This report investigates how Australians view the changing nature and roles of local government in Australia.

Traditionally sitting at the bottom of Australia’s federal hierarchy, the roles played by Australian local governments have typically been restricted to the administration of a relatively select number of services to property, which accounts for local government’s association with the ‘Three Rs’ (Roads, Rates, and Rubbish). But in recent decades, a growing number of local councils across Australian have begun to see their roles in a different light. Exploring how the Australian public views and understands the expansion of local government activity, from the Three Rs to a more expansive if still limited tier of government, this report offers crucial insights about the sector’s current state and future direction.