In 2008, as a result of a decision by the State Government, the former Councils of Fitzroy Shire, Mount Morgan Shire, Rockhampton City and Livingstone Shire amalgamated to form the Rockhampton Regional Council.

On 29 June 2012 Local Government Minister David Crisafulli announced that a Boundaries Commissioner had been appointed and that Queensland Councils could apply to de-amalgamate. Proposals for de-amalgamation had to be submitted to the Minister by 29 August 2012 and were required to meet a number of criteria, including that a petition containing signatures of 20% of the voting population were included.

By the end of August, 19 submissions from around the state had been received. In September 2012 Minister Crisafulli referred five of those submissions (including that from Livingstone) to the Boundaries Commissioner for review.

The proposal from Livingstone was for the former Livingstone Shire area to de-amalgamate, with the former Fitzroy Shire, Mount Morgan Shire and Rockhampton City staying together as Rockhampton Regional Council.

The Boundaries Commissioner's report was supplied to Minister Crisafulli on 28 November 2012 recommending against a de-amalgamation poll for the former Livingstone Shire Council area. As well as this report, the Queensland Treasury Corporation (QTC), an independent body, provided a cost analysis of the split.

On 6 December 2012 Minister Crisafulli announced that former Livingstone Shire Residents would be going to the polls to vote on de-amalgamation. The poll was later set down for 9 March 2013, when residents of the former Livingstone Shire only were asked: "Should a Livingstone Shire Council be created by the de-amalgamation of the Rockhampton Regional Council local government area, with the costs to be met by the Livingstone Shire Council?"

On 10 March 2013 Minister Crisafulli announced that Livingstone residents had voted in favour of de-amalgamation.

Key Dates 

11 April 2013	Local Government (De-amalgamation Implementation) Regulation 2013 enacted
12 April 2013	Transfer managers appointed
1 September 2013	Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal to decide remuneration/category for new councillors (s112) LGDIR) and councils
October to December 2013	Elections for new councils to be held at a date to be determined by the Minister.
31 December 2013	Terms of the following councillors end: Rockhampton–Divisions 1,2,3
1 January 2014	Changeover day
1 January 2014	Transfer managers become acting chief executive officers—continue until a chief executive officer is appointed
1 January 2014	The term of mayor and councillors for each new council commences
1 July 2014—six months after ‘changeover day’	Transfer committee ceases to exist (unless another date approved by the Minister)
By 31 December 2014	The new council must discharge any Queensland Treasury Corporation working capital facility established for the sole purpose of facilitating the de-amalgamation
Next quadrennial election date (2016)	Terms of all councillors/mayors end