The Mackay Region is a local government area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with modern histories extending back as far as 1869.

It has an estimated operating budget of A$118 million.

In the , the Mackay Region had a population of 121,691 people.

History Yuwibara (also known as Yuibera, Yuri, Juipera, Yuwiburra) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwibara country. It is closely related to the Biri languages/dialects. The Yuwibara language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Mackay Region.

Prior to 2008, the Mackay Region was an entire area of three previous and distinct local government areas:

the City of Mackay; the Shire of Mirani; and, the Shire of Sarina.

The city had its beginning in the Mackay Municipality which was proclaimed on 22 September 1869 under the Municipal Institutions Act 1864.28 Vic No. 21 (Imp) Its first mayor was David Dalrymple, and the council first met on 1 December 1869. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Mackay became a Town on 31 March 1903, and was ultimately proclaimed a City on 17 August 1918.

On 11 December 1879, the Pioneer Division came into being as one of Queensland's 74 divisions created under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 on 11 November 1879, chaired by John Ewen Davidson. On 31 March 1903, Pioneer became a Shire. Two areas split away from it over the next decade; the Shire of Sarina on 1 January 1912, and the Shire of Mirani on 4 September 1913.

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 Mackay area be rationalised. The Local Government (Mackay and Pioneer) Regulation 1993 was gazetted on 17 December 1993, and on 30 March 1994, the two amalgamated into a larger City of Mackay, which first met on 8 April 1994.

Mackay Region In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released a report making recommendations for statewide reform of local government boundaries, and recommended that the three areas of Mackay, Mirani and Sarina amalgamate, due mainly to Mackay's role as a regional centre and all three shires' involvement in sugar production. The City of Mackay endorsed the suggestion, but the two shires proposed alternative options. In the end, the commission's proposal was unchanged. 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.

Mayors

2000–present: Gregory Roy Williamson

Council

Mackay Regional Council is unsubdivided, meaning it does not have any wards. The mayor is directly-elected.

The incumbent mayor, Greg Williamson, formed the Greg Williamson Alliance ahead of the 2016 election, with six members of the group re-elected in 2020.

In 2023, four councillors left the group, and in 2024 Team Greg Williamson was formed with the stated aim of "creat[ing] a progressive, modern council".

Current composition The current council, elected in 2024, is: PositionCouncillorParty Mayor  Greg Williamson Team Greg Williamson Councillor  Karen May Team Greg Williamson  Martin Bella Independent  Anne Baker Independent Labor  Namarca Corowa Mackay First  Peter Sheedy Independent  Belinda Hassan Independent Labor  Allison Jones Independent Labor  Ash-Lee Johnson Team Greg Williamson  Nathenea MacRae Mackay First  Heath Paton Mackay First

Past councillors

2020−present YearCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillor 2020  Karen May (Williamson Alliance/Team Williamson)  Martin Bella (Ind/Ind. LNP/Ind)  Laurence Bonaventura (Ind.)  Justin Englert (Williamson Alliance/Ind.)  Michelle Green (Williamson Alliance/Team Williamson)  Belinda Hassan (Williamson Alliance/Ind. Labor)  Alison Jones (Ind.)  Fran Mann (Williamson Alliance/Ind. Labor)  Russell Seymour (Ind.)  Pauline Townsend (Williamson Alliance/Ind.) 2021  2022  2023     2024   2024  George Christensen (Mackay First)  Namarca Corowa (Mackay First)  Peter Sheedy (Ind.)  Ash-Lee Johnson (Team Williamson)  Nathenea MacRae (Mackay First)  Heath Paton (Mackay First)

Election results

2024

Settlements The Mackay Region includes the following settlements:

Suburbs Inner suburbs: East Mackay Mackay (city centre and CBD) North Mackay South Mackay West Mackay Outer suburbs: Andergrove Beaconsfield Blacks Beach Bucasia Cremorne Dolphin Heads Eimeo Erakala Foulden Glenella Mackay Harbour Mount Pleasant Nindaroo Ooralea Paget Racecourse Richmond Rural View Shoal Point Slade Point Te Kowai

Towns Bakers Creek Ball Bay Brampton Island Calen Farleigh Hampden Kuttabul Laguna Quays Lindeman Island McEwens Beach Midge Point Mount Ossa Oakenden Pindi Pindi Seaforth St Helens Beach Walkerston

Localities Alexandra Balberra Balnagowan Belmunda Bloomsbury Chelona Dumbleton Dunnrock Greenmount Habana Homebush Mentmore Mount Charlton Mount Pelion Palmyra Pleystowe Rosella Sandiford Sunnyside The Leap Victoria Plains Yalboroo

National Parks Cape Hillsborough NP Eungella NP Mount Jukes NP Mount Martin NP Mount Ossa NP Pioneer Peaks NP Reliance Creek NP

Mirani area Benholme (village) Brightly (locality) Crediton (village) Dalrymple Heights (village) Dows Creek (town) Eton (town) Eungella (village) Eungella Dam (locality) Finch Hatton (town) Gargett (town) Hazledean (village) Kinchant Dam (locality) Marian (town) Mirani (town) Mia Mia (village) Mount Martin (village) Netherdale (village) North Eton (locality) Owens Creek (village) Pinevale (village) Pinnacle (locality) Septimus (town)

Sarina area Alligator Creek (town) Armstrong Beach (town) Campwin Beach (town) Freshwater Point (town) Grasstree Beach (town) Half Tide (town) Hay Point (town) Koumala (town) Munbura (village) Sarina (town) Sarina Beach (town) Sarina Range (locality)

Demographics The population figures for each of the predecessor local government areas prior to the 2008 amalgamation:

Year Total Region Mackay Pioneer Mirani Sarina 1933 28,124 10,665 9,926 4,412 3,121 1947 32,947 13,486 11,606 4,587 3,268 1954 37,924 14,762 14,316 5,056 3,790 1961 41,196 16,809 15,741 4,760 3,886 1966 48,580 18,640 19,900 5,379 4,611 1971 51,903 19,148 22,561 4,772 5,422 1976 57,903 20,224 26,938 4,889 5,852 1981 66,057 20,664 33,732 4,739 6,922 1986 70,674 22,199 36,084 4,854 7,537 1991 76,372 23,052 40,614 4,625 8,081 1996 86,376 71,894 5,088 9,394 2001 89,877 75,020 5,220 9,637 2006 101,525 85,450 5,406 10,720

The estimated population figures (official census population figures are in bold) for the amalgamated Mackay Region from 2008.

Year Total Region Population Change Since Previous Year % Change Since Previous Year 2008 108,644 2009 111,455 2010 113,699 2011 112,798 2011 Census QuickStats: Mackay (R) Australian Bureau of Statistics 28th March 2013 2012 117,603 2013 119,076 2014 119,272 2015 118,771 2016 114,969 2017 116,601 2018 116,514 Mackay Economic Profile 2018 Mackay Regional Council 2018 2019 116,761 2020 117,902 2021 121,691 Services The Mackay Regional Council operates libraries in Mackay, Mount Pleasant, Walkerston, Sarina and Mirani. A mobile library service visits the following districts on a fortnightly schedule: Yalboroo, Bloomsbury, Midge Point, Ball Bay, Seaforth, Koumala, Swayneville, Hay Point, St Helens Beach, Calen, Shoal Point, Oakenden, Habana, Blacks Beach, Slade Point, Hampden, Marian, Gargett, Finch Hatton, Homebush, Chelona, McEwens Beach and Bucasia.

References

External links