Breaking down the divisions?: A case study of political power and changing rural local government representation

Abstract

Rural local government in Australia has long been acknowledged as an arena of political power, where certain individuals and groups benefit more than others (see McIntyre & McIntyre 1944, Oeser & Emery 1957, Wild 1974, Gray 1991a). However, little, if anything, has been documented on how changes in patterns of representation might alter local government power structures. This paper aims to add to sociological knowledge through an investigation of change in local government representation, and of how such change affects the structure of power in rural local authorities, using the Longreach Shire, in Queensland, as a case study. With a particular focus on the Queensland Local Authority Electoral System, I analyse the basis of representation and power, and how changes to this structure might have altered Longreach local government power relations.