In 2009 the Roma Regional Council was renamed the Maranoa Regional Council. The Roma Regional Council had been formed in 2008 by the amalgamation of Roma Town and Bendemere, Booringa, Bungil and Warroo Shires. It is bisected west-east by the Warrego Highway/Western Railway corridor and has an area of 58,830 sq km.
The constituent rural shires were as follows:
| Shire | Area (km2) | Admin Centre | Population (2006) | % in Farm Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booringa (westerly shire) | 27,828 | Mitchell | 1706 | 35.4 |
| Warroo (southerly shire) | 13,658 | Surat | 1038 | 49.3 |
| Bungil (surrounded Roma) | 13,338 | Roma | 2051 | 38.3 |
| Bendemere (easterly shire) | 3928 | Yuleba | 985 | 45.0 |
All the administrative centres except Surat are on the Warrego Highway.
The main rural industries are beef cattle, sheep for wool, and cereals. Roma has one of Australia's largest beef-cattle saleyards. The land north and east of Roma was originally brigalow country or eucalypt woodland on solodic soils. Brigalow country generally has a high natural fertility and solodic soils, whilst deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus, can be top-dressed for pasture growth. Some have above-average water retention. Overall farm production is good.
As well as having a large livestock sales outlet, Roma is the region's wholesale and retail distribution centre.
Maranoa Regional Council's census populations have been:
| census date | population |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 13,076 |
Roma, Bendemere, Booringa, Bungil and Warroo Shire entries
