Dalby, Queensland

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Dalby Town Council
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Geography
State:	Queensland
Region:	Darling Downs
Area:	47.8 km²
Council seat:	Dalby
Demographics
Population:	10,215 (2004)
- Density:	213.2 / km²
Born in Australia:	95.2 %
Indigenous Australian origin:	6.0 %
Government
Dalby Town Council http://www.dalby.qld.gov.au/
Mayor:	Warwick Geisel
Deputy Mayor:	Barry O'Shea
Federal electorates:	Maranoa
State electorates:	Darling Downs

Dalby is a town and Local Government Area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately 210 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane at the junction of the Warrego, Moonie and Bunya Highways.

Dalby is the administrative centre of the Wambo Shire, and local government for the town is provided by the Dalby Town Council. It is estimated the town population is around 12,000 but is expected to double within 5 years.^{[citation needed]} Wambo Shire's population is estimated at a little over 15,000.

The name of the town is believed to come from the town of Dalby, Isle of Man and reflects immigration from the Isle of Man in the mid nineteenth century.^[1]

1 Industry
2 Development
3 Sister City
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Industry

Industry in Dalby include light engineering, mining (coal) and fuels (ethanol). Dalby is also the centre of a diverse and productive agricultural centre with rich black soil allowing the production of crops such as wheat, cotton and sorghum. Livestock raising including pigs, cattle and sheep is also popular. Two cotton gins are situated in the town.

The local area is also developing an energy based economy with a large coal fired power station and a number of coal mines and natural gas bores being established just to the west of Dalby.

Approximately 50km west of Dalby is the Kogan Creek Power Project. This A$1.2 billion project is a 750 megawatt coal fired power station, with adjacent coal mine being developed at Kogan. The small town of Kogan is roughly equidistant between Dalby, Chinchilla, and Tara. The Kogan Creek Power Station will be commissioned in September 2007, delivering electricity to the national grid.

The Kogan Creek Power Station will be the largest single generating unit in Australia. It will operate as a base load station, generating electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.^[2]

Dalby is also to be the site of the first dry mill grain-to-ethanol plant constructed in Australia (the first plant built specifically for the production of ethanol for fuel since the Second World War).^[3]

[edit] Development

The redevelopment of Dalby Central Shopping Center (to-be-Dalby Shoppingworld) will include the already existing Woolworths, Big W, Muffin Break, Wendy's and 45 currently unspecified specialty shops. It will include 400-500 underground carparks + 1st level parking and a 400 seat food court. It is expected to be completed before August 2006.

Other developments within the town include a new Aquatic Center, probably to be built near the local PCYC (in which has one of the highest membership bases in the state) which will include a heated 50 metre lap pool, 25 metre recreational pool, gym, hydrotherapy sessions and water slides.

Dalby's Water Treatment Plant is renowned for its state of the art reverse osmosis plant, and the plant will soon have a second RO plant to cater for the towns increasing needs. Dalby Town has also made a ground breaking deal with nearby gas companies, by taking water from gas fields. It has been noted that the town will have a definite water supply for at least another 30 years (also taking into account demographic trends).

Dalby's population has been increasing rapidly recently with many new estates created and subdivisions made. Some notable new estates include Sunnyside Estate, Heritage Gardens, Callistemon Park and a new estate on the Warrego Highway side of Sandalwood.