Local government plays an important role in community governance. As a forum for local decision-making, it helps deliver the Queensland Government's priorities locally and regionally.

The following documents explain how councils fit into government in Australia, what councils do, who works for councils, and how their work is funded.

Councils' accountability to the community

Councils are accountable to you and the community. Find out about accountable and transparent local government and how to resolve issues about council decisions.

Planning for the future

Councils are required to plan for the future of their communities by developing and adopting community plans that reflect the desires and aspirations of the community.

Guidelines for local government administration of community grants

Some local governments offer community grants to provide funding to organisations for the benefit of their communities. The department has developed guidelines for local governments administering community grants.

How your council works for you

Councils raise money through various sources such as rates, grants and fees. The money is used to represent the interests of a community within their local government area.

Council rates and charges

Who sets rates, how they are decided, and types of rates and charges existing in Queensland.

Grants and funding

Grants and funding programs administered by the department.

Local government performance

The Queensland local government comparative information report contains comprehensive data collected annually from Queensland councils on a wide range of issues, both financial and operational. It provides councils with an opportunity to compare and contrast aspects of their financial management and service delivery with those of their peers.

The local government profile report provides a snapshot of how councils across the state performed their roles throughout the year. It uses a number of comparative indicators to illustrate how each council performed on selected activities and measures relative to other similar councils.

Sustainability and reporting

The sustainability and reporting process emphasises the financial sustainability of councils and has led to the new Local Government Act 2009 including – for the first time- a definition of financial sustainability. Councils provide information about asset management, community engagement, governance and financial sustainability annually and summary reports are published on the data provided.

State and local government protocol

Establishes roles and responsibilities of state government and local government in the Queensland system of local government.

Other local government organisations

Links and contacts for local government organisations who can advise and assist you.