Local Governance

Local governments (also known as local councils) are responsible for community needs such as:

• waste collection/disposal
• water and wastewater
• sewerage
• local roads
• public recreation facilities
• town planning.

They have the equivalent of a legislature and an executive only, and their powers are defined by the State Government.

Tasmania is divided into Local Government areas overseen by elected councils, whose responsibilities include a wide range of infrastructure, land use planning and community development issues.

There are 29 councils in Tasmania, and each controls its local area - ranging from a city the size of Hobart to municipalities that sprawl over thousands of hectares of farmland.