Local Government is one of the three tiers of government in Australia and plays an essential role
in the development and maintenance of the local community infrastructure and services. Local
Government provides services which complement those provided by the other tiers of government.
The power of Local Government is controlled by Acts of State Parliament and is regulated within
the boundaries of such laws, often through a State or Territory Department with responsibility for
Local Government and regional development.
Local Government is generally responsible for:
- Building Regulations
- Planning
- Community and Infrastructure Development
- Public and Environmental Health
- Local Roads and Footpaths
- Parks and Playing Fields
- Libraries
- Local Environment development and maintenance
- Waste Disposal
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Nationally, Local Government employs approximately 145,000 staff and is experiencing
skill shortages across each of its sectors:
- There is a shortage of town planners, building surveyors and engineering personnel.
This is mainly due to high property demands
- Environmental health officers, occupational health officers and health surveyors
are also in short supply and can be attributed to the ageing population dilemma
we are experiencing
- There are not enough qualified civil engineers or diesel
mechanics to satifsy the demands of growing towns and cities
A future with Local
Government: Traditionally, Local Councils have been great providers of training
for employees, especially in regional areas. This has declined with the contracting
of many services. A new focus for training and career pathways will be in the
areas of leadership, customer services, governance, child care, servicing the
elderly, demographic research & community and
infrastructure planning. There will continue to be a shortage in paraprofessional
and professional areas e.g. planning, engineering, surveying and environmental
health, especially in regional areas. Industry is exploring different employment
strategies including up-skilling of existing staff and sharing skilled staff
across a number of employers and council areas.
For more information on NSW Local Government:
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