Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Saturday 15 January 1949, page 4


BIGGER SHIRES OPERATE SOON

THE biggest plan for the creation of larger cities and re-distribution of local authorities in Queensland since Greater Brisbane was constituted in 1924 will be in

operation by March. It will affect 100,000 people. The first — the South Coast amalgamation scheme — has al-ready been approved by the Government and will be effec-tive from the local authority elections in May. It reduces local areas from 10 to four — town of South Coast, Albert, Beaudesert. and Redlands Shires. State Cabinet, probably on Tuesday week, is expected to approve the scheme tor the creation of a Greater Ips-wich and the grouping of surrounding shires. The Ipswich area will be increased from 12¼ square miles to to 30 square miles by taking in townships along the BrisbaneIpswich railway line down to the Greater Brisbane border at Goodna and townships east and south of Ipswich. Toowoomba also The present five local gov-ernment areas will be reduced to three, one being the City of Ipswich. Another will be a rural shire round Ipswich, which will in-clude Moreton and Rosewood shires, and part of Normanby, and the third will also 'be a rural shire round Boonah which will include Boonah and part of Normanby Shire. A third scheme provides for considerably increasing the city of Toowoomba's areas, which now is 18½ square miles, by taking in parts of surrounding shires.