Local Government Amalgamation in Queensland: A Case Study of the Moreton Bay Regional Council

Abstract

Local government in Australia has been the subject of significant reform since the early 1990s. New local government legislation has been introduced, the types of services provided by councils have changed, and local government financial sustainability has been the subject of debate at both state and national levels. Whilst these changes have been significant, it has been structural reform of local government that has transformed the political landscape at the local level through involuntary amalgamations. This thesis reviews the various policy approaches to local government reform in Australia, with a particular focus on forced amalgamation as a method of structural reform. State and territory governments appear to be inextricably drawn to the idea that 'bigger is better' in local government. This thesis considers the merits of this proposition from theoretical and empirical viewpoints, and critically evaluates the Queensland experience of involuntary amalgamation in 2008.