Jul 3, 2026 · 12 min · 10 segments
Local government is one of the three tiers of government in Australia, but what does it do? There are over 500 local governments in Australia and each can vary in its size, scope and responsibilities…
We're going to be talking about the last one.
Local government does not get as much attention as the other two tiers, but it's pretty important to looking after your local area and delivering and managing services.
The size of them can vary a lot, ranging from 1.1 square kilometers with the Shire of Pefmont Grove in Western Australia, all the way to over 372,000 square kilometers with the Shire of East Pilbara, also in Western Australia.
It's not a competition.
Losers.
The variations in size, shape and responsibilities allow local governments to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of a specific area, which is what they're for.
What a local government can do can also vary from state to state, but a general list of their responsibilities can include rubbish collection and recycling, local parks, public camping grounds, sports and recreational facilities like swimming pools, pet control, local libraries, some art galleries and museums, parking facilities and street parking, health services such as water and food inspection, toilet facilities, noise control, meat inspection and animal control, some community services, building services including inspections, licensings, certification and enforcement, town and land planning and building approval, Administration of facilities such as marinas and cemeteries, maintenance of street signs, local roads and bus stops, sewerage, land and coast care programs, and tree maintenance.
Again, sometimes these things can vary from state to state and it might not be the local government's responsibility to look after everything on that list in your area.
We're going to be talking about the last one.
Local government does not get as much attention as the other two tiers, but it's pretty important to looking after your local area and delivering and managing services.
The size of them can vary a lot, ranging from 1.1 square kilometers with the Shire of Pefmont Grove in Western Australia, all the way to over 372,000 square kilometers with the Shire of East Pilbara, also in Western Australia.
It's not a competition.
Losers.
The variations in size, shape and responsibilities allow local governments to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of a specific area, which is what they're for.
What a local government can do can also vary from state to state, but a general list of their responsibilities can include rubbish collection and recycling, local parks, public camping grounds, sports and recreational facilities like swimming pools, pet control, local libraries, some art galleries and museums, parking facilities and street parking, health services such as water and food inspection, toilet facilities, noise control, meat inspection and animal control, some community services, building services including inspections, licensings, certification and enforcement, town and land planning and building approval, Administration of facilities such as marinas and cemeteries, maintenance of street signs, local roads and bus stops, sewerage, land and coast care programs, and tree maintenance.
Again, sometimes these things can vary from state to state and it might not be the local government's responsibility to look after everything on that list in your area.
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