ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

To help Victorians understand more about local councils and their role in building stronger local communities, the Victorian Government has put together a web-based Guide to Local Government.

The Guide is a great way for all Victorians, no matter where they live, to learn more about local government as well as understanding how much their council is doing in their local community every day.

It has information about how councils work, how they make decisions, what services they are responsible for delivering, how they are funded and much more.

Information is organised into six main sections:

• How councils work
• How councils make decisions
• What councils do
• Planning & finance
• Council elections; and
• Consultation & complaints.

Where possible, the Guide provides visitors with direct links to a variety of informaiton that may not otherwise be easily accessible from the one website. Examples of related links include VicRoads, which is responsible for the main or arterial roads not managed by councils, or the Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), which hears complaints against some council decisions.

While the Guide to Local Government aims to provide general assistance, it is only a guide.

Information in the Guide may not take into account all the individual circumstances and you should check with Council for specific details about arrangements in Golden Plains Shire.

The Guide was produced and is managed by Local Government Victoria, part of the Victorian Government's Department for Victorian Communities.