State and local government jobs are being axed, public schools won’t get money the state planned to send them, and fire and police departments budgets are being slashed. All because of the pandemic.
Digital communications could be a force for greater local democracy in urban planning and development, but many councils use the technologies in ways that mirror traditional consultation.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, regional Australia needs local government to emulate the example of the local councils that brought prosperity to North Queensland after the second world war.
The business of metropolitan planning is not the natural game of state governments. The Victorian government tries but cannot manage metropolitan Melbourne.
Local councils work hand in hand with industries like construction. If the downturn is allowed to cripple councils, that will also hit essential businesses hard.
A new report assesses the smart city performance of local government areas representing 85% of Australia’s population. NSW leads the way, and all the leading performers are in the major cities.
Australian city councils appreciate the social and educational benefits of having Chinese sister cities. Gaining new markets and attracting tourists and investment have proved more challenging.
Abandoned trolleys are an all-too-common sight. A solution to this intractable problem depends on a combination of policy and legal changes, public engagement and tracking technology.
Overseas, city-shaping mega-projects are generally overseen by local government, but in Australia state governments often step in and exclude council and community representatives from the process.
Sydney has joined more than 600 local governments around the world – as well as the national governments of the UK and Canada – in putting the climate crisis at the heart of all policy decisions.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University