Local government in Victoria
Encyclopedia
There are 79 municipal districts in the Australian state of Victoria
, often referred to as local government areas (LGAs). They are constituted as cities, shires, rural cities and, in one case, a borough. In addition to the LGAs, there are also a number of small unincorporated areas; including Mount Hotham
and Falls Creek
(surrounded by the Alpine Shire
), Mount Buller
(surrounded by Shire of Mansfield), French Island and Lady Julia Percy Island.
established by an act of the NSW Governor and legislative council in 1842 and the Borough of Geelong
likewise established in 1849. Both later became cities. Under early local government legislation such as the Local Government Act 1874, shires could be established in territories that could financially support them, and boroughs could be established in areas not exceeding 9 mi2 with a population of at least 300. Promotion to town or city status was dependent on the gross revenue of the council. Such promotion was not automatic, but it was granted often and in 1992 there were sixty-five cities in Victoria—more than there were in England at the time despite a significantly lower population.
Local government has been referred to in the Victorian constitution since 1979 (sec. IIA), but it does not operate so as to make Victoria a federation or protect the borders or powers of local government from amendment by executive order or act of parliament. Today, the constitution recognises it "a distinct and essential tier of government" and prohibits a council being dismissed by executive order, but grants significant powers to the state parliament in respect of local government. The clauses have been amended many times by parliament, but since 2006 the Constitution Act has required a referendum to further alter them.
The current Local Government Act dates to 1989 and eliminated administrative distinctions between cities and shires, introduced the category of rural city and removed the possibility of declaring any further boroughs or towns (existing boroughs and towns were retained, although only one remains today). Under its terms, five shires became rural cities but were dissolved within five years.
The current local government structure in Victoria is a result of the reforms led by then State Premier Jeff Kennett
from 1994. His reforms dissolved 210 councils and sacked 1600 elected councillors, with 78 new councils created through amalgamations: in suburban Melbourne
53 municipalities were reduced to 26. The new LGAs were headed by commissioners appointed by the State Government, democratically elected councils did not return until 1996. The current total of 79 LGAs arose when the shires of Benalla and Mansfield split.
The average area of a municipal district within the Melbourne metropolitan area is 285 square kilometre; the average area of the remaining municipal districts is 4545 square kilometre. Despite this area being comparable to the average area of a US or English county, there are no administrative subdivisions such as American towns and cities or English parishes; suburbs (a part of an urban area), towns and rural districts, although legally defined, have a purely geographical existence.
According to the Local Government Act 1989, the term "city", must be used for a municipal district which is predominantly urban in character; "rural city" must be used for a rural district which is partly urban and partly rural in character; and the term "shire" must be used for a municipal district which is predominantly rural. In practice, this is understood as referring to the population distribution between urban centres and rural areas. The term "borough", used of the Borough of Queenscliffe
, is not defined by the act but has been retained for the single borough which survived the reforms of the 1990s. Under the repealed Local Government Act 1958, boroughs, towns and cities were defined on the basis of area, population and rateable property. In practice, boroughs were and are small towns.
See also: List of Town Halls in Melbourne.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, often referred to as local government areas (LGAs). They are constituted as cities, shires, rural cities and, in one case, a borough. In addition to the LGAs, there are also a number of small unincorporated areas; including Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Hotham Alpine Resort. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of above sea level...
and Falls Creek
Falls Creek, Victoria
Falls Creek is a ski-in, ski-out ski resort in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. It is located about 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne in the Alpine National Park, with the nearest town Mount Beauty, approximately 30 kilometres away. The resort lies between an altitude of 1,210 and 1,830...
(surrounded by the Alpine Shire
Alpine Shire
Alpine Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the state. It includes the towns of Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford. It has an area of 4,885 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 17,581 and still growing. There are two...
), Mount Buller
Mount Buller, Victoria
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria, Australia east of Melbourne on the slopes of Mount Buller . Primarily a resort town, Mount Buller is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter due to its close location to Melbourne...
(surrounded by Shire of Mansfield), French Island and Lady Julia Percy Island.
History
Victoria has had local government since before it separated from New South Wales, with the Town of MelbourneCity of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
established by an act of the NSW Governor and legislative council in 1842 and the Borough of Geelong
City of Geelong
The City of Geelong was a Local Government Area located about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1849 until 1994.-History:...
likewise established in 1849. Both later became cities. Under early local government legislation such as the Local Government Act 1874, shires could be established in territories that could financially support them, and boroughs could be established in areas not exceeding 9 mi2 with a population of at least 300. Promotion to town or city status was dependent on the gross revenue of the council. Such promotion was not automatic, but it was granted often and in 1992 there were sixty-five cities in Victoria—more than there were in England at the time despite a significantly lower population.
Local government has been referred to in the Victorian constitution since 1979 (sec. IIA), but it does not operate so as to make Victoria a federation or protect the borders or powers of local government from amendment by executive order or act of parliament. Today, the constitution recognises it "a distinct and essential tier of government" and prohibits a council being dismissed by executive order, but grants significant powers to the state parliament in respect of local government. The clauses have been amended many times by parliament, but since 2006 the Constitution Act has required a referendum to further alter them.
The current Local Government Act dates to 1989 and eliminated administrative distinctions between cities and shires, introduced the category of rural city and removed the possibility of declaring any further boroughs or towns (existing boroughs and towns were retained, although only one remains today). Under its terms, five shires became rural cities but were dissolved within five years.
The current local government structure in Victoria is a result of the reforms led by then State Premier Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
from 1994. His reforms dissolved 210 councils and sacked 1600 elected councillors, with 78 new councils created through amalgamations: in suburban Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
53 municipalities were reduced to 26. The new LGAs were headed by commissioners appointed by the State Government, democratically elected councils did not return until 1996. The current total of 79 LGAs arose when the shires of Benalla and Mansfield split.
General characteristics
All local government areas (i.e. cities, rural cities, shires and boroughs) are governed in a similar fashion, with an elected council, one of whom is the mayor (in shires the mayor may use the title "president"; the City of Melbourne has the title "lord mayor"). The City of Melbourne has a directly elected lord mayor (currently Cr Robert Doyle), whereas other councils elect a mayor from one of their number. Some LGAs are divided into wards for the purpose of electing councillors; where a ward elects a single councillor, it is by preferential voting; and where it elects multiple councillors, it is by proportional voting using the Single Transferrable Vote. Voting is in all cases compulsory for enrolled voters and elections for all councils now happen on the same day every four years—on the last Saturday in November two years after state parliamentry elections.The average area of a municipal district within the Melbourne metropolitan area is 285 square kilometre; the average area of the remaining municipal districts is 4545 square kilometre. Despite this area being comparable to the average area of a US or English county, there are no administrative subdivisions such as American towns and cities or English parishes; suburbs (a part of an urban area), towns and rural districts, although legally defined, have a purely geographical existence.
According to the Local Government Act 1989, the term "city", must be used for a municipal district which is predominantly urban in character; "rural city" must be used for a rural district which is partly urban and partly rural in character; and the term "shire" must be used for a municipal district which is predominantly rural. In practice, this is understood as referring to the population distribution between urban centres and rural areas. The term "borough", used of the Borough of Queenscliffe
Borough of Queenscliffe
The Borough of Queenscliffe is a municipality in Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the south coast, south-east of Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula south of Swan Bay and next to the Port Phillip Heads, the entrance to Port Phillip Bay from Bass Strait.The Borough has an area of...
, is not defined by the act but has been retained for the single borough which survived the reforms of the 1990s. Under the repealed Local Government Act 1958, boroughs, towns and cities were defined on the basis of area, population and rateable property. In practice, boroughs were and are small towns.
Municipalities of Greater Melbourne
Thirty-one of the municipalities form the Melbourne metropolitan area. Although there is no local government for the whole area, they are often treated differently by state government legislation, for instance the Public Holidays Act permits non-metropolitan councils to replace Melbourne Cup Day with a local public holiday.See also: List of Town Halls in Melbourne.
Unincorporated areas
Although there is only one tier of local government in Victoria, it contains a number of unincorporated areas. Many coastal islands, most significantly French Island, are not part of any local government and directly administered by the state.Alpine resorts
As well as the standard elected local councils, six alpine resorts are excluded from the surrounding shires by declarations made under the Alpine Resorts Act 1983http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/ara1983179/ and administered by alpine resort management boards established under the Alpine Resorts (Management) Act 1997. Unlike local councils, these boards are fully appointed by the state government but fulfil similar functions. The territories managed by them are considered to be municipal districts for the purposes of the Emergency Management Act 1986 and the Environment Protection Act 1970, but not generally. They are rarely included in lists of local government areas and are not considered to be LGAs by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with their population included in the unincoporated areas section of such lists, but are occasionally listed alongside municipalities.See also
- Local Government Areas in Australia
- List of localities (Victoria)
- Counties of VictoriaCounties of VictoriaThe Australian state of Victoria is divided into 37 counties. They are part of the lands administrative divisions of Australia. These counties were gazetted in stages between 1849 and 1871 as Victoria was progressively opened up to European settlement. By 1890 all parish boundaries had been gazetted...