The Lockyer Valley 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 ...
(LGA) in the
West Moreton region of
South East 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. The region is located between the cities of
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...
and
Toowoomba, and is bordered by the
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
and
Southern Downs regions to the north and south, respectively. Lockyer Valley was created in 2008 from a merger of the former shires of
Gatton and
Laidley. The Lockyer Valley Regional Council has an estimated operating budget of A$35m.
The region is named after the British soldier and explorer Major
Edmund Lockyer (1784-1860) who surveyed the
Brisbane River for approximately 150 miles on the instructions of the
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of the
Colony of New South Wales
The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...
,
Sir Thomas Brisbane.
Prior to European settlement, the Lockyer Valley region was home to the
Kitabul Aboriginal people.
Tarampa Division, as it was then known, was created on 15 January 1880 under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'', with its first board meeting being held on 20 February 1880. On 25 April 1888, the Laidley district broke away and separately incorporated as the
Laidley Division, and later on 25 January 1890, the
Forest Hill area moved from Tarampa to Laidley. On 1 July 1902, the town of
Laidley was created as a separate municipality with its own Borough Council.
With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', the borough and divisions became a town and shires respectively on 31 March 1903. The town council was dissolved on 8 February 1917, and Laidley absorbed part of the
Shire of Rosewood.
On 3 September 1938, Tarampa was renamed the Shire of Gatton. On 19 March 1949, it grew to incorporate parts of the former Shires of
Drayton and
Highfields, while losing some of its original area to the
City of Toowoomba and
Shire of Crows Nest.
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Gatton and Laidley amalgamate, uniting the major farming, cropping and horticultural production area of South East Queensland under one local authority. While both councils opposed the amalgamation, they identified each other as preferred partners if it had to go ahead.
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 Lockyer Valley Regional Council.
After the deadly
2010–11 Queensland floods, which destroyed the town of
Grantham
Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...
, the council responded quickly to relocate the town to non-flood prone land.
The council purchased freehold land adjoining the existing town for the voluntary resettlement of eligible residents.
To speed the recovery process normal land use planning procedures were dropped although there was a public consultation period. Support from the state government was muted, partly because the new urban development was contrary to the
South East Queensland Regional Plan.
The council has also responded to floods by installing a network of cameras around the region which can be viewed by members of the public on a web page.
Towns and localities
The Lockyer Valley Region includes the following settlements:
Gatton area:
*
Gatton
*
Adare
*
Blanchview
*
Caffey
*
Carpendale
*
College View
*
Flagstone Creek
*
Fordsdale
*
Grantham
Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...
*
Helidon
*
Ingoldsby
*
Iredale
*
Junction View
*
Lake Clarendon
*
Lawes
*
Lower Tenthill
*
Ma Ma Creek
*
Mount Sylvia
*
Mount Whitestone
*
Murphys Creek
*
Postmans Ridge
*
Placid Hills
*
Ropeley
*
Thornton
*
Upper Tenthill
*
Veradilla
*
Winwill
*
Withcott
*
Woodlands
Laidley area:
*
Laidley
*
Blenheim
*
Forest Hill
*
Glenore Grove
*
Regency Downs
*
Hatton Vale
*
Kentville
*
Laidley Heights
*
Lockrose
*
Mulgowie
*
Plainland
Other areas:
*
Ballard
*
Black Duck Creek
*
Brightview
*
Buaraba South
*
Churchable
*
Crowley Vale
*
Derrymore
*
East Haldon
*
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
*
Fifteen Mile
*
Glen Cairn
*
Helidon Spa
*
Kensington Grove
*
Laidley Creek West
*
Laidley North
*
Laidley South
*
Lefthand Branch
*
Lilydale
*
Lockyer
*
Lockyer Waters
*
Lynford
*
Morton Vale
*
Mount Berryman
*
Preston
*
Ringwood
*
Rockmount
*
Rockside
*
Seventeen Mile
*
Silver Ridge
*
Spring Creek
A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...
*
Stockyard
*
Summerholm
*
Townson
*
Upper Flagstone
*
Upper Lockyer
*
Vinegar Hill
*
West Haldon
*
White Mountain
*
Woodbine
;Notes:
Population
Prior to 2008, the populations given relate to the previous component entities. The 2011 census marks the first for the region to be recorded as a single area.
Council
The Lockyer Valley Regional Council remains undivided and its elected body consists of six councillors and a popularly elected mayor, elected for a four-year term. A deputy mayor is also appointed by council for a four-year term.
Current composition
The current council, elected in 2024, is:
Mayors
Steve Jones, former mayor of Gatton, was elected as first mayor of the Lockyer Valley Region. He died in office on 19 February 2016. Deputy mayor Tanya Milligan was acting mayor until she was elected as mayor in her own right on 16 April 2016.
2008−present
Deputy mayors
Past councillors
2008−present
Libraries
The Lockyer Valley Region Council provide public libraries in
Gatton and
Laidley.
Sister City Relations
*
Ageo, Japan, since July 2014
References
External links
{{coord, 27, 33, 31.8, S, 152, 16, 41.4, E, type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD, display=title
Lockyer Valley
2008 establishments in Australia