Levels of Australian  Government

Shane Knuth is a State Member of Parliament representing the Electorate of Hill. There are three levels of government in Australia - Federal, State and Local. Understanding the different levels can be confusing, especially when you're unsure where to go for help.  We've put together some links we find useful in explaining the system below. 

Federal - Federal issues cover national affairs such as defence, trade, foreign affairs, money & taxes, communications, environment, immigration etc. However, the federal government is also involved in state issues, mainly through funding in areas such as health, education, environment, and industrial relations. 

State - Under the Australian Constitution, the states and territories are responsible for everything not listed as a federal responsibility. However, sometimes both levels are involved. State issues cover health, education, mining & agriculture, fishing, police, prisons, roads and transport, emergency services, community services and so forth are state issues.

Local - Local government is run by your local council (Tablelands Regional Council, Cassowary Coast Council etc). They are responsible for local roads, garbage, pets, local buildings, permits, rates and more.

System of Government

This website explains the overall workings of Australian Government before going into how State Government works, and in particular Queensland State Government.

This is a link to ABC's BTN quick explainer video. 

While this programme is aimed at schools, we believe it's one of the best out there for people of all ages when it comes to explaining the different levels of government. For a quick run down on how the system works, and which level covers what - watch this video.

Who covers what?

This is a great PDF document produced by Queensland Parliament outlining the different roles of government to make it easier in selecting which government body you need to contact regarding your issue.