COUNCIL AND DEMOCRACY
Local Government
In Australia there are three spheres of government – Local, State and Commonwealth. They work together in various ways to proivde services and to find mechanisms for funding of those services.
Local Government Councils are elected directly by the community to provide local services such as roads, waste management, libraries, recreation, community services and has responsibility for strategic planning, development control, traffic management, animal control and public and environment health at the local level.
Local Government interacts with all levels of government to make sure that both State and Central Government are aware of the changing needs of the local community.
For local government to perform well it needs to inform and involve its communities.
The Mayor
The role of the mayor is to:
- Exercise in cases of necessity, the policy making functions of the council between meetings of the Council.
- To exercise such other functions of the council as the council determines.
- To preside at meetings of the Council
- To carry out the civic and ceremonial functions of the mayoral office.