Location

The Bundaberg Regional Council area is located in the Wide Bay Burnett Region of south-east Queensland, about 350 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD. The Bundaberg Regional Council area is bounded by the Gladstone Regional Council area in the north, the Coral Sea in the east, the Fraser Coast Regional Council area in the south-east, and the North Burnett Regional Council area in the south-west and west.

Included Areas

The Bundaberg Regional Council area includes the suburbs and localities of Abbotsford, Abington, Alloway, Apple Tree Creek, Ashfield, Avenell Heights, Avoca, Avondale, Bargara, Boolboonda, Booyal, Branyan, Bucca, Bullyard, Bundaberg Central, Bundaberg East, Bundaberg North, Bundaberg South, Bundaberg West, Bungadoo, Burnett Heads, Buxton, Calavos, Childers, Coonarr, Coral Cove, Cordalba, Dalga, Dalysford, Damascus, Delan, Doolbi, Doughboy, Drinan, Duingal, Electra, Elliott, Elliott Heads, Eureka, Fairymead, Farnsfield, Gaeta, Gin Gin, Givelda, Gooburrum, Goodwood, Good Night (part), Gregory River, Horse Camp, Horton, Innes Park, Isis Central, Isis River, Kalkie, Kalpowar (part), Kensington, Kepnock, Kinkuna, Kolonga, Kullogum, Lake Monduran, Maroondan, McIlwraith, Meadowvale, Miara, Millbank, Molangul, Monduran, Mon Repos, Moolboolaman, Moore Park Beach, Moorland, Morganville, Mullett Creek, Nearum, New Moonta, North Gregory, North Isis, Norville, Oakwood, Pine Creek, Promised Land, Qunaba, Redhill Farms, Redridge, Rosedale (part), Rubyanna, Sharon, Skyring Reserve, South Bingera, South Isis, South Kolan, St Agnes, St Kilda, Svensson Heights, Takilberan, Thabeban, Tirroan, Walkervale, Wallaville, Watalgan, Waterloo, Welcome Creek, Windermere, Winfield, Wonbah, Wonbah Forest, Woodgate, Woongarra and Yandaran.

Land Use

The Bundaberg Regional Council area is predominantly rural, with a large township at Bundaberg, and small towns and villages at Bargara, Burnett Heads, Childers, Coral Cove, Elliott Heads, Gin Gin, Innes Park, Moore Park Beach and Woodgate. Rural land is used largely for forestry, agriculture and horticulture, particularly sugar cane, fruit and vegetable growing, and cattle grazing. Tourism is also an important industry, particularly along the coast, with the area being the southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The Bundaberg Regional Council area encompasses a total land area of about 6,450 square kilometres.

Name Origin

Bundaberg Regional Council is thought to be named from the Aboriginal word ‘bunda’ meaning ‘important man’, and the German suffix 'berg' meaning ‘mountain’.

Indigenous Meaning

Bundaberg Regional Council acknowledges the Traditional Country of the Taribelang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, and Bailai Peoples and recognises that this Country has always been and continues to be of cultural, spiritual, social and economic significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. We recognise the thousands of generations of continuous culture that have shaped this Country and the people on it. We pay respects to Elders, past and present.

Settlement

European settlement dates from 1847, although population was minimal until the late 1860s, with land used mainly for grazing, timber-getting and farming. The township of Bundaberg was laid out in 1870. Growth took place from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, aided by the opening of railway lines and the establishment of sugar cane growing. The population increased from under 21,000 in 1921 to about 29,000 in 1947. Post-war growth took place, with the population rising to 38,000 in 1961, and continuing to increase to about 43,000 in 1971, and then to 52,000 in 1981. Growth continued from the 1980s, with the population rising to about 64,000 in 1991, to 77,000 in 2001, and then to about 94,000 in 2016. Population growth is expected to continue.

Major Features

Major features of the Council area include Great Sandy Marine Park, Bingera National Park, Bulburin National Park, Burrum Coast National Park, Good Night Scrub National Park, Littabella National Park, Mon Repos Conservation Park, Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park, Mouth of Kolan River Conservation Park, Barubbra Island Regional Park, Bottle Creek Regional Park, Bullyard Regional Park, numerous state forests, Lake Monduran (Fred Haigh Dam), the Burnett River, the Elliott River, numerous beaches, Baldwin Swamp Environmental Park, Barolin Nature Reserve, Meadowvale Nature Park, Sharon Gorge Nature Park, Riverview Environmental Reserve, Russo Environmental Park, Vera Scarth-Johnson Wildflower Reserve, The Mystery Craters, Bundaberg Recreational Precinct, Bundaberg Super Park, Salter Oval, the Bundaberg CBD, Hinkler Central Shopping Centre, Stockland Bundaberg Shopping Centre, Bundaberg Hospital, Mater Hospital Bundaberg, Friendly Society Private Hospital, Childers Hospital, Gin Gin Hospital, Central Queensland University (Bundaberg Campus), TAFE Queensland East Coast (Bundaberg Campus), Mon Repos Turtle Centre, Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, Hinkler Hall of Aviation, Bundaberg Railway Museum, Childers Military Museum, The Old Pharmacy, Fairymead House & Sugar History Museum, Australian Sugar Cane Railway, Bundaberg Regional Galleries, Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, Amandine Lavender, Snakes Downunder Reptile Park & Zoo, Hill of Promise Winery, Ohana Winery and Exotic Fruits, Vintner’s Secret Vineyard, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, various golf clubs, Bundaberg Port Marina, Burnett Heads Lighthouse and various lookouts.

Transport

The Bundaberg Regional Council area is served by the Bruce Highway, the Isis Highway, Childers Road, Gin Gin Road, Bundaberg Regional Airport, the Port of Bundaberg, and the Spirit of Queensland, the Spirit of the Outback and the Tilt Train railway lines.