| HISTORY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT | |
| Local government 1 in New South Wales was largely used by the colonial government to force local people to provide their own local services. |
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| 1788-1833 | The Governor was in charge of all governmental responsibilities. These responsibilities were often carried out by the military commander or civil magistrates who were subordinate to him. As the colonial government could not provide adequate local services to all areas, the opportunity to establish municipal institutions was presented. In Sydney town, for example, the newspapers of the day complained that the streets were in a "most disgraceful state" and said that the town itself lacked planning. |
| 1833 | An Improvements Act allowed the colonial government to make parishes pay for new roads. Before this, tolls had paid for roads. |
| 1840 | The Parish Roads Trust Act 2 provided a system of elected roads trusts which obtained funds from tolls and rates upon landowners. |
| 1842 | When representative government was established, provision was made in the Constitution Act 3 for a system of local government by district councils with by-law making power. However, the available resources were quite inadequate for the tasks to be performed so district councils did not last long. Later in the same year the Sydney City Incorporation Act 4 was passed. Sydney City remained under separate legislation until 1948. |
| 1858 | There were only ten local government units in the state. The Municipalities Act of 1858 5 enabled a group of at least 50 ratepayers to petition for a municipality to be created. 35 units were incorporated under the Act. |
| 1867 | The second Municipalities Act extended councils' powers and allowed boroughs to be created with a population of not less than 1,000 while municipal districts could not be less than 500 people. |
| 1883 | The Municipal Association was formed. |
| 1905-1906 | Compulsory system of local government incorporation introduced. The Local Government (Shires) Act divided the whole state into shires (except for existing municipalities and the Western Division). The Local Government (Extension) Act applied the Local Government (Shires) Act to municipalities. These two Acts were then combined to form the Local Government Act of 1906. This meant that councils in new South Wales could no longer make by-laws or ordinances. |
| 1906 | The Municipal Association becomes the Local Government Association. There were 134 shires and 193 municipalities in NSW. |
| 1908 | The Shires Association 6 was formed. |
| 1910 | 324 local government units in the state with an average of 5,073 people per unit. |
| 1919 | The Local Government Act 1919 7 established. This Act was criticised in part due to the fact that final decisions still rested with the Governor-in-council or the minister. |
| 1945 | Town planning provisions were inserted into the 1919 Act. This gave the local councils power to prepare town planning schemes and control all new development and land use. |
| 1967-1980 | About 90 local government boundary changes occurred in New South Wales. |
| 1979-1980 | The state government legislated to considerably reduce the number of county districts and local government areas in NSW despite opposition from the local councils and the general public. |
| 1985-1986 | The Local Government Act 1919 was amended to eliminate the need for numerous approvals to be obtained by councils in exercising their functions. |
| 1993 | Local Government Act (1993) 8 amends the 1919 Act. |
| ____________________________________________ State
Records of NSW Parish
Roads Trust Act Constitution
Act Sydney
City Incorporation Act Municipalities
Act of 1858 Shires
Association Local
Government Act 1919 Local
Government Act (1993) |