The Cassowary Coast Region is a local government area in the Far North Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, south of Cairns 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 Regional Council, which administers the region, has an estimated operating budget of A$64 million.
History
Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Cassowary Coast Region consisted of the entire area of two previous local government areas:
Shire of Cardwell
Shire of Johnstone
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–present: Timothy Mark Nolan
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.
Those elected in April 2016 were:
Mayor: John Kremastos
Division 1 councillor: Glenn Raleigh
Division 2 councillor: Rick Taylor
Division 3 councillor: Wayne Kimberley
Division 4 councillor: Mark Nolan
Division 5 councillor: Jeff Baines
Division 6 councillor: Ben Heath
Towns and localities
The Cassowary Coast Region includes the following settlements:
Greater Innisfail area: Innisfail Belvedere Cullinane Eaton East Innisfail Eubenangee1 Goondi Goondi Bend Goondi Hill Hudson Innisfail Estate Jubilee Heights Mighell Palmerston2 Ngatjan1 South Innisfail Sundown Webb Wooroonooran3 Greater Tully area: Tully Birkalla Dingo Pocket Silky Oak
Cardwell area: Cardwell Carruchan Bilyana Bulgun Cardstone Carmoo Coquette Point Damper Creek Djiru East Feluga Ellerbeck Euramo Feluga Hull Heads Jarra Creek Jumbun Kennedy Lower Tully Lumholtz Merryburn Midgenoo Murray Upper Murrigal Rockingham South Mission Beach Tam O'Shanter Tully Heads Walter Hill Wongaling Beach
Johnstone area: Basilisk Bingil Bay Camp Creek Comoon Loop Coconuts Coorumba Cowley Daradgee East Palmerston El Arish Etty Bay 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 South Johnstone Vasa Views Wangan
1 - shared with Cairns Region2 - shared with Tablelands Region3 - shared with Cairns Region and Tablelands Region
Libraries
The Cassowary Coast Regional Council operate public libraries in Cardwell, Tully (Dorothy Jones Library), Innisfail and Wongaling Beach.
Population
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.
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.