| THE THREE TIERS OF GOVERNMENT |
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| There are three levels of government 1 in Australia: federal, state and local government. | ||||
| Federal |
Each level of government is centred on a body democratically elected by the people as their representatives. Each level of government has its own responsibilities, though many responsibilities are shared in various ways. The federal government, or the Commonwealth, decides on matters which affect the whole country. These are things like foreign affairs, defence, trade and communication services. The leader of the national or federal government is called the prime minister. The federal government meets in Canberra, which is the national capital. |
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| State |
Each state has its own state government. Some of the things state governments are responsible for include education, health, police, railways, main roads and public housing. The leader of each state government is called the premier. The NSW state government usually meets in Sydney but may meet elsewhere on occasion. |
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Local |
Local government is the third tier of government. An individual local government is called a council which is responsible for a much smaller area than the federal or state governments. The leader of the council is called the mayor. The powers and responsibilities of councils derive mainly from the Local Government Act 1993. 2 This provides a framework under which councils must operate. Each local government area is governed by its own local council. The council controls such things as garbage collection, local roads, buildings, parks, libraries, child care, youth services, social planning and the local environment in general as well as many other residential services. Every person forms part of the local community. Every local community is part of a state, and every state is also a part of Australia. This means that all three spheres of government are there to work for everybody. They work together to make sure that the basic needs of Australia, and all its different communities, are met. |
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| ____________________________________________ Three
levels of government New
South Wales Consolidated Acts |
