Max writes :

Charles, it seems you have no idea what a local government in rural
Australia, and there are about 300 that fit this category, does.  These
councils do not tender out these operations they do them themselves.  We
do not have a local police station, out of business hours we have two
police on duty to cover 3,500 sq km, six town and 10,000 people, so the
police do not handle barking dogs as it is a council responsibility.
Define close neighbourhood?

A large number of people who live in Sydney feel alienated from government
in NSW, and if you visit my area you will find the people would never vote
to have a region centred on Wagga or Albury, they may as well stay with what
they now have. My reasoning behind have just a national government centred
in Canberra is that then although the largest proportion of pollies will
come from ex capital cities they will have to compete against each other and
as individual cities they will be out numbered by the regional and rural
sector.

Charles writes :

I was born on a soldier settlement farm in the middle of the great
depression in Numurkah and do have some idea of how things are in the bush.

Under the 'regional gov't' model you would have a local police station
(and if you live in rural Australia you will be grateful that it is not
on your doorstep).

Under the regional gov't model, 'close neighbourhood' would be defined as
being 'within 5000 voters'.  The model I have in mind is that regional MPs
would be elected from an electorate of approx 5000 voters.  Obviously, in an
urban area this would be within a few streets.  In country areas it could be
quite some distance away but would still be much better than the current
situation in which your local Fed MP is one of 80,000 voters!

People everywhere in Australia are unhappy about government, at all levels.
That is why we are struggling to redesign the system to provide 'close to
the people' delivery of services and intimate representation to achieve
greater accountability.  In Brisbane (pop 1m approx) people are saying the
local gov't Council is too remote.  The creation of two or three regional
govt's would be welcomed by many.  I only lived in Sydney for 5 years so I
would welcome some research on that but my impression is that Sydneysiders
think the State Gov't is too remote and local gov't ineffectual and corrupt.
I only lived in Townsville for two years but I can assure you the people
there regard the State Gov't as another 'down south' organisation that
collects taxes but spends most of it in and around the Capital City.  The
politicians in Brisbane complain that Canberra is too far away and out of
touch.  They don't seem to realise that Cairns is much further from Brisbane
than Brisbane is from Canberra!

But there are many other advantages in this proposed decentralisation.  Not
the least of these is the boost to regional economies with the establishment
of a regional gov't.  The seat of gov't becomes the centre of activity: not
only political but commercial,cultural and social activity as well.

Five years ago I was happy to accept the research commissioned by Ken
Thomas that came up with 37 regions.  Over recent years it has become
obvious that somewhere in the vicinity of 100 regions would be a better
solution.

100 Regions would give an average population of 190,000.  With
electorates of 5000 voters (approx 7500 pop), that would give an average
of 25 MPs in each regional parliament.  That seems about right if you
look at the responsibilities I have in mind that regional gov'ts would
assume.

Charles writes :

> Bureaucrats who have lived all their life in Canberra (and we are
> now on to third generation Canberrans in the PS in large numbers)

David writes :

I was under the impression that the people of Canberra were the most
transient in Australia. I think of my friends in Canberra and maybe
15-20% grew up in Canberra. I can imagine it's changed a bit since,
and I guess my friends were more globalised than most, but then so
are senior bureaucrats. And I doubt it makes any real difference
whence came an ASO3, since they make no policy.

Pat writes :

While I think it is the case, I see that it is starting to change.  Of all
the local people I graduated with, a majority of them are now returning.
Who can blame them, the enticement to move to the larger centres is
absolutely huge, the enticement overseas even larger.