Cairns Regional Council, QLD

A world-renowned destination of choice for tourists, the Cairns Regional Council local government area of Queensland encompasses 1687 km2 of diverse landscape on a narrow coastal strip between the Great Dividing Range and the Coral Sea. The region is part of Australia’s Wet Tropics and framed by the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics rainforest to the west and north, and the Coral Sea and World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to the east. Cairns was officially founded in 1876 and named after the State Governor of the day, Sir William Wellington Cairns. The small community of Cairns that was formally declared a town in 1903 with a registered population of 3500 bears little resemblance to today’s thriving city of 165,000. CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL, QLD AT A GLANCE CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL, QUEENSLAND WHAT: Local government area; approx. population 165,000 WHERE: Far North Queensland abutting Great Barrier Reef WEBSITE: www.cairns.qld.gov.au Visioning for the future