Resourcing local government remains a central challenge to effective decentralisation. This section has content relating to different models of fiscal decentralisation, options for identifying new sources of local revenue, such as local property tax; and strategies for improving collection and deployment of own-source revenue. It also offers information about improving the borrowing potential of local government, innovative financing models such as municipal bonds, shared services, and public private partnerships.
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Over the past three decades, all Australian State and Territory local government systems have experienced episodes of reform of varying degrees of intensity, often involving controversial programs of forced amalgamation. Perspectives on Australian Local Government Reform draws upon the insights and expertise of an extraordinary group of contributors, drawn from practitioners with extensive and exceptional ‘hands-on’ experience in local government, as well as scholars of Australian local government. The book seeks to blend the wisdom derived from long years as practitioners of local government with the insights flowing from scholarship.
Author: Brian Dollery and Ian Tiley (Editors) Publisher: Federation Press Publication year: 2015
The final (third) phase of the Commonwealth Local Government three year capacity building
programme, the Good Practice Scheme, funded by the UK Department for International
Development (DFID) came to an end in late 2011. The programme partnered councils and
local government associations from six targeted Commonwealth countries - Jamaica, India,
South Africa, Sierra Leone, Pakistan and Ghana - with their counterparts in South Africa,
India and the UK with the objective to exchange good practice and generate innovative
solutions to challenges faced by local governments.
A total of 34 projects were active during the Scheme’s lifetime and contributed successfully
to having a positive impact on the ground for local communities. The dissemination of the
project activities through national workshops in partnership with national local government
associations meant that the successes and lessons were shared with local governments
throughout the countries concerned.
A new focus of the third phase of the GPS was to promote south-south partnerships: six of
these partnerships were set up, three of them being tripartite, two having a northern
hemisphere partner, with the remainder, both dual and tripartite, being south-south.
Despite partners’ diverse cultural, socio-economic circumstances and administrative
practices, this methodology of technical support and exchange of ideas allows partners to
share and compare their challenges and reflect on own approaches. The south-south
partners, with varying cultural beliefs, learnt that cultural practices should not be ignored in
advancing new initiatives: traditional norms and practices are a way of life for the majority
of communities especially those in the agricultural, small scale farming sector.
Author: Rachael Duchnowski Publisher: University of Technology Sydney Press Publication year: 2012
The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the Townsville/Port Moresby partnership activities and explore the challenges and benefits to both Councils from the perspective of a Townsville City Council employee associated with the program.
Author: Susan Gheller Publisher: University of Technology Sydney Press Publication year: 2010
Review of the book: "Local Government in a Global World: Australia and Canada in Comparative Perspective" edited by Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly and John F. Martin
Author: Claudia Scott Publisher: University of Technology Sydney Press Publication year: 2010
This book compares reform trends in Australia and Canada’s local government systems over the past two
decades, with attention to the impact of globalization on local governments, their bureaucracies, and local
democratic accountability.1 Local governments in Australia and Canada show striking resemblances in relation to history, development, and contemporary issues. This reflects that in both countries, local governments remain an instrument of the states and provinces.
Author: Edited by Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly and John F. Martin Publisher: University of Toronto Press Publication year: 2010