About CHDC

CHDC Inception

The Central Highlands Development Corporation was formed in July 1997 and initially represented the four regional shires of Emerald, Peak Downs, Bauhinia and Jericho. In July 2005 the shire of Duaringa became a local Government member. In March 2008 in response to local Government amalgamations in Queensland the newly formed Central Highlands Regional Council became the sole local Government member of the Central Highlands Development Corporation. The Central Highlands Development Corporation is a limited liability company (limited by guarantee), which is incorporated under the corporations law.

The Central Highlands Region

The Central Highlands region is located in Central Queensland and includes the major townships of Emerald, Springsure, Rolleston, Duaringa, Blackwater, Capella, Tieri and the Sapphire Gemfields. The region covers a significant section of the Bowen Basin, an area of coal reserves and mining related communities that extends over approximately 60 000 square kilometers of Central Queensland. This is the largest coal reserve in Australia, extracting over 100 million tonnes annually and representing Queensland’s most important export commodity.
The Central Highlands is rich in mineral and agriculture, and boasts the largest sapphire producing fields in the Southern Hemisphere. The region produces cattle, cotton, grain, citrus and more recently table grapes, thanks to irrigation from water storage on the Nogoa and Comet rivers. The Central Highlands region contains major freight routes, including the north-south link between Charters Towers and northern New South Wales which has been identified as an inland alternative between Cairns and Melbourne.

Please visit the CHDC Board web page to view our current board members.