Contents

Longreach Region

Longreach Region Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population	3,647 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.089784/km2 (0.23254/sq mi)
Established	2008
Area	40,619.5 km2 (15,683.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Tony Rayner
Council seat	Longreach
Region	Central West Queensland
State electorate(s)	Gregory
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
Website	Longreach Region
LGAs around Longreach Region: Winton Flinders Barcaldine Winton Longreach Region Barcaldine Barcoo Quilpie Blackall-Tambo

The Longreach Region is a local government areainCentral West Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it superseded three previous local government areas that had existed for more than a century.

It has an estimated operating budget of A$22.3m.

Traditionally, pastoral activities, tourism, and rural education have been the areas of focus within the region, with a major agricultural college and attractions such as the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Outback Museum.

In the 2021 census, the Longreach Region had a population of 3,647 people.^[1]

History[edit]

Longreach Region lay on the traditional tribal lands of the Iningai. Iningai (also known as Yiningay, Muttaburra, Tateburra, Yinangay, Yinangi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Iningai people. The Iningai language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Longreach Region, particularly the towns of Longreach, Barcaldine, Muttaburra and Aramac as well as the properties of Bowen Downs and catchments of Cornish Creek and Alice River.^[2]

Kuungkari (also known as Kungkari and Koonkerri) is a language of Western Queensland. The Kuungkari language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Longreach Shire Council and Blackall-Tambo Shire Council.^[3]

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Longreach Region existed as three distinct local government areas:

• the Shire of Longreach;
• the Shire of Ilfracombe;
• and the Shire of Isisford.

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report recommending that the three areas amalgamate. Ilfracombe was rated by a Treasury sustainability review as very weak with a negative outlook, while the other two were rated as moderate. All three councils opposed the amalgamation.^[4] The legislation passed to effect the merger on 10 August 2007. A Local Transition Committee made up of staff and councillors of the three dissolving entities was formed to manage the process. On 15 March 2008, the three Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

In January 2019, it was decided to reduce the number of localities within Longreach Region by amalgamating the localities to the north and west of the town of Longreach into the locality of Longreach. The localities amalgamated were: Camoola, Chorregon, Ernestina, Maneroo, Morella, Tocal, and Vergemont.^[5] As a consequence of this amalgamation, the Longreach Region has only three localities: Longreach, Ilframcombe and Isisford.^[6]

On 10 September 2021, a new locality called Yaraka was created around the town of Yaraka, the land being excised from the locality of Isisford, to avoid confusion and restore historical connections.^[7][8][9]

Council[edit]

Current composition[edit]

The current council, elected in 2020, is:^[10]

Mayors[edit]

2008−present[edit]

No.	Portrait	Mayor	Party	Term start	Term end
1		John Palmer	Independent	15 March 2008	28 April 2012
2		R. L. "Joe" Owens	Independent	28 April 2012	19 March 2016
2		Ed Warren	Independent	19 March 2016	28 March 2020
4		Tony Rayner	Independent	28 March 2020	incumbent

Past councillors[edit]

2008−2012 (six wards)[edit]

2012−present (unsubdivided)[edit]

Towns and localities[edit]

The Longreach Region includes the following settlements:

Amenities[edit]

Longreach Regional Council operates public libraries at Ilfracombe, Isisford, and Longreach.^[11]

Demographics[edit]

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008 and combined population after amalgamation. The population has been in steady decline since the early 1960s.

References[edit]

^ This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Longreach Region (LGA)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Longreach Region (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.

External links[edit]

• Maps showing the localities before and after the January 2019 amalgamations (archived before and after on 28 July 2019)
• Longreach Regional Council Website