Woorabinda

About Woorabinda

Location

Woorabinda is located in Central Queensland, 170km south-west of Rockhampton and 65km south of Duaringa. Woorabinda is situated on the traditional lands of the Wadja (Wad-ja) and Gungaloo (Gun-ga-loo) Aboriginal peoples.

Languages

Woorabinda residents speak English with some speaking both English and an Aboriginal language. Aboriginal English is used in the community so assistance may still be required for complainants, witnesses, victims and offenders who come before the courts.

History of Woorabinda

• read the recent history of Woorabinda

Woorabinda facts and figures

Key social indicators from the 2016 Census for the Woorabinda community include:

• 16.2% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 years and over had completed year 12 or equivalent
• 28.8% of households with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were overcrowded.

The following figures are from the 2011 Census and will be updated later in 2017:

• 52.9% of dependent children in families with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were from jobless families
• 31.8% unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 to 64 years
• 35.8% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 to 64 years worked in the Health care and social assistance industry.

For more 2011 and 2016 census information on education, employment, income, housing figures and more, build a statistical profile for Woorabinda on Know Your Community.

Native title information

Search for native title information on the National Native Title Tribunal website. 

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Visiting Woorabinda

Getting to Woorabinda

Woorabinda is about 700km north west of Brisbane via the Warrego Highway to Miles then north on the Leichhardt Highway. There is an air strip at Woorabinda that accommodates restricted plane sizes. The nearest airport is Rockhampton, and Woorabinda is 178 km from Rockhampton airport. It takes about 2 hours 20 minutes to drive to Woorabinda from the airport.

Seasonal considerations

There are no specific seasonal considerations for Woorabinda.

Alcohol restrictions

Alcohol restrictions apply on Woorabinda.

Local government

Search the local government directory for information about the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council.

Who to contact if you have questions about your visit

Program Manager (Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships)

Phone:  07 4938 4690 

Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council

Phone: 07 4925 9800
Fax: 07 4925 9849
Email: reception[at]woorabinda.qld.gov.au

Sorry business

A death in Woorabinda impacts the entire community. On the day of the funeral it is considered disrespectful to conduct business and/or outdoor type activities in Woorabinda. Essential services such as policing, health, education and justice continue throughout this period.

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Community justice group

The role of the Community Justice Group (CJG) is  to ensure that clients of the service are given appropriate cultural support for Court matters. The CJG also provides cultural reports to the courts at sentencing and bail applications; assistance to the courts in managing community-based offences and networking to implement crime prevention initiatives. 

Members of the CJG work closely with a number of justice agencies including the Queensland Magistrates Court, Department of Corrective Services, Queensland Police Service, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service. The CJG assists in supporting the community’s understanding of and access to the justice system by working in conjunction with Murri Courts, the JP Magistrates Program, Shire Council by-laws and victim support agencies.

Key ways in which the CJG is able to assist the community and the courts include:

• preparation and presentation of written and oral sentencing submissions to the court
• defendant support and referral (including court support)
• victim support and referral (including court support)
• support for debtors wishing to access the State Penalties and Enforcement Registry (SPER)
• participation in community consultations relevant to the CJG’s role within the criminal justice sector.

The local CJG is:

Woorabinda Community Justice Group
c/- Post Office, Woorabinda, 4713

Contact:

Coordinator: Ms Davina Tilberoo
Chair: Vincent Ghilotti
Mayor: Shane Wilkie

Phone: 07 4913 2600 or 0498 525 644
Email: coordinatorwcjg[at]gmail.com or wcjgcoordinator[at]gmail.com

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Community services

Use the Queensland Government's one place service directory to find up-to-date contact information for local support services including:

• legal advice and support groups
• youth justice and support groups
• domestic and family violence support
• drug and alcohol services
• mens' and women's groups
• accident, emergency and medical services.

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More information

• Equal Treatment Benchbook (Supreme Court Library Queensland)
• Information about the development of the justice resources.

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