South East Queensland

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).

Definitions

Geographical/Scientific

The physical geographical/scientific definition of South East Queensland is the coastal river basins from the New South Wales border to the Mary River catchment. The western boundary is by definition, the Great Dividing Range water shed, the continental divide.

Political

The term South East Queensland has no political meaning. The area covers many lower house seats at the federal and state levels. As Queensland has no upper house, there are no Legislative Council provinces or regions to bear the name either, unlike say, Western Victoria which is a political entity.

Administrative

The confusion in what exactly is in South East Queensland is due to its many administrative uses, both state and federal. The uses seldom match the geographical definition. Often they extend far beyond the geographical definition.

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. 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.

Regions / Local Government Areas

South East Queensland generally consists of the following regions, each of which is also a local government area (LGA):

• 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:
  • Ipswich City - an outer-suburban city with an industrial and mining heritage west of Brisbane.
  • Logan City - a largely residential area between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
  • Moreton Bay Region - a largely residential area between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
  • Redland City - a residential and agricultural area on the shores of Moreton Bay to the south-east of Brisbane.
• Gold Coast City - a major tourist and retirement destination to the south of Brisbane, and the largest non-capital city in Australia.
• Sunshine Coast Region - a coastal tourist and agricultural region to the north of Brisbane. The Glass House Mountains are a symbol of this region.
• West Moreton, a rural area in the Great Dividing Range consisting of:
  • Lockyer Valley Region - an agricultural area west of Ipswich, known for its fruit and vegetable production.
  • Scenic Rim Region - a pastoral area inland from the Gold Coast known for its scenic mountains and villages.
  • Somerset Region - 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.

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.

Airports

• Brisbane Airport - The major international gateway to the region offering services direct to California, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.
• Gold Coast Airport - The second major gateway is one of Australia's fastest growing airport offering services to Japan, Malaysia and New Zealand.
• Sunshine Coast Airport - A domestic airport offering services to Sydney and Melbourne.
• Archerfield Airport - a general aviation airport located approximately 11 km south of the Brisbane CBD.
• Redcliffe Airport - a general aviation airport located on the Redcliffe Peninsula approximately 28 km from the Brisbane CBD.
• RAAF Base Amberley - the largest operational base of the air force in Australia located in south-western Ipswich approximately 50 km from the Brisbane CBD.

Immigration and Population growth

South East Queensland is the fastest growing region in Australia, fuelled principally by migration from the southern states. Vorlage:Citation needed The region has experienced significant population growth over the last two decades, growing on average by 55,000 to 80,000 people a year since 1986. Vorlage:Citation needed This growth equates to 1,000 new arrivals in the region every week. Vorlage:Citation needed South East Queensland is expected to be home to 4.4 million by 2031.

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. The regional plan covers the period from 2009–2031 and 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.

Environment

South-East Queensland from the Landsat 7 satellite

South East Queensland includes the following regional cities:

• Brisbane, Queensland's capital and largest city
• Gold Coast, Queensland's premier tourist destination and surfing mecca to the south of Brisbane.
• Sunshine Coast, another major tourist area to the north of Brisbane.
• Ipswich, Queensland's oldest provincial city and industrial centre to Brisbane's south-west.
• Logan, a city between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, mostly residential with some light industry.

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 Tweed).

See also

• Regions of Queensland
• South East Queensland Regional Plan
• South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program
• The 200 Kilometre City
• South East Queensland Wikibook
• Shopping Centres in South East Queensland

External links

• SEQ History South East Queensland History
• South East Queensland Council of Mayors.
• Live weather for the Moreton Bay Region of South East Queensland