Moreton Bay Region


The Moreton Bay Region is a local government area in the north of the Brisbane metropolitan area in South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it replaced three established local government areas, the City of Redcliffe and the Shires of Pine Rivers and Caboolture.
With an estimated operating budget of A$391 million and a 2018 population of 459,585, Moreton Bay Region is the third largest local government area in Australia behind the City of Brisbane and City of Gold Coast, both of which are also amalgamated entities.

History

Jandai is one of the Australian Aboriginal languages of the Moreton Bay Region in South-East Queensland. The Jandai language region is centred on Stradbroke Island, which falls within the local government boundaries of Redland City.
Duungidjawu is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Duungidjawu country. The Duungidjawu language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Somerset Region and Moreton Bay Region, particularly the towns of Caboolture, Kilcoy, Woodford and Moore.
Prior to 2008, the new Moreton Bay Region was an entire area of three previous and distinct local government areas:
At the time the Divisional Boards Act 1879 came into force on 11 November 1879, the present Morton Bay Region was entirely contained within the Caboolture Division, which also included the Sunshine Coast. By 1890, Caboolture Division had shrunk considerably with the separate incorporation of the Pine Division, Redcliffe Division and Maroochy Division.
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Caboolture, Pine and Redcliffe became Shires on 31 March 1903. Redcliffe was proclaimed a Town on 28 May 1921 and a City on 13 June 1959. A few weeks earlier, on 23 May 1959, Pine was renamed the Shire of Pine Rivers.
In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the three areas amalgamate. It argued that the area was part of the South East Queensland Regional Plan's Urban Footprint, and would attract 11% of the region's population and housing growth to 2006. A very strong community of interest was identified through the region's links and dependencies to Brisbane. The councils disagreed with the Commission's plans although, with the exception of Redcliffe, did not oppose alternative amalgamation options. 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. In 2012, following the election of the LNP state government, Redcliffe sought to enter a de-amalgamation process; however, a deadline to gather signatures on a petition by 29 August 2012 was missed. The Hills District sought in 2011 to transfer to Brisbane City Council, but the local government Change Commissioner declined the proposal on cost grounds.

Divisions and councillors

Moreton Bay Region is divided into 12 divisions, each of which elects one councillor to the Regional Council. Additionally, the entire Region elects a mayor. Allan Sutherland was elected as the Region's first mayor at the 2008 elections, and Peter Flannery as the second Mayor in 2020. The current elected councillors are:
2020 Councillors:

Mayors

Former Mayors and Councillors elected to Moreton Bay Regional Council since 2008.
Mayors:
Councillors:
On 1 July 2010, Moreton Bay Regional Council's Water Services, moved over to the recently created water body, Unitywater. Unitywater was created by the Queensland Government as part of the State's takeover of South East Queensland's water facilities, dams and water supply networks. Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast Regional Council and Noosa Shire Council are joint owners of Unitywater.

Suburbs

The Moreton Bay Region include the following settlements:

Redcliffe area

Urban suburbs:
Rural localities:
Coastal Caboolture region:
Inland Caboolture region:
Bribie Island:
The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. The 2011 census was the first for the amalgamated council region.
YearPopulation
193311,9285,3164,6042,008
194719,4025,7164,8158,871
195427,2677,1016,30913,857
196139,3128,8778,76121,674
196650,78510,14913,30927,327
197172,95512,20726,18734,561
1976103,66919,40445,19239,073
1981133,05632,64458,18942,223
1986166,21047,49473,78344,933
1991205,74370,05287,89247,799
1996250,07798,859103,19248,026
2001286,532114,338122,30349,891
2005325,067131,667141,38052,020
2007344,878140,288150,87153,719
2009371,155151,290163,51056,355
2011389,684158,988172,59358,103
2016425,302---

Demographics

Facilities

The Moreton Bay Regional Council operates libraries at Albany Creek, Arana Hills, Bongaree, Burpengary, Caboolture, Deception Bay, North Lakes, Redcliffe, Strathpine, and Woodford. It also operates a mobile library service on a fortnightly basis serving the suburbs of Beachmere, Bray Park, Dayboro, Donnybrook, Lawnton, Mount Glorious, Mount Mee, Mount Nebo, Mount Samson Petrie, Samford, Toorbul and Warner.

Local heritage register

The Moreton Bay Regional Council maintains its local heritage register in two parts: