Introduction

As the third layer of government in the Australian federation, local government contributes more than $10 billion in taxation, employs in excess of 170,000 people across seven different State and Territory systems, and provides an essential range of local services vital to national wellbeing (Commonwealth of Australia 2013). However, notwithstanding its significance, local government has always been the poor cousin of its national and State counterparts in terms of the scholarly examination which it has attracted. This is unfortunate, not least because local government faces formidable problems which require resolution (Dollery, Kortt and Grant 2013). This book is a step towards remedying the traditional neglect of local government in Australia.