Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state, and local. The purpose of local government in Australia is to manage the particular needs of their local communities. Local governments are often referred to as councils, municipalities, or shires and are responsible for local matters such as building regulations, development, public health, local roads, footpaths, parks, libraries, waste disposal, and community services. The first official local government in Australia was the Perth Town Trust, established in 1838, only three years after British settlement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of local councils | Over 500 |
| Council board members | Councillors, with a head councillor called the mayor or shire president |
| Council elections | Every four years |
| Council amalgamations | Victoria reduced local councils from 210 to 78 in the early 1990s |
| Council responsibilities | Local laws, roads, footpaths, cycle ways, street lighting and signage, waste management, traffic lights, animal registration, building regulations, development, public health, parks, libraries, environmental issues, community services |
| Governance tiers | Three: Federal, State, and Local |
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What You'll Learn
Local government structure
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state, and local. Local government in Australia is generally run by a council, and its territory of public administration is referred to as the local government area or LGA. As of August 2016, there were 547 local councils in Australia, each with its own legislative powers. The council board members are known as councillors, and the head councillor is called the mayor or shire president. On average, each council has 9 elected members who serve 4-year terms and are voted for by the local community.
The term "local government area" (LGA) is used by the ABS to collectively refer to all local government administrative zones, which can include multiple suburbs or localities with different postcodes. However, other terms such as "city", "borough", "region", and "shire" are also used to describe these areas and can have geographic or historical interpretations.
The Sydney area, for example, is divided into about 35 cities, municipalities, or shires, each with its own local council. Bigger country centres like Bathurst or Albury have city or municipal councils. Large but less populated country areas are usually shires with a Shire Council based in one of the larger towns.
The power of local governments is controlled by Acts of State Parliament, such as the Local Government Acts. Local councils are responsible for matters such as building regulations, development, public health, local roads and footpaths, parks and playing fields, libraries, local environmental issues, waste disposal, and community services.
It is worth noting that the Australian Capital Territory combines the responsibilities of both local and state government, and some regions with relatively low populations are not a part of any established LGA. In these cases, powers of local governments may be exercised by special-purpose governing bodies established outside of the local legislation.
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Responsibilities of local government
Local governments in Australia are generally run by councils, with each council consisting of elected members and staff who work for the council. Councillors are responsible for making decisions on how the local area is managed and how resources are used.
The responsibilities of local governments in Australia include matters such as building regulations and development, public health, local roads and footpaths, parks and playing fields, libraries, local environmental issues, waste disposal, and many community services. They are also responsible for regulating and managing services and activities, such as traffic lights, and dog and cat registration.
The specific responsibilities of local governments can vary depending on the state and territory. For example, in New South Wales, county councils are responsible for water supply, flood mitigation, and weed management, while in other states, local governments may have different areas of focus.
Local governments in Australia also have the power to make by-laws, which are laws specific to their region or district. These by-laws cover a range of topics, such as local roads, cycle ways, street signage, and lighting.
Overall, the primary role of local governments in Australia is to serve the needs of their local communities and ensure the effective management and development of their respective regions.
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History of local government in Australia
Australia's constitution, which came into force in 1901, established a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as the head of state. The country also adopted the British parliamentary model, with the governments of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Australian states chosen by the members of parliament. However, local governments are not mentioned in the Federal Constitution as a separate level of government. Instead, they exist due to local government acts created by state governments, which dictate their roles, powers, size, and electoral rules.
The first council established in Australia was the Adelaide City Council, founded in 1840. Local governments in Australia are generally run by a council, and their territory of public administration is referred to as a Local Government Area (LGA) by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Each LGA encompasses multiple suburbs or localities and is typically styled as a "city", "borough", "region", or "shire". As of 2020, there were 537 councils in Australia, employing nearly 190,800 people.
The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), founded in 1947, is the principal organisation representing all local government councils in Australia. It acts as the independent interest body for local government employees, councillors, and mayors. ALGA established a secretariat in Canberra in 1976, reflecting its growing links with the Australian government and the emerging national role of local governments.
In the 1970s, the level of funding to councils was expanded beyond grants for road construction, and general-purpose grants became available for the first time. There have been proposals to recognise local governments under the Australian Constitution, including two failed referendums in 1974 and 1988. Despite these setbacks, local governments continue to play an essential role in Australian governance, with similar functions and powers across the country, even if their official designations vary between states.
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Local government elections
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state, and local. The federal Parliament makes laws for the whole of Australia, while the six state and two territory parliaments make laws for their respective state or territory. Over 500 local councils make local laws (by-laws) for their region or district. Each level of government has its own responsibilities, and in some cases, these responsibilities are shared.
The Australian local government is generally run by a council, and its territory of public administration is referred to as the local government area or LGA. The council board members are called councillors, and the head councillor is the mayor or shire president. As of August 2016, there were 547 local councils in Australia.
Local councils consist of two groups: elected members and council staff. Elected members typically serve four-year terms, and each council has an average of nine elected members. The main task of local governments is to regulate and manage services and activities within their jurisdiction. For instance, councils are responsible for local roads, footpaths, cycle ways, street lighting and signage, waste management, and traffic lights.
The first official local government in Australia was the Perth Town Trust, established in 1838, only three years after British settlement. Early forms of local government in the 1860s and 1870s were established mainly to raise funds for building roads in rural and outer-urban regions. Significant reforms in the 1980s and 1990s led to state governments using private-sector efficiency analysis in local government administration, resulting in council amalgamations and a reduction in the number of local councils in some states.
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Relationship with federal and state governments
Australia has three levels of government that work together to provide services to the people. The federal, state, and local governments have their own responsibilities, although sometimes they overlap. Australians aged 18 and above vote to elect representatives to federal, state, and territory parliaments, and local councils to make decisions on their behalf.
The federal government makes laws for the whole of Australia. The Constitution established a federal parliament. The 226 members of the Australian parliament are responsible for making federal laws. The federal government is responsible for defence and foreign affairs, trade, commerce and currency, immigration, postal services, telecommunications and broadcasting, air travel, and most social services and pensions. The federal government is also involved, mainly through funding, in areas largely carried out by the states, such as health, education, environmental issues, and industrial relations.
The state governments make laws for their state or territory. Six state and two territory parliaments make laws for their respective territories. The Australian Capital Territory combines the responsibilities of both local and state governments. The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory parliaments are unicameral – both have one house called the Legislative Assembly. The state parliaments in turn gave local councils the task of looking after the particular needs of their local communities.
The local government is generally run by a council, and its territory of public administration is referred to as the local government area or LGA. The council board members are called councillors, and the head councillor is called the mayor or shire president. Local governments consist of two groups: elected members and staff who work for the council. The community votes for the councillors to represent them at elections, which are held every four years. These smaller legislative bodies make by-laws about local matters and provide services. For example, councils are responsible for local roads, footpaths, cycle ways, street signage and lighting, waste management, and traffic lights. One of the main tasks of local government is to regulate and manage services and activities.
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Frequently asked questions
Local government in Australia is responsible for improving local infrastructure and community services, and representing the interests of its community to wider communities and other tiers of government. Local governments are generally run by a council, and their territory is referred to as a local government area or LGA.
Some examples of local councils in Australia include the Perth Town Trust, the Adelaide Corporation, the City of Melbourne, and the Sydney Corporation.
There are three levels of government in Australia: federal, state/territory, and local.
Local governments in Australia are responsible for a range of services, including planning for development and future needs, providing for the welfare and interests of individuals and groups within the community, and managing and protecting the environment.
Local government is not mentioned in the Australian Constitution, and attempts to alter the Constitution relating to local government through referendums in 1974 and 1988 were unsuccessful. However, each state/territory government recognises local government in its own respective constitution.
