Lockyer Valley Region

The Lockyer Valley Region is a local government area (LGA) in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia. The region is located between the cities of Ipswich and Toowoomba, and is bordered by the Somerset and Southern Downs regions to the north and south, respectively. Lockyer Valley was created in 2008 from a merger of the former shires of Gatton and Laidley. The Lockyer Valley Regional Council has an estimated operating budget of A$35m.^{[citation needed]}

The region is named after the British soldier and explorer Major Edmund Lockyer (1784–1860) who surveyed the Brisbane River for approximately 150 miles on the instructions of the Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane.^{[citation needed]}

Prior to European settlement, the Lockyer Valley region was home to the Kitabul Aboriginal people.^{[citation needed]}

Tarampa Division, as it was then known, was created on 15 January 1880 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879, with its first board meeting being held on 20 February 1880. On 25 April 1888, the Laidley district broke away and separately incorporated as the Laidley Division, and later on 25 January 1890, the Forest Hill area moved from Tarampa to Laidley.^[2] On 1 July 1902, the town of Laidley was created as a separate municipality with its own Borough Council.^{[citation needed]}

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, the borough and divisions became a town and shires respectively on 31 March 1903. The town council was dissolved on 8 February 1917, and Laidley absorbed part of the Shire of Rosewood.^{[citation needed]}

On 3 September 1938, Tarampa was renamed the Shire of Gatton.^[3] On 19 March 1949, it grew to incorporate parts of the former Shires of Drayton and Highfields, while losing some of its original area to the City of Toowoomba and Shire of Crows Nest.^[4]

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Gatton and Laidley amalgamate, uniting the major farming, cropping and horticultural production area of South East Queensland under one local authority. While both councils opposed the amalgamation, they identified each other as preferred partners if it had to go ahead.^[5] On 15 March 2008, the two Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect six councillors and a mayor to the Lockyer Valley Regional Council.^[5]

After the deadly 2010–11 Queensland floods, which destroyed the town of Grantham, the council responded quickly to relocate the town to non-flood prone land.^[6] The council purchased freehold land adjoining the existing town for the voluntary resettlement of eligible residents.^[6] To speed the recovery process normal land use planning procedures were dropped although there was a public consultation period. Support from the state government was muted, partly because the new urban development was contrary to the South East Queensland Regional Plan.^{[citation needed]}

The council has also responded to floods by installing a network of cameras around the region which can be viewed by members of the public on a web page.^[7]