State of the Sector report

National trends for local government

How are national trends impacting local government?  

Decision-makers and planners at every level of government are faced with new demographic and economic conditions that present opportunities and challenges for future planning.

Australia is experiencing historically high levels of immigration, plus increased life expectancy and higher than anticipated birth rates. The economy is still rebalancing after the mining boom, with growth in areas such as construction and services, redistributing employment opportunities to different sectors and areas. These population drivers, together with federal/state government policies, continue to push investment to the housing sector. House prices are at an all-time high and almost a third of households are now renting. These changes have flowed into the spatial distribution of our population, with employment and housing transformations impacting the way communities are formed and live together.

This report looks at the wider national and state influences contributing to the complexities of local governance.

Download a copy of the State of the Sector report