The Mackay Region is a local government area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with modern histories extending back as far as 1869.
It has an estimated operating budget of A$118 million.
History
Yuwibara (also known as Yuibera, Yuri, Juipera, Yuwiburra) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwibara country. It is closely related to the Biri languages/dialects. The Yuwibara language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Mackay Region.
Prior to 2008, the Mackay Region was an entire area of three previous and distinct local government areas:
the City of Mackay; the Shire of Mirani; and the Shire of Sarina.
The city had its beginning in the Mackay Municipality which was proclaimed on 22 September 1869 under the Municipal Institutions Act 1864. Its first mayor was David Dalrymple, and the council first met on 1 December 1869. 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, Mackay became a Town on 31 March 1903, and was ultimately proclaimed a City on 17 August 1918.
On 11 December 1879, the Pioneer Division came into being as one of Queensland's 74 divisions created under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 on 11 November 1879, chaired by John Ewen Davidson. On 31 March 1903, Pioneer became a Shire. Two areas split away from it over the next decade; the Shire of Sarina on 1 January 1912, and the Shire of Mirani on 4 September 1913.
On 21 November 1991, the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission, created two years earlier, produced its second report, and recommended that local government boundaries in the Mackay area be rationalised. The Local Government (Mackay and Pioneer) Regulation 1993 was gazetted on 17 December 1993, and on 30 March 1994, the two amalgamated into a larger City of Mackay, which first met on 8 April 1994.
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released a report making recommendations for statewide reform of local government boundaries, and recommended that the three areas of Mackay, Mirani and Sarina amalgamate, due mainly to Mackay's role as a regional centre and all three shires' involvement in sugar production. The City of Mackay endorsed the suggestion, but the two shires proposed alternative options. In the end, the commission's proposal was unchanged. 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.
Mayors
2000–present: Gregory Roy Williamson
Wards
The Mackay Regional Council does not contain divisions or wards and remains undivided and has an elected body consisting of 10 councillors and a mayor. Current councillors and there relevant political affiliations are as follows:
Towns and localities
The Mackay Region includes the following settlements:
Mackay suburbs: Mackay City East Mackay West Mackay North Mackay South Mackay Andergrove Beaconsfield Blacks Beach Bucasia Cremorne Dolphin Heads Eimeo Erakala Foulden Glenella Mackay Harbour Mount Pleasant Nindaroo Ooralea Paget Racecourse Richmond Rural View Shoal Point Slade Point Te Kowai
Mackay towns: Bakers Creek Ball Bay Brampton Island Calen Dalrymple Bay Farleigh Halliday Bay Hampden Kuttabul Laguna Quays Lindeman Island McEwens Beach Midge Point Mount Ossa Oakenden Pindi Pindi Seaforth St Helens Beach Walkerston National Parks: Cape Hillsborough NP Eungella NP Mount Jukes NP Mount Martin NP Mount Ossa NP Pioneer Peaks NP Reliance Creek NP
Mackay localities: Alexandra Balberra Balnagowan Belmunda Bloomsbury Chelona Dumbleton Dunnrock Greenmount Habana Homebush Mentmore Mount Charlton Mount Pelion Palmyra Pleystowe Rosella Sandiford Sunnyside The Leap Victoria Plains Yalboroo
Mirani area: Benholme (village) Brightly (locality) Crediton (village) Dalrymple Heights (village) Dows Creek (town) Eton (town) Eungella (village) Eungella Dam Finch Hatton (town) Gargett (town) Hazledean (village) Kinchant Dam (locality) Marian (town) Mirani (town) Mia Mia (village) Mount Martin (village) Netherdale (village) North Eton (locality) Owens Creek (village) Pinevale (village) Pinnacle (locality) Septimus (town)
Sarina area: Alligator Creek (town) Armstrong Beach (town) Campwin Beach (town) Freshwater Point (town) Grasstree Beach (town) Half Tide Beach (town) Hay Point (town) Koumala (town) Louisa Creek (village) Munbura (village) Sarina (town) Sarina Beach (town) Sarina Range West Plane Creek (village)