This snapshot examines the nearly 30 review and reform initiatives taking place in jurisdictions across Australasia between February and March 2013, continuing a period of change and reform in local government which dates back at least two decades. The research report, Review of Current local Government Reform Processes in Australia and New Zealand, is co-published...

Regional organisations of councils (ROCs) have been a part of the Australian local government landscape for over seventy years and were once a prominent feature in all states. They have evolved into a wide range of forms, but their structure generally involves several common characteristics such as a contiguous geographic base and some degree of...

This paper discusses the consequences of past and current political resistance to investment in public transport, especially rail infrastructure, in Western Sydney and the implications for the region of further inaction.

The governance frameworks of major Australian cities are characterised by a high degree of fragmentation, with responsibilities spread across three levels of government, a range of departments and dozens of local councils.