School Project Kit Information

We often hear that we are over governed, that politics is something people would rather do without. Some would go so far as to say that if we did away with governments and politicians people could then get on with the important things in life.

So why do we need governments? Could we exist without them?

Without government, life becomes very difficult. By nature people prefer to live in groups or communities rather than on their own. In order for people to live harmoniously together there must be an established set of rules about what is acceptable and what is not.

Imagine a group of people shipwrecked on a desert island. In order to survive and hopefully be rescued, the group would need to set down some rules. Rationing of food, allocation of tasks and safety precautions would be some of the immediate concerns for this group.

If everyone was left to their own devices the weak or sick would probably die, with only the strong surviving.

On the desert island the group may choose a leader or one person might seize control. The person seizing control would need some means to make the rest obey, perhaps by withdrawing food or threatening physical harm. The leader chosen freely by the group has more chance of being followed without having to threaten the group. This is referred to as legitimate power. When we elect governments to make decisions on our behalf this is also known as legitimate authority.

If There Were No Rules

In our community, if people were able to do exactly what they pleased with no concern for anyone else then the same thing would happen. Imagine your own household, school or a game of basketball without rules. Picture the chaos and accidents on our roads if we had no road rules.

Therefore, we have governments to make decisions concerning what is best for the general welfare of our community. Governments do not only make decisions concerning what members of the community can and cannot do, they also make decisions on how best to use the resources available to provide the best possible lifestyle for members of that community. In Australia, we have three spheres of government making these decisions, Commonwealth, State and Local Governments.

For all spheres of government we have regular elections so if people are not happy with decisions the current government is making, they have the opportunity to vote in another group of people to form a new government.

Between elections, groups and individuals will often be active in trying to convince governments to change suggested policies or create new policies if they are not happy with the current situation.

Politics is All Around Us

"Politics" is a fact of life. Whether we like it or not it is happening at every moment and in every aspect of community life. Politics is about making decisions. It is about power and influence.

Take the case of two young children squabbling over the one toy. The bigger child gets the toy, the younger one misses out. In this case strength decided the issue. On the other hand if the parent sees the dispute both may miss out with the toy being put out of reach. As a compromise the parent may suggest some method of taking turns. The parent is using power and influence to resolve the matter.

In the decision making that takes place in your household, such as who takes the rubbish out, looks after the younger members of the family, walks the dog or which show on television will be watched, power and influence or politics will be taking place. Generally, for the sake of peace, compromises are made along the line of, "I'll put the rubbish out, if you walk the dog".

Decisions Usually Mean Compromises

Similarly when governments make decisions they are continually making compromises. You cannot please everyone all of the time. Pleasing the majority most of the time is the best that can be expected.

Our system of government is often described as being democracy. To be precise we are in fact a parliamentary democracy. Democracy means "rule by the people". However because it would be a very slow and costly exercise for people to vote on every single issue, we elect individuals to decide such matters on our behalf. We elect representatives for each of our three spheres of government - Federal, State and Local Government.

1. Find out who is eligible to vote in Federal, State and Local Government elections.
2. When will you be required to enrol to vote? It is up to each individual to ensure they are enrolled to vote. Find out how you enrol to vote.
3. In Australia, for State and Federal Government elections, voting is compulsory .What are some of the main arguments for and against compulsory voting?
4. When is it compulsory for people to vote in Local Government elections and when is voting optional?

Council's libraries provide a range of information and pamphlets.

Hawkesbury City Council operates the following libraries.

• Hawkesbury Central Library, telephone 4560 4460
• Richmond Branch Library, telephone 4578 2002

Hawkesbury City Council Offices are located at George Street, Windsor, telephone
02 4560 4444. Brochures and statistical information can be obtained from the various Council Departments.

If we accept governments are necessary in order for us to live harmoniously as a community, why does Australia have three separate kinds of spheres of government?

We have one Commonwealth Government, six State Governments and over 700 Local Governments. In addition, we have two Territory Governments, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, which have similar roles as the State Governments. The reason why we have the three spheres is largely due to our historical development.

Constitutional Development

European settlement of Australia was by the British with the establishment of the Colony of New South Wales at Botany Bay. Shortly after colonies were established in Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The Colony of New South Wales was originally the whole of the east coast of Australia but later Victoria and Queensland seceded as separate colonies.

During the 19th century , the six colonies won self government. Following the British system of government, they established Local Governments. In New South Wales, most of the metropolitan councils and larger country towns were established between 1859 and the turn of the century.

As the colonies developed and increased in population, people began to recognise a growing number of areas of common concern. Issues such as trade between the colonies, the need for a common immigration policy, and the desire for such questions to be decided by those they affected, not the British Government on the other side of the world, led to a call for the young colonies to join together as the one nation.

After lengthy discussions involving the six colonies and the British Government, the Colonial Governments agreed to give up some of their powers seen to be of common or national interest to a new Federal Government. The Colonial Governments, at the time of Federation in 1901, became known as State Governments. The State Governments retained most of the powers they had as Colonial Governments including Local Government.

Division of Powers Between the Spheres of Government

The establishment of our federal system of government is embodied in the Australian Constitution Act (1900). Known as the Australian Constitution, this document sets out the division of powers between the Federal and State Governments.

In joining together as the one nation the colonies, which became State Governments after Federation, handed very few powers to the new Federal Government. Those they did relinquish were matters seen to be of common interest, such as relations with other nations, immigration, the minting of money and defence.
Some powers are shared by the two spheres of government. However, if differences arise then Federal Government law prevails over State law. Any powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, called residual powers, are under the control of the States. Any disputes between the Federal and State Governments over areas of responsibility are decided by the High Court.

As a number of the powers are shared, duplication and overlap occurs. In addition, over the years, the Federal Government has been able to increase its powers at the expense of the States. This has largely been due to its superior position in regard to revenue raising. The States rely heavily on their finances from the Federal Government. Quite often the Federal Government provides the finances while the States administer the service.

Areas of State Government responsibility generally include its police force, hospitals, public transport, education system and road laws.

State/Local Government Relations

Local Government is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution so as a residual power it belongs to the State Government. Local Government in Australia derives its authority from a State Government Act. The relevant State Government has ultimate power over all councils in that State. In New South Wales this is the Local Government Act (1993). A total overhaul of this Act was recently carried out resulting in extensive reforms to Local Government. This legislation took effect on 1 July 1993.

So long as councils act within the provisions of the Local Government Act, the State Government would be unlikely to interfere. But if things go wrong in an individual council, such as allegations of corruption or gross mismanagement, the State Government may dismiss the elected councillors and appoint an administrator to sort out the problem. Such action usually occurs following a legitimate complaint by residents to the State Minister responsible for Local Government.

Under the Local Government Act (1993)and other State legislation, such as the Public Health Act, Environment Assessment and Planning Act, the Bushfire Act and the Dog Act, councils are empowered to look after local matters, such as local roads, footpaths, garbage collection, parks and gardens, libraries and swimming pools. Councils also have a planning and coordinating role in the provision of community services.

Across Australia there are over 700 separate Local Governments. In New South Wales, we have 177 councils. These vary in both area and population. Local Governments are generally referred to as a council.

1. Under the Local Government Act, councils have regulatory functions and service functions. Explain the difference and find examples of each.
2. How does the relationship between the Federal and State Government differ to that of the State and Local Governments?

Council's libraries provide a range of information and pamphlets.

Hawkesbury City Council operates the following libraries.

Hawkesbury City Council Offices are located at George Street, Windsor, telephone 4560 4444. Brochures and statistical information can be obtained from the various Council Departments.

Government Closest to the People

Because Local Government is government of the local area by local people, it is often described as the sphere of government closest to the people. As a community government its activities will largely reflect local needs. Much of council's decision making is an expression of new and ongoing community needs.

Services required by a fast growing area, such as Hawkesbury, will be very different to those of an established inner urban council and likewise a small rural council. The demography or population breakdown of the local area is the key factor here. For example, fast growing areas attract many young families so there is a heavy demand for family and children's services and youth services. Established areas usually have a larger proportion of older people creating a greater demand for services such as home help and delivered meals.

It has often been said that Local Government's role could be described as the three "R's" -roads, rates and rubbish. It is true these are important areas of the work undertaken by councils, but today councils do much more than this.

The New South Wales Local Government Act (1993) states that the general purpose of the new Act is to:

Types of Councils

In New South Wales, all Local Governments are called councils. Some, such as Hawkesbury City Council, are referred to as city councils, while others are called shires. Although shires are usually rural, some of Sydney's outer councils still retain the title shire, such as Sutherland and Hornsby Shires. In all councils, elected representatives are called councillors and the leader of council is known as the mayor.

Council is usually divided into wards with a number of councillors representing each ward. In Hawkesbury, however, the Council area is not divided, so all councillors represent the whole City.

The Role of Councillors

The role of a Councillor, as an elected person, is to represent the interests of residents and ratepayers, to provide leadership and guidance to the community and to facilitate communication between the community and the Council.

With some issues, groups in the community may actively try to convince council to make a particular decision. For example, bicycle users might want bike paths made or a group of residents may be concerned about plans to remove some trees. These groups are called Pressure Groups. Some are highly organised, permanent groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce, while others are less formal, forming over a particular issue then disbanding once the matter is resolved.

Each year, the councillors elect one councillor to be the mayor. He or she presides over council meetings and represents council at formal functions.

Councillors are not paid a salary but receive an annual allowance of $11,770 to help cover expenses in fulfilling their role on council. They generally carry out their council duties in addition to their full time job in the workforce and/or commitments in the home. They cannot be expected to know all the details required for every issue discussed by council Nor have they the time to research all matters for themselves.

Council staff provide reports to council to assist councillors in their decision making. For example, the council's engineers have the expertise to provide information on which footpaths require maintenance works, the cost of this work in the current financial year and how much more it could cost if this work is delayed.

Find out what studies are required in order to qualify as a town planner, child care worker, landscape gardener, building & environment health officer, engineer, librarian and building inspector.

What the Council Staff Do

Council staff are paid workers with qualifications and skills to provide detailed information and advice to assist councillors when making their decisions.

Decision Making

Ultimate decision making power is in the hands of the councillors. The staff are responsible to council and the councillors are then responsible to those who elected them. In this way it is the whole community which is responsible for the decisions and tasks carried out in their local area.

Once council makes a decision as to what is to be done it then hands responsibility to council staff to carry out the task. Council staff are qualified or have the necessary skills to undertake such work.

By talking to residents and community groups about what is needed to be done in the local area, councillors are to make decisions which best meet the needs of the whole community.

1. Find out who are your local Federal and State Parliamentary representatives. How many people do they represent? Find out how many people reside in Hawkesbury? What is the ratio of councillors to the population of Hawkesbury?
2. Look in the local papers to see which groups are presently putting pressure on Council to make a particular decision. Follow the issue over several weeks. Collect cuttings and write a short article, including a description of the group, what action those involved want Council to take and what methods they are using to achieve this. Are there any other groups opposing their views?

Council's libraries provide a range of information and pamphlets.

Hawkesbury City Council operates the following libraries.

Hawkesbury City Council Offices are located at George Street, Windsor, telephone 02 4560 4444.

Brochures and statistical information can be obtained from the various Council Departments.

Click Here for 'Council Organisational Structure'