History and Profile

Somerset Regional Council was formed on 15 March 2008 following an amalgamation of the Councils of Esk Shire and Kilcoy Shire.

The Council has a Mayor and six Councillors, each is elected by their constituents and serve a four-year term.

Please visit our Councillors Profiles page for more information about our current Mayor and Councillors.

The Somerset region is an hour west of Brisbane and is one of the fastest growing local government areas in southeast Queensland. Somerset has strong agricultural, environmental, heritage and tourism values. It contains important vegetation and forest, areas of high scenic and landscape amenity, and the key water catchments for southeast Queensland.

Somerset has an area of 5373sq km and includes five major townships: Esk, Fernvale, Kilcoy, Lowood and Toogoolawah. The region is home to approximately 25,000 people and is expected to grow to an estimated
34,500 by 2031.

Somerset's neighbouring local governments are Brisbane City, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Moreton Bay City, Ipswich City, Lockyer Valley, Gympie, and South Burnett.

Somerset Regional Council’s logo represents the region's two major dams, with the larger body of water representing Wivenhoe and the smaller body being Somerset. The overall design of the icon with the water flowing from Somerset to Wivenhoe creates the shape of an ‘S’, uniquely identifying Somerset Regional Council.

The previous Esk and Kilcoy Shire Councils had adopted floral and faunal emblems. The continued use of these emblems is symbolic, given that none of these emblems are reflected in the logo. On 19 December 2008 Council adopted the following emblems:

Floral:

• Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis)
• Native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum)

Fauna:

• Red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Deer were first introduced into Queensland in September 1873 when two stags and four hinds were released at Scrub Creek, Cressbrook Station. These deer were from Windsor Great Park and were a gift from Queen Victoria to the Acclimatisation Society of Queensland. Today, the descendants of the original release are well entrenched in the ranges of the Brisbane and Mary Valleys.

Somerset Regional Council covers the largest land area of all southeast Queensland Councils and currently has the smallest rate base. Despite the challenges, the region continues to develop in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner and will continue to attract new residents because of the community, lifestyle and amenity on offer.
 

Mayors

 

Dr Jason Wendt

2024 – Present Date

Jason Wendt was first elected as a Councillor for Somerset in March 2020 and in March 2024 was elected
Mayor. He has proudly called the Somerset region his home, together with his wife Laurisa and their three boys for more than two decades. Jason is a qualified vet who graduated with first class honours and has practiced since 1996. In his spare time, you will find him working on the land, in his tractor or the cattle yards across Somerset. In addition to his passion for animals, Jason is passionate about community and has actively been involved in the Fernvale Rural Fire Brigade for more than two decades, amongst other community roles. Jason is a progressive thinker who wants to empower the community to help create a sustainable future. He is an advocate for effective and well-thought-out development that balances the liveability of the Somerset region with its rural amenity.
 

 

Graeme Lehmann

2008 - 2024

Graeme was born and raised in the Somerset region and has always called this his home. He lives with his wife
Judy at Tarampa and together they have three daughters.

Graeme was passionate about representing the interests of the community and first became a Councillor in
1994. A decade after being in local government, Graeme was elected Mayor of the region. He proudly served in
local government for almost three decades.

Councillors