Local government areas of Western Australia
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Western_Australia_Local_Government_Areas.svg/250px-Western_Australia_Local_Government_Areas.svg.png)
There are 137local government areas(LGAs) inWestern Australia,[1]which comprise 27 cities, 102 shires, and 8 towns that manage their own affairs to the extent permitted by theLocal Government Act 1995.[2]TheLocal Government Act 1995also makes provision for regional local governments (referred to as "regional councils", established by two or more local governments for a particular purpose.[3]
There are three classifications of local government in Western Australia:
- City– predominantly urban, plus seven significant regional centres
- Shire– predominantly rural or outer suburban areas, plus theShire of Peppermint Grove
- Town– predominantly inner urban, plus theTown of Port Hedland
TheShire of Christmas Islandand theShire of Cocos (Keeling) Islandsare federal external territories and covered by theIndian Ocean TerritoriesAdministration of Laws Act,which allows the Western AustralianLocal Government Actto apply "on-island" as though it were aCommonwealthact. Nonetheless,Christmas Islandand theCocos (Keeling) Islandsare not parts of Western Australia.
The most recentlocal government electionswere held in2023.
History[edit]
Land was originally granted in theSwan River Colonyunder regulations which allowed for land commissioners to assess a tax on private allotments to fund the construction and maintenance of "roads, paths and plantations".[4]As the Colony began to develop, the first form of local government was established in some areas under theTowns Improvement Actof 1838.[5]These trusts were empowered to elect ratepayers as Trustees and assess and collect a property tax for the construction of roads. Many of these town trusts, including thePerth Town Trust,experienced severe administrative and financial difficulties, and in some cases barely functioned at all. TheGuildford Town Trustlasted only a couple of years before ceasing to function until it was reconstituted in 1863.[6]
TheDistrict Roads ActandMunicipal Institutions Act,both of 1871 improved matters by allowing for the establishment of Roads Boards and Municipal Corporations.[7]Municipal Corporations had the capacity to levy property taxes, pass municipal by-laws and undertake various local regulatory services previously carried out by colonial officials and other central bodies. Corporations could also establish civic institutions and facilities with the governors' consent, including libraries and botanical gardens.[6]Road Boards where strictly limited to the construction of roads, could not levy property taxes and depended on colonial government grants for any expenditures.
Women were permitted to be elected to Road Boards from 1911 and to Municipal Corporations from 1919.[8]The influence of town clerkW.E. Boldand theGreater Perth Movementaround this time led to the amalgamation of inner city local governments to create a greatly expandedCity of Perthuntil 1993, when the City was broken up once again.
The firstlocal government departmentwas established by the state in 1949 to guide local government authorities.[9]Following the war local governments increasingly expanded their services from property, health and local infrastructure (roads, drainage) to community and social services. This was termed the “New Order” at the time, and encompassed the development of community centres, infant health clinics and sporting facilities.
Only a few cities –Fremantle,Nedlands,Perth,South Perth,andSubiaco– existed prior to 1961. On 1 July 1961, all road districts became shires, and all municipalities became towns or cities.[citation needed]This structure has continued till the present day.
In the 1970s, the scope of local government services expanded to encompass the provision of nursing homes and other forms of aged care.
During the late 1980s, and early 1990s a bi-partisan reform process led to theLocal Government Act 1995,which amongst other changes, established for the first time a clear separation of responsibility between elected councillors and local government administration. Other key changes included a significant reduction in the number of decisions requiring ministerial approval which allowed for streamlined decision-making and greater local government autonomy.
Although successive state governments have periodically promoted municipal amalgamation, only a small number of local governments have merged over the course of Western Australia's history. Historically most local governments have strongly resisted forced amalgamations[10]and the total number of authorities has declined only marginally over the last century. The most recent state government led effort to encourage the voluntary amalgamation of 30 metropolitan local governments into 16 was abandoned by theBarnett governmentin 2014.[11]
In 2017, theMcGowan governmentinitiated a review process to reform the Local Government Act 1995.[12]
Metropolitan LGAs[edit]
The 30 metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 20 cities, 3 shires, and 7 towns.
Local government area | Council seat[13] | Year est. | Land area[14] | Population density(km²)(2022) | Population[15] | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
km² | sq mi | 2021 | 2022 | |||||
Armadale, City of | Armadale | 1894 | 560 | 216 | 180 | 97,650 | 100,737 | Armadale-Kelmscott until 1979 |
Bassendean, Town of | Bassendean | 1901 | 10 | 4 | 1,605 | 16,505 | 16,601 | West Guildford until 1922 |
Bayswater, City of | Morley | 1897 | 35 | 14 | 2,084 | 71,796 | 72,145 | |
Belmont, City of | Cloverdale | 1898 | 40 | 15 | 1,111 | 43,873 | 44,258 | |
Cambridge, Town of | Floreat | 1994 | 22 | 8 | 1,372 | 29,836 | 30,116 | Restructuring ofPerth |
Canning, City of | Cannington | 1907 | 65 | 25 | 1,534 | 99,351 | 99,510 | Placed under control of a Commissioner in 2012 |
Claremont, Town of | Claremont | 1898 | 5 | 2 | 2,364 | 11,645 | 11,715 | |
Cockburn, City of | Spearwood | 1871 | 168 | 65 | 745 | 122,211 | 125,031 | Fremantle RD until 1959 |
Cottesloe, Town of | Cottesloe | 1895 | 3.9 | 2 | 2,152 | 8,246 | 8,297 | |
East Fremantle, Town of | East Fremantle | 1897 | 3.1 | 1 | 2,568 | 8,065 | 8,060 | |
Fremantle, City of | Fremantle | 1871 | 19 | 7 | 1,748 | 33,109 | 33,711 | |
Gosnells, City of | Gosnells | 1907 | 127 | 49 | 1,044 | 131,381 | 132,845 | |
Joondalup, City of | Joondalup | 1998 | 99 | 38 | 1,673 | 165,075 | 165,512 | Restructuring ofWanneroo |
Kalamunda, City of | Kalamunda | 1897 | 324 | 125 | 189 | 60,803 | 61,229 | Governed by a Commissioner until 1961 |
Kwinana, City of | Kwinana Town Centre | 1954 | 120 | 46 | 412 | 47,658 | 49,457 | |
Melville, City of | Booragoon[16] | 1900 | 53 | 20 | 2,031 | 106,845 | 107,311 | |
Mosman Park, Town of | Mosman Park | 1899 | 4.3 | 2 | 2205 | 9,482 | 9,585 | Split from Peppermint Grove RD. Buckland Hill RD 1899–1908, 1930–1937; Cottesloe Beach RD 1908–1930 |
Mundaring, Shire of | Mundaring | 1903 | 643 | 248 | 61 | 40,541 | 40,506 | Greenmount until 1932 |
Nedlands, City of | Nedlands | 1893 | 20 | 8 | 1,170 | 22,984 | 22,977 | Claremont RD until 1932 |
Peppermint Grove, Shire of | Peppermint Grove | 1895 | 1.1 | 0 | 1,540 | 1,639 | 1,644 | |
Perth, City of | Perth | 1856 | 14 | 5 | 2,211 | 29,667 | 30,364 | |
Rockingham, City of | Rockingham | 1897 | 258 | 100 | 558 | 140,595 | 143,560 | |
Serpentine–Jarrahdale, Shire of | Mundijong | 1894 | 901 | 348 | 39 | 33,346 | 34,770 | |
South Perth, City of | South Perth | 1892 | 19.8 | 8 | 2,277 | 44,982 | 45,106 | |
Stirling, City of | Stirling | 1871 | 105 | 41 | 2,252 | 234,380 | 235,845 | Shire of Perth until 1971 |
Subiaco, City of | Subiaco | 1896 | 5.6 | 2 | 3,198 | 17,914 | 17,967 | |
Swan, City of | Midland | 1871 | 1,043 | 403 | 157 | 158,691 | 163,699 | |
Victoria Park, Town of | Victoria Park | 1994 | 18 | 7 | 2,153 | 38,312 | 38,361 | Restructuring ofPerth |
Vincent, City of | Leederville | 1994 | 11 | 4 | 378 | 37,865 | 38,433 | Restructuring ofPerth |
Wanneroo, City of | Wanneroo | 1902 | 683.3 | 264 | 323 | 216,450 | 220,932 |
Non-metropolitan LGAs[edit]
The 107 non-metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 7 cities, 99 shires, and1 town.
TheShire of Christmas Islandand theShire of Cocos (Keeling) Islandsare also included for comparison purposes.
Regional councils[edit]
Currently,Western Australiahas tenregionalcouncils. Each regional council comprises two or morelocal government areas(LGAs).
Metropolitan regional councils[edit]
- Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council– 6 LGAs (4 cities,1 shire,and1 town)[18]
- Mindarie Regional Council – 7 LGAs (5 cities and 2 towns)[19]
- Rivers Regional Council – 6 LGAs (4 cities and 2 shires)[20]
- Southern Metropolitan Regional Council – 5 LGAs (4 cities and1 town)[21]
- Tamala Park Regional Council – 7 LGAs (5 cities and 2 towns)[22]
- Western Metropolitan Regional Council – 5 LGAs (1 city,1 shire,and 3 towns)[23]
Non-metropolitan regional councils[edit]
- Bunbury Harvey Regional Council – 2 LGAs (1 cityand1 shire)[24]
- Murchison Regional Vermin Council – 5 LGAs (5 shires)[25]
- Pilbara Regional Council – 4 LGAs (1 city,2 shires, and1 town)[26]
- Warren Blackwood Alliance of Councils – 5 LGAs (5 shires)[27]
References[edit]
- ^"An introduction to local government".Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Government of Western Australia. 16 June 2022.Retrieved15 December2022.
- ^"Local Government Act 1995".Retrieved26 July2011.
- ^Refer Part 3 Division 4 of the"Local Government Act 1995".Retrieved26 July2011.
- ^Stannage, C.T. (1979).The people of Perth: A social history of Western Australia's capital city.Perth: Perth City Council. p. 55.ISBN0909994862.
- ^Gregory, Jenny; Gothard, Janice; Gregory, Jenny; Gothard, Jan (2009),Historical encyclopedia of Western Australia,University of Western Australia Press,ISBN978-1-921401-15-2- Berry, ChristopherLocal Governmentpp.540-542. the act enabled the establishment of Town Trusts.
- ^abJohns, J. R. H. (1949). "The Development of Local Government in Western Australia".The Australian Journal of Public Administration:172–179.
- ^District Roads Act 1871.
- ^"History".Western Australia Local Government Association.Retrieved7 October2020.
- ^Committee for Perth (September 2009) ‘Successful’ Metropolitan Local Government Models: Potential Lessons for Perth
- ^Consolidation in Local Government: A Fresh Look(May 2011), p16
- ^Foster, Brendan; Riddell, Alex (8 February 2015)."Council mergers scrapped after ratepayer polls".WA Today.
- ^"Local Government Act Review".Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.25 June 2019.
- ^abDepartment of Health."Local Government contacts".Retrieved26 July2009.
- ^ab"3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018".Australian Bureau of Statistics.Australian Bureau of Statistics.27 March 2019.Retrieved25 October2019.Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
- ^ab"Regional population, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics".www.abs.gov.au.31 August 2023.Retrieved21 June2024.
- ^Contact Us – City of Melville
- ^ab"ERP by SA2 and above (ASGS 2016), 2001 onwards".ABS.Stat.Australian Bureau of Statistics.27 March 2019.Retrieved7 December2019.
- ^"Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Mindarie Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Rivers Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Southern Metropolitan Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Tamala Park Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Western Metropolitan Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Bunbury Harvey Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Murchison Regional Vermin Council".Retrieved3 August2017.
- ^"Pilbara Regional Council".Retrieved19 April2016.
- ^"Warren Blackwood Alliance of Councils".Retrieved20 September2022.
External links[edit]
- "Shires of Australia".Statoids.