54-650: The Gympie Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland , Australia, about 170 kilometres (110 mi) north of Brisbane , the state capital. It is between the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay and centred on the town of Gympie . It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shires of Cooloola and Kilkivan and part of the Shire of Tiaro . The Regional Council, which governs
108-588: A unitary authority , but the Australian Bureau of Statistics refers to the whole of the ACT as an unincorporated area. The ACT Government directorate Transport Canberra & City Services handles responsibilities that are under the purview of local government in other parts of Australia, such as local road maintenance, libraries and waste collection. Many Canberra districts have community organisations called "community councils", but these are not part of
162-479: A deep natural pool. A track skirts the top of the gorge, offering views of the area. The Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail follows the old railway line between the two towns. It is 88 kilometres (55 mi ) long and passes through Goomeri, Murgon , Wondai , Tingoora , Wooroolin , Memerambi , and Crawford . The trail from Kilkivan to Murgon is unsealed. Queensland’s first and longest sealed rail trail section of 44 kilometres (27 mi) from Murgon to Kingaroy
216-591: A geographic or historical interpretation. The council board members are generally known as councillors , and the head councillor is called the mayor . As of August 2016, there were 547 local councils in Australia. Despite the single tier of local governance in Australia, there are a number of extensive regions with relatively low populations that are not a part of any established LGA. Powers of local governments in these unincorporated areas may be exercised by special-purpose governing bodies established outside of
270-545: A larger workload. The growth of the Regional Organisations of Councils has also been a factor in local government reform in Australia. In 1995, there were 50 such agreements across the country. A 2002 study identified 55 ROCs with the largest involving 18 councils. Local government powers are determined by state governments, and states have primary responsibility for funding and exclusive responsibility for supervision of local councils. Local government
324-742: A mayor, elected for a four-year term. The mayor of the Gympie Regional Council is Glen Charles Hartwig. Mayor Glen Hartwig was elected in the Gympie Regional Council election on Saturday, 28 March 2020. The councillors are:, The Gympie Region includes the following settlements: Gympie area: Widgee area: Kilkivan area: South Tiaro - Division 3 area: - split with Fraser Coast Region The Gympie Regional Council operate public libraries at Goomeri , Gympie , Imbil , Kilkivan , Rainbow Beach , and Tin Can Bay . The Gympie Regional Council established and maintains
378-403: A shift from 'services to property' towards 'services to people'. Community expectations of local government in Australia have risen in the 21st century partly as a result of wider participation in decision-making and transparent management practices. Recent years have seen some State governments devolving additional powers onto LGAs. In Queensland and Western Australia LGAs have been granted
432-402: Is a government primary and secondary (Prep–10) school for boys and girls at 5 Munro Street ( 26°10′47″S 152°03′53″E / 26.1796°S 152.0648°E / -26.1796; 152.0648 ( Goomeri State School ) ). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 146 students with 19 teachers (17 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent). There
486-469: Is at 19 Olive Street ( 26°10′47″S 152°03′46″E / 26.1796°S 152.0628°E / -26.1796; 152.0628 ( Goomeri Apostolic Church ) ). Goomeri Bowls Club is at 57 Moore Street. Goomeri has a Swimming Pool with advertised opening hours. With parks and a number of buildings built in the 1920s, Goomeri is a quiet place that is known for its "relaxed old world charm". Goomeri's Hall of Memory – still in use today –
540-712: Is located on the intersection of the Burnett , Bunya and Wide Bay Highways , 255 kilometres (158 mi ) from the state capital, Brisbane . The main street is Moore Street; the Burnett Highway follows Moore Street through the town. Goomeri lies 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of the Coast Range. European settlement in the Goomeri area began in 1846 with the establishment of Booubyjan Homestead and Boonara Station. The Kilkivan to Goomeri section of
594-531: Is mentioned in the annotated Australian constitution, as a department of the State Governments, and they are mentioned in the constitutions of each of the six states. Under the Constitution, the federal government cannot provide funding directly to local governments; a 1974 referendum sought to amend the Constitution to authorise the federal government to directly fund local governments, but it
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#1732773382243648-453: Is no secondary school offering education to Year 12 in Goomeri; the nearest government secondary school offering education to Year 12 is Murgon State High School in Murgon to the south-west. Goomeri has a library at 35 Moore Street ( 26°10′54″S 152°04′03″E / 26.1817°S 152.0674°E / -26.1817; 152.0674 ( Goomeri public library ) ) operated by
702-562: Is now used as a house. It was at 10 Mactaggart Street ( 26°10′38″S 152°03′55″E / 26.1772°S 152.0652°E / -26.1772; 152.0652 ( Goomeri Methodist Church ) ). The Anglican Church of the Epiphany was dedicated on 12 March 1916 by Archbishop St Clair Donaldson . On Sunday 21 March 1920, St Kevin's Catholic Church was officially opened and blessed by Archbishop James Duhig . The church building had been relocated from Nanango , where it
756-447: Is part of a local government area. Unincorporated areas are often in remote locations, cover vast areas, or have very small populations. Queensland and Tasmania are entirely partitioned into LGAs and have no unincorporated areas. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has no municipalities. The ACT government is responsible for both state-level and local-level matters. In some countries, such an arrangement would be referred to as
810-559: Is situated at 41 Moore Street (Burnett Highway, 26°11′02″S 152°04′07″E / 26.1839°S 152.0685°E / -26.1839; 152.0685 ( Tourist information centre ) ), beside the windmill at Lions Park. Goomeri also has an hotel and an art studio. The Kinbombi Falls picnic and camping area is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the Wide Bay Highway along Kinbombi Road, and 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) from Goomeri. A walking track leads to
864-504: Is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state/territory it belongs to. The functions and practices of local councils are mostly centered around managing public services and land uses at the community level, and are similar throughout Australia, but can vary to some degree between jurisdictions. State departments oversee the activities of local councils and may intervene in their affairs when needed, subject to relevant legislation. For more details in each state and territory, see
918-640: Is the City of Brisbane , the most populous LGA in the country, which administers a significant part of the Brisbane metropolitan area . In most cases, when a city's population statistics are used, it is the statistical division population rather than the local government area. The following table provides a summary of local government areas by states and territories by local government area types as of December 2023: The Australian Classification of Local Governments (ACLG) categorises local governing authorities using
972-583: Is the third level of government in Australia , administered with limited autonomy under the states and territories , and in turn beneath the federal government . Local government is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia , and two referendums in 1974 and 1988 to alter the Constitution relating to local government were unsuccessful. Every state/territory government recognises local government in its own respective constitution . Unlike
1026-665: The Gympie Local Heritage Register . The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. Estimates for the Tiaro component, not included in the figures below, are: 1,315 (1991); 1,695 (1996); 1,789 (2001) and 2,197 (2006). [REDACTED] Media related to Gympie Region at Wikimedia Commons 26°11′23″S 152°39′53″E / 26.18972°S 152.66472°E / -26.18972; 152.66472 Local government in Australia [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Local government
1080-563: The Gympie Regional Council . The Anglican Church of Epiphany is at 9–11 Hodge Street ( 26°11′03″S 152°04′15″E / 26.1843°S 152.0707°E / -26.1843; 152.0707 ( Anglican Church of the Epiphany ) ). St Kevin's Catholic Church is at 17 Hodge Street ( 26°11′03″S 152°04′17″E / 26.1842°S 152.0713°E / -26.1842; 152.0713 ( St Kevin's Catholic Church ) ). The Apostolic Church
1134-664: The Local Government Act does not mandate adopting a designation, some local government areas are legally known simply as "council", such as Port Macquarie-Hastings Council , Inner West Council and Federation Council . Some rural areas in South Australia are known as "district council", and all the LGAs in Tasmania that were previously municipalities have been renamed "council". Almost all local councils have
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#17327733822431188-629: The Nanango railway line opened in 1902, and the Goomeri to Wondai section opened on 14 September 1903. The line was officially closed in early 2010. Closer settlement took place in 1911 with the sale of rural allotments and town blocks. Goomeri Post Office opened by June 1912 (a receiving office had been open from 1902). Goomeri Provisional School opened on 5 February 1912. In 1913, it became Goomeri State School. Goomeri Methodist Church opened on 30 August 1912. It closed in January 2014 and
1242-573: The Outback Communities Authority . Victoria has a number of unincorporated areas which are not part of any LGA: Western Australia has two unincorporated areas: Goomeri Goomeri ( / ɡ uː ˈ m ɛr i / goo- MERR -ee ) is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region , Queensland , Australia. In the 2021 census , the locality of Goomeri had a population of 677 people. The town
1296-735: The Pastoral Unincorporated Area in South Australia . Local governments are subdivisions of the six federated states as well as the Northern Territory . The Australian Capital Territory has no separate local government, and municipal functions in Canberra and the surrounding regions (normally performed by local governments in other states) are performed by the ACT territorial government. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), however, considers
1350-805: The Top End region, the Northern Territory Rates Act Area and Darwin Waterfront Precinct within Darwin , Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula , Alyangula on Groote Eylandt , and Yulara in Central Australia . In South Australia , 63% of the state's area is unincorporated. Residents in this area – less than 0.2% of the state's population – receive municipal services provided by a state agency,
1404-612: The Region, has an estimated operating budget of A$ 50 million. In the 2021 census , the Gympie Region had a population of 53,242 people. Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi, Cabbee, Carbi, Gabi Gabi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Gubbi Gubbi country. The Gubbi Gubbi language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Sunshine Coast Region and Gympie Region, particularly
1458-453: The entire ACT as an " unincorporated " local government area, even though it is technically a state-level administrative region . Although all essentially identical in functions and jurisdictions, Australian local governments have a variety of different titles. The term "local government area" (LGA) is used by the ABS to collectively refer to all local government administrative zones regardless of
1512-504: The first half of the 20th century was the provision of physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewerage. From the 1970s the emphasis changed to community facilities such as libraries and parks, maintenance of local roads, town planning and development approvals, and local services such as waste disposal. Child care, tourism and urban renewal were also beginning to be part of local governments' role. These are financed by collection of local land taxes known as "rates", and grants from
1566-448: The first time. Significant reforms took place in the 1980s and 1990s in which state governments used metrics and efficiency analysis developed within the private sector in the local government arena. Each state conducted an inquiry into the benefits of council amalgamations during the 1990s. In the early 1990s, Victoria saw the number of local councils reduced from 210 to 78. South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland saw some reductions in
1620-415: The following: The Australian Capital Territory is not divided into local government areas, so it is regarded as a single "unincorporated" local government area during censusing . Unlike many other countries, Australia has only one level of local government immediately beneath state and territorial governments. Aside from very sparsely populated areas and a few other special cases, almost all of Australia
1674-512: The former Widgee chairman, was elected for a four-year term. In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Cooloola and Kilkivan amalgamate with part of the Shire of Tiaro . The first two councils opposed amalgamation, but in the event of amalgamation, thought the commission's proposal the best option. Tiaro wished to amalgamate with the Shire of Woocoo and opposed
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1728-501: The government (though they generally receive government funding). They do not have the power to change laws or policies, and their role is limited to advising government. They are effectively residents' associations . New South Wales has three unincorporated areas: In the Northern Territory , 1.47% of the total area and 3.0% of the population are in unincorporated areas. These include the Cox-Daly and Marrakai-Douglas Daly areas in
1782-577: The local legislation, as with Victoria 's alpine resorts ; or directly administered by state/territory governments, such as the entirety of the Australian Capital Territory . The administrative area covered by local government councils in Australia ranges from as small as 1.5 km (0.58 sq mi) for the Shire of Peppermint Grove in the Perth metropolitan region , to as big as 624,339 km (241,059 sq mi) for
1836-469: The locality of Goomeri had a population of 664 people. Of these 49.4% were male and 50.6% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 8.7% of the population. The most common ancestries in Goomeri were Australian 34.6%, English 30.3%, Irish 7.1%, German 7.1% and Scottish 6.4%. In the 2021 census , the locality of Goomeri had a population of 677 people. Goomeri has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Goomeri State School
1890-553: The mayor is elected by the board of fellow councillors . The powers of mayors vary as well; for example, mayors in Queensland have broad executive functions, whereas mayors in New South Wales are essentially ceremonial figureheads who can only exercise power at the discretion of the council. Most of the capital city LGAs administer only the central business districts and nearby central suburbs . A notable exception
1944-631: The names of LGAs, and today the stylised titles of " town ", " borough ", " municipality ", " district ", " region ", "community government", " Aboriginal council/shire" and "island" are used in addition. The word "municipality" occurs in some states with differing meanings: in New South Wales it is typically used for older urban areas, and the word is used for some rural towns in South Australia . Larger towns and small metropolitan exurban centres in Queensland and Western Australia simply use
1998-649: The number of local governments while Western Australia and New South Wales rejected compulsory mergers. New South Wales eventually forced the merging of some councils. The main purpose of amalgamating councils was for greater efficiency and to improve operations, but forced amalgamation of councils is sometimes seen as a dilution of representative democracy . An increase in the range of services offered by councils, but only minor cost savings of less than 10% have been noted by academics as outcomes after mergers. The council mergers have resulted in widespread job losses and lingering resentment from some whose roles have experienced
2052-619: The part of local governments. There is no mention of local government in the Constitution of Australia , though it is mentioned several times in the Annotated Constitution of Australia. "Municipal institutions and local government" appears in Annotation 447, and "Power of the Parliament of a Colony" appears under "Residuary Legislative Powers" on pages 935 and 936. The first official local government in Australia
2106-589: The plan. On 15 March 2008, the three shires ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect eight councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council. Ron Dyne, the former mayor of Kilkivan, was elected as the region's first mayor. The former Cooloola Shire Council Chambers is now used as the Gympie Regional Council Chambers . The council remains undivided and its elected body consists of eight councillors and
2160-818: The population, the population density and the proportion of the population that is classified as being urban for the council. The classification, at the two-digit level, is: All local governments are approximately equal in their theoretical powers, although LGAs that encompass large cities such as Brisbane and the Gold Coast command more resources due to their larger population base. Unlike local governments in many other countries, services such as police, fire protection and schools are provided by respective state or territory governments rather than by local councils. However, local governments still maintain some responsibility for fire service functions within Queensland and Western Australia. The councils' chief responsibility in
2214-414: The power to independently enact their own local subsidiary legislation , in contrast to the previous system of by-laws . Councils also have organised their own representative structures such as Local Government Associations and Regional Organisations of Councils . Doctrines of New Public Management have shaped state government legislation towards increased freedoms aiming to allow greater flexibility on
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2268-538: The purpose of raising money to build roads in rural and outer-urban regions. Council representatives attended conventions before Federation , however local government was unquestionably regarded as outside the Constitutional realm. In the 1970s, the Whitlam government expanded the level of funding to local governments in Australia beyond grants for road construction. General purpose grants become available for
2322-408: The same administrative functions and similar political structures, regardless of their naming, and retain a particular designation ("shire", "borough", "town", "city") for historical reasons only. They will typically have an elected council and usually a mayor or shire president responsible for chairing meetings of the council. In some councils, the mayor is a directly elected figure, but in most cases
2376-493: The state and Commonwealth governments. They are caricatured as being concerned only with the "three Rs": Rates, Roads and Rubbish. However, the roles of local government areas in Australia have recently expanded as higher levels of government have devolved activities to the third tier. Examples include the provision of community health services, regional airports and pollution control as well as community safety and accessible transport. The changes in services has been described as
2430-621: The term "town", while in Victoria they are designated as "rural city". Historically, the word "borough" was common for small towns and suburban centers in Victoria, but nowadays only the Borough of Queenscliffe remains as the one and only borough in the entire country. New South Wales and Queensland have also introduced a new term "region" for outback LGAs formed by the amalgamation of smaller shires and rural cities. In New South Wales, where
2484-505: The towns of Caloundra , Noosa Heads , Gympie and extending north towards Maryborough and south to Caboolture . Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Gympie Region existed as four distinct local government areas: The Gympie area was originally settled for grazing purposes. The discovery of gold in 1867 led to a gold rush and the development of the Mary River valley for closer agricultural pursuits. The Widgee Divisional Board
2538-756: The two-tier local government system in Canada or the United States , there is only one tier of local government in each Australian state/territory, with no distinction between counties and cities . The Australian local government is generally run by a council , and its territory of public administration is referred to generically by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as the local government area or LGA , each of which encompasses multiple suburbs or localities (roughly equivalent to neighborhoods) often of different postcodes ; however, stylised terms such as "city", " borough ", " region " and " shire " also have
2592-501: The varying designations, whilst the local governing legislature itself is generally known as a council . In general, an urban / suburban LGA is called a " city ", as in the City of Melbourne , City of Canada Bay and City of Bunbury ; while an exurban / rural LGA covering a larger agricultural / natural area is usually called a " shire ", as in Shire of Mornington Peninsula , Shire of Banana and Lachlan Shire . Sometimes designations other than "city" or "shire" are used in
2646-472: Was built in 1926 and is now a heritage-listed building. The town is also well known for its gourmet food. Goomeri offers fine dining, country food, gourmet cheeses and locally grown olives to award winning pies. Goomeri is a gateway to the South Burnett wine district, with vineyards and cellar doors within proximity. Other industries in the area include beef and dairy. Goomeri’s information centre
2700-539: Was defeated. A 1988 referendum sought to explicitly insert mention of local government in the federal constitution but this was comprehensively defeated. A further referendum was proposed in 2013 , but was cancelled due to the change in the election date . Federal government interaction with local councils happens regularly through the provision of federal grants to help fund local government managed projects. Local government in Australia has very limited legislative powers and no judicial powers , and executive -wise
2754-779: Was incorporated on 11 November 1879 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 . On 3 July 1886, its western part separately incorporated as the Division of Kilkivan . With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902 , both Widgee and Kilkivan became shires on 31 March 1903. On 21 November 1940, the Widgee Shire Council moved into new premises formerly occupied by the Bank of New South Wales at 242 Mary Street, Gympie. The Municipal Borough of Gympie
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#17327733822432808-617: Was incorporated on 25 June 1880, holding its first elections on 25 August. A town hall was built in 1890. It became a town under the new Act on 31 March 1903, and on 7 January 1905 was proclaimed a city by the Governor of Queensland . On 2 November 1993, the Shire of Widgee and the City of Gympie merged under the terms of the Local Government (Shire of Cooloola) Regulation 1993 to form the Shire of Cooloola . The first elections were held on 27 November 1993 and Adrian McClintock,
2862-724: Was originally opened in 1901. On 15 November 1940, the Goomeri War Memorial Clock was unveiled by the State President of the RSL , Raymond Huish . Goomeri Library opened in 1986. Circa 1997, the Apostolic Church at 103 Wittenberg Road, Tansey , was relocated to 19 Olive Street in Goomeri. It originally opened in Tansey on 26 September 1926 by Reverend W. Neimeyer. In the 2016 census ,
2916-621: Was the Perth Town Trust , established in 1838, only three years after British settlement. The Adelaide Corporation followed, created by the province of South Australia in October 1840. The City of Melbourne and the Sydney Corporation followed, both in 1842. All of these early forms failed; it was not until the 1860s and 1870s that the various colonies established widespread stable forms of local government, mainly for
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