Making a difference in the Community with Careers in Local Government

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. The sector provides services that complement those provided by other tiers of government.

Currently, there are around 700 local government bodies in Australia accountable to diverse metropolitan, regional, rural, remote and Indigenous communities. This includes 560 local government councils with statutory responsibilities.

The local government sector employs approximately 178,000 people nationally. There are about 6,600 elected councilors in Australia with an average of just under 10 councilors per council. Councils largely operate autonomously and are primarily accountable to their local communities. They are generally not subject to Ministerial direction by either state or federal governments. Sometimes, such as in the area of planning and development, councils work jointly with the state government, and their decisions may be subject to advice and direction from state government.