Cairns Region facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cairns Region Queensland
Location within Queensland, 2013, prior to de-amalgamation of Shire of Douglas
Population	166,943 (2021 census) (38th)
• Density	98.841/km2 (256.00/sq mi)
Established	2008
Area	1,689 km2 (652.1 sq mi)
Mayor	Amy Eden
Council seat	Cairns City
Region	Far North Queensland
State electorate(s)	Barron River, Cairns, Cook, Hill, Mulgrave
Federal Division(s)	Leichhardt Kennedy
Website	Cairns Region
LGAs around Cairns Region: Mareeba Wujal Wujal Shire of Douglas Coral Sea Mareeba Cairns Region Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Tablelands Cassowary Coast Coral Sea

The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. However, following public protest and a referendum in 2013, on 1 January 2014, the Shire of Douglas was de-amalgamated from the Cairns Region and re-established as a separate local government authority.

The Cairns Regional Council's 2023-24 operating budget is A$433.5 million.

In the 2021 census, the Cairns Region had a population of 166,943 people.

History

First Nations

Yidinji (also known as Yidinj, Yidiny, and Idindji) is an Australian Aboriginal language and a traditional Indigenous country. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns City (CBD), Gordonvale, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi.

Tjapukai (also known as Djabuganydji, Djabugay, and Djabuganydji) is the traditional Aboriginal country and language north of the Barron River in the Cairns Region, with the traditional group extending west towards Mareeba and north towards Douglas Shire and Port Douglas.

Post colonialisation

Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Cairns Region consisted of the entire area of three previous local government areas:

• the City of Cairns;
• the Shire of Douglas;
• and the Shire of Mulgrave.

The city, which for most of its existence covered only the central business district and inner suburbs of Cairns, had its beginning in the Borough of Cairns which was proclaimed on 28 May 1885 under the Local Government Act 1878. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, it became a Town on 31 March 1903 and was proclaimed a City on 12 October 1923.

The Shire of Mulgrave had its origins in the Cairns Division, one of Queensland's 74 divisions created under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 on 11 November 1879. The Douglas Division was created on 3 June 1880. They became the Shire of Cairns and the Shire of Douglas on 31 March 1903. On 20 December 1919, it grew to include some territory from the abolished Shire of Barron, and on 16 November 1940, the shire was renamed Mulgrave.

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 Cairns area be rationalised, and that the Shire be dissolved and amalgamated with the City of Cairns. The Local Government (Cairns, Douglas, Mareeba and Mulgrave) Regulation 1994 was gazetted on 16 December 1994. On 22 March 1995, the Shire was abolished and became part of the new City of Cairns.

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Cairns amalgamate with the Shire of Douglas, and that the new Cairns Regional Council be undivided with 10 councillors and a mayor. On 15 March 2008, the City and Shire formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

In 2012, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Douglas from the Cairns Region. On 9 March 2013, the citizens of the former Douglas shire voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate. The shire was re-established on 1 January 2014.

Towns and localities

The Cairns Region includes the following settlements:

¹ – shared with Cassowary Coast Region
² – shared with Cassowary Coast Region and Tablelands Region

Libraries

The Cairns Regional Council operate public libraries at Babinda, Cairns City, Earlville, Edmonton, Gordonvale, Manunda, Smithfield and Stratford.

Demographics

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008.

The only census in which the Cairns Region included the Douglas Shire was conducted in 2011.

In the 2016 census, the Cairns Region had a population of 156,901 people.

In the 2021 census, the Cairns Region had a population of 166,943 people.

Council

Cairns Regional Council
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Mayor	Amy Eden, team eden team eden
Deputy Mayor	Brett Olds, Independent
Structure
Seats	10 elected representatives, including a Mayor and 9 councillors
Political groups	Independents (3)      Cairns Unity (3)      Team Eden (2)      Independent LNP (1)      independent greens qld independent greens qld (1)
Elections
Last election	16 March 2024
Next election	25 March 2028

On 1 January 2014, Julia Leu ceased to be a Councillor upon the de-amalgamation of the Shire of Douglas.

On 31 January 2015, Rob Pyne was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and resigned as a Councillor. Cathy Zeiger was appointed on 12 March 2015 to replace Rob Pyne by a panel comprising Mayor Bob Manning and former Councillors Fran Lindsay and Jeff Pezzutti.

Bob Manning announced his retirement as mayor on 17 November 2023. Councillor Terry James was elected as mayor on 22 November 2023.

Current composition

The current council, elected in 2024, is:

Mayors

Past councillors

2008−present

Election results

2024