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An hour's drive south of Townsville, you can discover the friendly residents and laid-back atmosphere of the Burdekin. The Burdekin district is the sugar capital of Australia and is one of the most prosperous rural communities in the country. The shire's two main towns of Ayr and Home Hill make great stopover points, with their tree-lined main streets, ease of parking, great cafes and restaurants, host of specialty stores, shady parks and excellent public amenities.
Ayr and Home Hill lie just 12km apart and are linked by the landmark Burdekin River Bridge. Also known as the Silver Link, the 1103 metre bridge is the longest of its type in Australia. Although it took hundreds of men 10 years to build, not a single life was lost in the construction.
The Burdekin is becoming more and more famous for its wealth of water. Local farms are drought-proof because of the mighty Burdekin River, the huge reserves of the Burdekin Falls Dam and a massive underground aquifer which lies just 10 metres below the surface. This 'liquid gold' allows Burdekin farmers to produce the biggest and sweetest sugar cane in Australia, as well as mangoes, melons, capsicums, zucchinis, tomatoes and many other small crops.
By far the district's greatest claim to fame is its fishing. The Burdekin is well-known for its barramundi, mudcrabs, other estuary species and off-coast reef fishing. The district has one of the highest rates of boat ownership per head of population and many locals have fishing huts at Ocean Creek, Plantation Creek, Groper Creek or Wunjunga.
The Burdekin Shire Council covers an area of approximately 5,053 square kilometres and is bordered by Townsville and Thuringowa City Councils to the north, Dalrymple Shire Council to the west and Bowen Shire Council to the south.
The Shire has an estimated resident population of approximately 18,500 as at the 2001 census and is categorised as a Rural Agricultural Very Large (RAV) Local Authority under the Australian classification of Local Governments.
The Council has its origins back in 1888 when the Ayr Divisional Board was formed. On 1st April, 1903 all Divisions became Shires under the Local Authorities' Act of 1902 and the Council of the Shire of Ayr was created. In 1982 the name was changed to Council of the Shire of Burdekin to more accurately reflect the geographic area covered by the Council.
The Council plays an important role in improving the liveability of our community by providing many of the services and facilities used every day. Councils are set up by State legislation. In Queensland their powers come mainly from the Local Government Act that is administered by the Department of Local Government and Planning.
BurdekinSC
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