Abstract
Local government in Australia is a creature of the constituent states of the federation. Attempts by the federal government to recognise local government within the federal constitution or to set up alternative regional systems of governance have proved mostly ineffectual. The states have been able to amalgamate many local governments over time, rarely seeking the broad approval of local populations before doing so. Nonetheless, local government is a vibrant and important component of the system as a whole. Local governments provide many essential government services, engage in substantial intermunicipal cooperation and are generally fiscally self-reliant. If local government is to be further constitutionally recognised in Australia, it would be most consistent with Australian traditions for its status and powers to be entrenched within the state constitutions by popular ratification of those constitutions, rather than recognised at a federal level. Combined with systemic reforms at a state level, this could be a step towards strengthening the democratic foundations of the country as a whole.
Bligh Grant is employed by the Department of Regional New South Wales (DRNSW). The views expressed in this chapter are those of the authors and do not represent the views of DRNSW.
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Notes
- 1.
See, for instance, Dollery et al. (2008).
- 2.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 83–87.
- 3.
Thompson (1980).
- 4.
Aroney (2009), pp. 135–136.
- 5.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 15–82.
- 6.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 15–82.
- 7.
Municipality of Sydney v Commonwealth (1904) 1 CLR 208.
- 8.
Federated Municipal and Shire Council ‘Employees’ Union of Australia v Melbourne Corporation (1919) 515–516, 519, 528–9.
- 9.
Ibid., 526–7.
- 10.
Geoscience Australia. (Australian Government), ‘Australia’s size compared’, https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/australias-size-compared.
- 11.
McGuirk and Argent (2011).
- 12.
Grant and Drew (2017).
- 13.
Burton et al. (2002).
- 14.
Productivity Commission (Australian Government), ‘Shifting the dial: 5-year productivity review supporting paper No. 14 Commonwealth-State relations. 3 August 2017’, https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity-review/report/productivity-review-supporting14.pdf.
- 15.
Dollery et al. (2017).
- 16.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 83–122.
- 17.
See, for instance, Bollery et al. (2006).
- 18.
See, for instance, Aboriginal Affairs (NSW Government), ‘Administering the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983’ (2020) https://www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au/land-rights/.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
Grant and Drew (2017), p. 22.
- 22.
Grant and Drew (2017), p. 17.
- 23.
Power et al. (1981).
- 24.
Power et al. (1981), pp. 26–27.
- 25.
Aulich and Pietsch (2003).
- 26.
Brown (2008)
- 27.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 107–113.
- 28.
HRCC (Hawkesbury River County Council), ‘Home’, http://hrcc.nsw.gov.au/.
- 29.
OLG (Office of Local Government; NSW Government), ‘Local government directory’, https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/local-government-directory/.
- 30.
WALGA (Western Australian Local Government Association), ‘Regional Councils’ https://walga.asn.au/About-Local-Government/Regional-Councils.
- 31.
OCA [Outback Communities Authority (Government of South Australia)], ‘Welcome to the Outback Communities Authority’, https://oca.sa.gov.au/.
- 32.
OCA [Outback Communities Authority (Government of South Australia)], ‘Welcome to the Outback Communities Authority’, https://oca.sa.gov.au/.
- 33.
- 34.
Perkins (2019).
- 35.
Thompson (2020).
- 36.
NSW ALC (NSW Aboriginal Land Council), ‘Land Councils’, https://alc.org.au/land-council-map/.
- 37.
See, for instance, APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara), ‘About us’, https://www.anangu.com.au/en/about-us.
- 38.
Ngaanyatjarra Council (Aboriginal Corporation), ‘Welcome to Ngaanyatjarra Council’, http://www.ngaanyatjarra.org.au/.
- 39.
Barengi Gadjin Land Council, ‘Welcome to Barengi Gadjin Land Council’, https://www.bglc.com.au/.
- 40.
See LGAQ (Local Government Association of Queensland), ‘Find your council’, https://www.lgaq.asn.au/find-council.
- 41.
Lowndes and Leach (2004), p. 560.
- 42.
Clark (1984).
- 43.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 183–184.
- 44.
Constitution Act 1902 No 32 (NSW) https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1902-032#pt.8.
- 45.
Constitution Act 1975 Authorised version 222 (Vic) https://content.legislation.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-04/75-8750aa222%20authorised.pdf.
- 46.
Grant and Drew (2017), p. 184.
- 47.
Local Government Act 2008 (NT) https://legislation.nt.gov.au/en/Legislation/LOCAL-GOVERNMENT-ACT-2008.
- 48.
Aroney (2004).
- 49.
Arditi (2008), pp. 8–9.
- 50.
Adapted from Grant and Drew (2017), p. 201.
- 51.
Tucker et al. (1981), p. 383.
- 52.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 49–50.
- 53.
Aroney (2016), pp. 1–19.
- 54.
ALGA (Australian Local Government Association), ‘Facts and figures’, https://alga.asn.au/facts-and-figures/.
- 55.
ALGA (Australian Local Government Association), ‘Council maps and boundaries’, https://alga.asn.au/resources/council-maps-boundaries/.
- 56.
Dollery et al. (2013).
- 57.
McDonnell (2020).
- 58.
For an in-depth case study an unusually voluntary amalgamation of this type, see Grant et al. (2010).
- 59.
For an overview, see Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 357–381.
- 60.
Drew and Dollery (2014), pp. 129–130.
- 61.
- 62.
See Bastinas (2017).
- 63.
See Ryan et al. (2016).
- 64.
Grant and Drew (2017), p. 87.
- 65.
See Kelly et al. (2009).
- 66.
See Dollery et al. (2013).
- 67.
See Stimpson et al. (2016).
- 68.
Grant and Drew (2017), p. 194.
- 69.
Tiley (2013), p. 23.
- 70.
RDA (Regional Development Australia) (2020).
- 71.
Queensland Government, ‘The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory’ (1997–2001) https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/91013.
- 72.
DLGRMA (Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs; Queensland Government), ‘Home’, https://www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au/.
- 73.
Grant and Drew (2017), pp. 401–403.
- 74.
Ryan et al. (2016).
- 75.
VAGO (Victorian Auditor-General’s Office), ‘Local Government’ (2021) https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/search?term=local+government.
- 76.
Callinan and Aroney (2013), ch 4.
- 77.
Power et al. (1981).
- 78.
MAV (Municipal Association of Victoria) (n.d.) ‘Who we are’, https://www.lgnsw.org.au/Public/About-LGNSW/About-LGNSW/Public/About-LGNSW/About-LGNSW.aspx?hkey=3b0783c7-4e43-48e7-a8a7-68074a9fd14e.
- 79.
VLGA (Victorian Local Government Association), ‘Who we are’ (2019) https://www.vlga.org.au/about-vlga.
- 80.
Dollery et al. (2012).
- 81.
REROC (Riverian East Regional Organisation of Councils) ‘About’ (2019) https://reroc.com.au/about.
- 82.
RAPAD (Remote Area Planning and Development Board) (n.d.) ‘About’ (2019) https://www.rapad.com.au/about/.
- 83.
Dollery et al. (2012).
- 84.
WSROC (Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils) ‘About WESROC’ https://www.wsroc.com.au/about-wsroc.
- 85.
Dollery et al. (2012).
- 86.
See OLG (Office of Local Government; NSW Government), ‘Joint Organisations’, https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/programs-and-initiatives/joint-organisations/.
- 87.
Council of Mayors SEQ, ‘One region; one voice’ (2021) https://seqmayors.qld.gov.au/.
- 88.
RCV (Rural Councils Victoria), ‘About RCV’ (2019) https://ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au/about/.
- 89.
Dollery et al. (2013).
- 90.
DIRD [Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development] (2017), p. 4.
- 91.
NSW Government (2020).
- 92.
Dollery et al. (2008).
- 93.
Aroney (2012).
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Aroney, N., Grant, B. (2023). Local Government in Australia: Constitutionally Subordinate, but Vibrant and Fundamental. In: Nicolini, M., Valdesalici, A. (eds) Local Governance in Multi-Layered Systems. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 108. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41792-4_6
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