City of Queanbeyan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Queanbeyan New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Population	40,568 (2013 est)
• Density	235.9/km2 (611/sq mi)
Abolished	12 May 2016 (2016-05-12)
Area	172 km2 (66.4 sq mi)
Last Mayor	Tim Overall
Council seat	Queanbeyan
Region	Southern Tablelands
State electorate(s)	Monaro
Federal Division(s)	Eden-Monaro
Website	City of Queanbeyan
LGAs around City of Queanbeyan: ACT ACT Palerang ACT City of Queanbeyan Palerang ACT Palerang Palerang

Queanbeyan City was a special area in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, managed by its own local government. It was located right next to Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. The area was also near the Queanbeyan River, the Molonglo River, the Kings Highway, and the railway line connecting Sydney to Canberra.

On 12 May 2016, the government decided to close down Queanbeyan City's local council. It was then combined with the Palerang Council to create a new, larger council called the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. The last person to be the mayor of Queanbeyan City Council was Tim Overall, who was an independent politician.

What Was in Queanbeyan City?

The Queanbeyan City Council area included several suburbs and villages. These places were part of the local government area before it merged with Palerang.

In 1998, the Queanbeyan Council tried to get some new places like Letchworth and Larmer officially named as suburbs. However, these names were later removed.

How the Council Worked

Former Queanbeyan City Council Chambers in Crawford Street (December 2011)

A local council is a group of people elected by the community to make decisions about local services. These services include things like roads, parks, libraries, and rubbish collection.

Who Was on the Council?

Before it was dissolved, the Queanbeyan City Council had ten members, called councillors. One of these councillors was the mayor, who was chosen directly by the voters. The other nine councillors were elected to represent the whole area. They served for a set period of four years.

The last council, which was elected in 2012, had a mix of independent councillors and members from political parties. Most councillors were independent, meaning they didn't belong to a major political party.

Why Did the Council Merge?

In 2015, there was a review of how local government areas in New South Wales were set up. This review suggested that smaller councils, like Queanbeyan City Council, should combine with nearby councils to create larger, more efficient ones.

The government looked at a few ideas. One idea was to merge Queanbeyan Council with parts of the Palerang Council. Another idea, suggested by Palerang Council, was to merge all of Palerang with Queanbeyan Council.

Finally, on 12 May 2016, the government decided to merge Queanbeyan City Council with the entire Palerang Council. This created the new Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. This change happened right away.

Images for kids

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  Location of Queanbeyan City in New South Wales