Survey: Changing Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government

An independent study by ACU’s Research Centre for Social and Political Change is seeking feedback about the state of local government in Australia.

If you are you an elected councillor, mayor, or deputy mayor, or work or volunteer in the local government sector, your views are wanted.

Local councils today are faced with many pressures and opportunities as they serve their communities. From new modes of service delivery to climate change, social cohesion to affordable housing, embracing new technologies to questions of national identity and culture, local councils now deal with much more than the 3Rs.

On top of this, the local government sector continues to confront a range of longstanding challenges related to issues such as subsidiarity, competency, fiscal capacity, amalgamation and de-amalgamation, and cost-shifting.

Headed by Associate Professor Mark Chou and Dr Rachel Busbridge from ACU’s Research Centre for Social and Political Change, this independent study hopes to provide a better understanding of the changing roles and responsibilities of Australian local government today.

You are invited to take part in a short survey that explores questions of whether local councils should focus only on providing basic services or seek to contribute to a healthier and fairer society.

Among other things, the survey seeks the views of those working in the sector on what type of services local councils should deliver, what key trends are likely to face the sector in the coming years, and what the key role of Australian local government should be.

This survey is part of a larger national study that explores the way Australians see local government today.

MAKE YOUR VIEWS HEARD

BACK TO NEWS