South East Queensland (SEQ) is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population. The SEQ region covers 22,420 square kilometres and incorporates ten Local Government Areas, extending 240 km from Noosa in the north to the Gold Coast and New South Wales border in the south (some sources include Tweed Heads (NSW) which is contiguous as an urban area with Brisbane/Gold Coast), and 140 km west to Toowoomba (not officially part of SEQ).
Demographics
As of 2007 the population of South East Queensland is estimated to be approximately 2.77 million, meaning that one in eight Australians call the region home. [2] The regional population is heavily urbanised and concentrated along the coast. The three largest population centres of Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast account for 90 per cent of the region's population.[3]
Regions
South East Queensland generally consists of the following regions:
- Brisbane - the capital and largest city of Queensland. The Brisbane metropolitan area consists of the City of Brisbane, as well as the following local governments:
- Gold Coast - a major tourist and retirement destination to the south of Brisbane, and the largest non-capital city in Australia.
- Sunshine Coast - a coastal tourist and agricultural region to the north of Brisbane. The Glass House Mountains are a symbol of this region.
- Lockyer Valley - an agricultural area west of Ipswich, known for its fruit and vegetable production.
- Scenic Rim - a pastoral area inland from the Gold Coast known for its scenic mountains and villages.
- Somerset Regional Council - a pastoral area north west of Brisbane and location of two major dams supplying South East Queensland with water. This area is also known as the Brisbane Valley.
- Toowoomba - The Garden City of Australia
Airports
Immigration and Population Growth
South East Queensland is the fastest growing region in Australia, fuelled principally by migration from the southern states.citation needed The region has experienced significant population growth over the last two decades, growing on average by 55,000 to 80,000 persons a year since 1986.citation needed This growth equates to 1000 new arrivals to the region every week.citation needed South East Queensland is expected to be home to four million by 2026. [2]
Regional Planning
South East Queensland's future development will be heavily based on the South East Queensland Regional Plan, released by the Queensland state government in 2005[4]. The regional plan covers the period from 2005 - 2026, with a formal review scheduled for 2010. The plan focuses on slowing development along the coast, in order to prevent creating a 200 km city, and instead aim for growth in the west, in particular around Springfield and Beaudesert[4].
Environment
South-East Queensland from the Landsat 7 satellite
South East Queensland includes the following regional centres:
Predominantly rural landscapes lie to the west of the urbanised coastal centres. The Lockyer Valley, a major agricultural area referred to as "South East Queensland's Salad Bowl", lies outside Brisbane. Many World Heritage listed rainforests are located along the region's southern border ranges, an area known as the Scenic Rim, such as Lamington National Park and Main Range National Park.
The economy of South East Queensland supports and relies on a wide diversity of agricultural manufacturing industries, commerce and tourism.
The region has an integrated public transport system, TransLink (excludes Toowoomba and Tweed).
Local Government Areas
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Local Government Areas in South East Queensland |
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- Please note: Toowoomba is sometimes excluded from South East Queensland
- Please also note: Tweed is actually within NSW but is often included in planning processes for SEQ. While not officially part of the TransLink public transport network, Surfside Buses run a seamless service across the border that appears to passengers as though it is integrated.
See also
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics Cat. No. 3218.0: Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2006-7. Preliminary population estimates for local government areas, 2007. Local government areas included in the calculation of the South East Queensland population are: Beaudesert Shire Council, Boonah Shire Council, Brisbane City Council, Caboolture Shire Council, Caloundra City Council, Esk Shire Council, Gatton Shire Council, Gold Coast City Council, Ipswich City Council, Kilcoy Shire Council, Laidley Shire Council, Logan City Council, Maroochy Shire Council, Noosa Shire Council, Pine Rivers Shire Council, Redcliffe City Council and Redland Shire Council.
- ^ a b South East Queensland - Department of Infrastructure and Planning
- ^ South East Queensland Regional Plan - Part B: Growth management. URL accessed on 21-1-07.
- ^ a b http://www.oum.qld.gov.au/?id=241 South East Queensland Regional Plan
External links
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