Victorian council sacked after damning report

South Gippsland Council will be sacked on the recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry.

19 June, 2019

$3.2b axed from NSW public service in budget

The NSW government has announced a massive shake-up of the public service.

18 June, 2019

Logan City Council sacked after ‘unprecedented crisis’

An “unprecedented integrity crisis” has led the Queensland government to sack the entire Logan City Council.

2 May, 2019

Logan City Mayor, councillors charged with fraud

Logan City Council Mayor Luke Smith and seven councillors have been charged with fraud.

26 April, 2019

NSW Office of Local Government axed under restructure

The NSW government will abolish key agencies including Local Government and Environment & Heritage.

2 April, 2019

‘Generational change’ at Brisbane City Council

Adam Schrinner will replace Graham Quirk as Brisbane Lord Mayor.

29 March, 2019

Perth City Council to be suspended

The City of Perth, popularly known as Perth City Council, has been a soap opera for a year or more. Now the State Government has had enough, and has declared the Council will be suspended, and Commissioner appointed. WA Local Government Minister David Templeman has announced the suspension will take place from Friday 2 March. […]

1 March, 2018

Tumbarumba amalgamation protests intensify

They’re mad as hell down Tumbarumba way. The Snowy Mountains town best known for John O’Brien’s wonderful poem ‘Up at Tumba-bloody-rumba shootin’ kanga-bloody-roos’ has become the touchstone for renewed opposition to the NSW Government’s disastrous forced council amalgamation strategy. In May 2016 the local council was merged with neighbouring Tumut Shure to form Snowy Valleys […]

18 February, 2018

Operation Belcarra claims Queensland electoral commissioner

Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) head Walter van der Merwe has resigned, two days after being suspended for allegations of serious misconduct. Current ECQ Assistant Electoral Commissioner Dermot Tiernan will be Acting Electoral Commissioner. In a short statement, Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said Mr van der Merwe “has delivered his resignation to the Governor this […]

15 February, 2018

New public sector training academy launches in Australia

Adrian Renouf – “Australia needs the Academy model” Management consultancy PPB Advisory will next week launch the Australasian Transformation Academy (ATA), a new venture which it says will help government agencies “transform how public services are delivered.” The ATA is a joint initiative of PPB Advisory and the UK based Public Service Transformation Academy (PSTA), […]

15 February, 2018

Australians’ trust in government at an all-time low

The percentage of Australians who say they have trust in their governments has declined to 35 percent. The metric is contained in the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer, which measures public trust in four types of institution across 28 countries. The result in Australia comes despite the overall level of trust is government across all countries […]

8 February, 2018

Productivity Commission savages financial regulatory system

Australia’s ‘Four Pillars’ banking policy is redundant, there is not enough competition in the insurance industry, and the banks are using their market power to gouge their customers. That’s what the Productivity Commission thinks. The independent government agency has released its Draft Report on Competition in the Australian Financial System. It does not paint a […]

7 February, 2018

Productivity Commission Report on Government Services – Overview

The Productivity Commission has begun releasing its 23rd annual Report on Government Services (RoGS). It is major exercise, with separate chapters released in seven parts over the next week on all areas of government service delivery. Government News will examine each report in depth. Our special Australia Day newsletter will highlight all sections released by […]

22 January, 2018

City Deal for Hobart – eventually

Tasmania’s capital Hobart will become the fifth Australian city to sign up to the Federal Government’s City Deal program, well after cross-island rival Launceston. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman have announced they will “help make a City Deal for Hobart a reality” – consistent with the Federal Government’s strategy of announcing […]

15 January, 2018