Location

The Fraser Coast Regional Council area is located in the Wide Bay Burnett Region of south-east Queensland, about 250 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD. The Fraser Coast Regional Council area is bounded by the Coral Sea in the north and east, the Gympie Regional Council area in the south, and the North Burnett Regional Council area and the Bundaberg Regional Council area in the west.

Included Areas

The Fraser Coast Regional Council area includes the localities of Aldershot, Antigua, Aramara, Bauple, Bauple Forest, Beaver Rock, Beelbi Creek, Bidwill, Boompa, Boonooroo, Boonooroo Plains, Booral, Brooweena, Bunya Creek, Burgowan, Burrum Heads, Burrum River, Burrum Town, Calgoa, Cherwell, Craignish, Duckinwilla, Doongul, Dundathu, Dundowran, Dundowran Beach, Dunmora, Eli Waters, Eurong, Ferney, Fraser Island, Gigoomgan, Glenbar, Glenorchy, Glenwood (part), Gootchie, Grahams Creek, Granville, Great Sandy Strait, Gunalda (part), Gundiah, Gungaloon, Howard, Island Plantation, Kanigan (part), Kawungan, Maaroom, Magnolia, Malarga, Marodian, Maryborough, Maryborough West, Miva (part), Mount Urah, Mungar, Munna Creek (part), Neerdie (part), Netherby, Nikenbah, North Aramara, Oakhurst, Owanyilla, Pacific Haven, Paterson, Pialba, Pilerwa, Pioneers Rest, Point Vernon, Poona, Prawle, River Heads, Scarness, St Helens, St Mary, Sunshine Acres, Susan River, Takura, Talegalla Weir, Tandora, Teddington, Teebar, The Dimonds, Theebine (part), Thinoomba, Tiaro, Tin Can Bay (part), Tinana, Tinana South, Tinnanbar, Toogoom, Toolara Forest (part), Torbanlea, Torquay, Tuan, Tuan Forest (part), Urangan, Urraween, Walkers Point, Walliebum, Walligan, Wondunna, Woocoo, Yengarie and Yerra.

Land Use

The Fraser Coast Regional Council area encompasses rural areas and growing rural-residential and residential areas, with some commercial and industrial land uses. The main urban centres are Hervey Bay and Maryborough, with numerous smaller townships and villages. The Fraser Coast Regional Council area encompasses a total land area of about 7,100 square kilometres, including national parks and state forests. Rural land is used largely for cattle grazing, sugar cane growing and timber production. Tourism is also an important industry.

Name Origin

Fraser Coast Regional Council is named after Fraser Island and the Cooloola Coast.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the Fraser Coast Regional Council area were the Butchulla Aboriginal people.

Settlement

European settlement dates from the 1840s, with land used mainly for timber-getting, grazing, farming and mining. Population was minimal until the late 1800s, spurred by the opening of the railway line and growth in the sugar cane industry. Significant residential development did not occur until the 1950s, aided by tourism. Substantial growth occurred during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in and around the townships of Hervey Bay and Maryborough. The population of the Council area increased from about 60,000 in 1991 to nearly 105,000 in 2016. The bulk of growth since the 1990s has been in Hervey Bay, with some growth in the northern and southern rural areas. Population growth is expected to continue.

Major Features

Major features of the Council area include Fraser Island, Burrum Coast National Park, Great Sandy National Park, Poona National Park, Mount Walsh National Park, Mt Bauple National Park (Scientific), Wide Bay Military Training Area, Reef World Aquarium, Maryborough Portside, Fraser Coast Cultural Centre, Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, University of Southern Queensland (Fraser Coast Campus), TAFE Queensland East Coast (Fraser Coast and Maryborough Campuses), Hervey Bay Hospital, Maryborough Hospital, Hervey Bay Aquatic Centre, Maryborough Aquatic Centre, WetSide Water Education Park, Wongi Waterholes, Lake Lenthall, Bauple Museum, Brennan & Geraghty’s Store Museum, Brooweena Historical Village Museum, Burrum District Museum, Hervey Bay Historical Village & Museum, Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum, Mavis Bank Historic House Museum, Wide Bay Hospitals Museum, the Hervey Bay CBD, the Maryborough CBD, Fraser Island Ferry and Barges, whale watching tours, the Great Sandy Strait, the Mary River, various beaches and numerous state forests.

Transport

The Fraser Coast Regional Council area is served by the Bruce Highway, Fraser Coast Airport (Hervey Bay and Maryborough) and the Tilt Train.