Our Region

The Tropical North

The ‘Tropical North’ also encompassing the Torres Strait Islands, experiences a summer monsoon (wet season) from November to April, followed by a lower rainfall winter and early summer dry season from May to October. It is home to two World Heritage listed areas – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest and is the only region to have an international border.

Far North Queensland Local Government Areas

Region Details

  • Total area of 273,157.4 square kilometres covering 15.8% of Queensland’s land mass
  • Estimated population of 303,102* people with 58% living in the Cairns urban area, 32% in the Douglas/Cassowary Coast and Tablelands area and only 10% in the Gulf, Cape and Torres area. The population is expected to grow to over 467,000 by the year 2050.
  • More than 60 Traditional Owner Groups and one of the highest indigenous populations at about 14%, or 57,929 people.

*303,102 population – Estimated Resident Population, Far North Queensland region, June
2024 (ABS / QGSO).

Economy

  • Participation rate: 67.2% / Unemployment: 4.6%*
  • Key Industries: tourism, agriculture, mining, health, education, marine, aviation and construction.
  • Current Gross Regional Product (GRP) is estimated at $19.964 billion.**
  • 26,654 businesses***: 737 medium size companies and 21
    large size companies with the bulk being small business at 97 percent.

* Modelled regional labour force – Cairns SA4, July 2026; Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, Australia, released 20 August 2026

** NIEIR, June 2025

*** ABS 2024