Australian Alternatives to Local Government Consolidation

In its 'The Journey: Sustainability into the Future', the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) proposed a program of self-initiated reform for local government, with its centrepiece comprising a Regional Model of local governance based on constellations of local councils in the existing Zone groupings. The Regional Model has been designed to preserve local autonomy and local identity by retaining existing council democratic structures, but at the same time facilitate cooperation and joint service provision through the Regional Model in those service areas where scale economies and other benefits from shared provision can be reaped. This paper places the Regional Model in the context of the Australian literature on alternative models of local governance and then critically evaluates its main characteristics.