recorded at each census before the foundation of the Cassowary Coast 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. In the , the Cassowary Coast Region had a population of 28,726 people. In the , the Cassowary Coast Region had a population of 29,157 people.

Heritage places

As part of preparing the Cassowary Coast Planning Scheme 2014, the council consulted with the region's heritage groups to compile a list of local heritage places.

References

External links

* 2008 Election results �
Mayoral
* 2008 Election results �

University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Cassowary Coast Regional Council
* {{coord, 18, 05, 40.79, S, 145, 51, 05.18, E, type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Local government areas of Queensland Far North Queensland 2008 establishments in Australia