Policy analysis capacity and Australian local government

Australian local government plays a pivotal role not only as a major element in the democratic structure of the country (Brackertz, 2013), but also as a significant economic entity in its own right. As the third tier of government in the Australian federation, local governnlent accounts for more than AUD 1 0 billion in taxation, employs in excess of 192,000 people across eight different state and territory systems, and provides an essential range oflocal services vital to national well-being (Australian Government, 2010). However, despite its importance, comparatively little scholarly attention has focused on local government; it has always been the 'poor cousin' of its national and state counterparts in terms of the analytical attention that it has received in the academic literature (Dollery et aI, 2006a). This is regrettable for various reasons, not least because local governnlents across all states and territories face daunting problems that require urgent attention.