Metropolitan Councils Research Articles

Growing liveable cities: an indicators study of Melbourne’s fast-growing metropolitan area

Building liveable cities is challenging; ensuring we keep building liveable cities with growing populations is more difficult, but it's a task that we can tackle together. The Metropolitan Growth Area Councils (MGACs) in Greater Melbourne are experiencing rapid growth, which presents development opportunities and challenges for building liveable communities. This article examines the correlations between MGACs and other metropolitan councils on key indicators such as population, council representation, household characters, education, employment, transport, and safety. It concludes that MGACs tend to have larger populations, more children, younger communities, and lower mortgage payments but are less likely to own their homes outright, more commuters by car and large gaps in community infrastructure such as schools and libraries. Crimes such as burglaries, housebreaking, and arson are also problems. As decision-makers, urban planners, community stakeholders, and researchers involved in urban development and community planning, it is crucial to target resources at these challenges to make communities in growth areas more liveable.

How strategic public procurement creates social value: Evidence from UK anchor institutions

ABSTRACT This study investigates how public procurement is used strategically to create social value. Public management research has analysed the different levels, forms, and processes of social value creation, but little is known about the role of public procurement in this respect. Based on 17 cases of UK public-sector anchor institutions (Metropolitan Councils and hospitals), we unveil social value-oriented procurement strategies, inter-organizational structures, supplier management practices, and capability development and performance assessment activities. We contribute to public administration research by showing how social value policies translate into strategic procurement goals and activities.

South African electoral trends: prospects for coalition governance at national and provincial spheres in 2024

ABSTRACT The 2021 local government elections (LGE) in the Republic of South Africa once again delivered hung metropolitan municipalities – a phenomenon that became common following the 2016 LGE results. The City of Cape Town is, however, a metropolitan municipality that has experienced coalition governance since the early 2000s, while the rest of South Africa's metropolitan municipalities were governed by the ruling African National Congress from 1994 to 2016. The 2021 LGE delivered coalition governments across the majority of metropolitan councils, namely: City of Tshwane (the capital), City of Johannesburg (Africa's economic hub), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, City of Ethekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. This paper provides a conceptualisation of 'coalition governance and politics', and key characteristics of this phenomenon in South Africa and globally. Conceptual and operational understandings of coalitions is crucial given their increasing prevalence in South Africa. Areas of cooperation, compromise, consensus and divergence among the prospective coalition partners in South Africa are also examined in the article (based on political party electoral performance trends, political ideology, policy preferences and leadership personalities and qualities). Such factors are important because they determine the likely feasibility, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of coalition governments.

지방의회 공공외교 현황 분석을 통한 활성화 방안 모색

The purpose of this study is to seek practical and effective policy measures to revitalize public diplomacy in local councils by closely examining the current situation of public diplomacy in local councils from various angles and aspects. To this end. the public diplomatic environment of local councils was analyzed through news big data analysis, and the objective reality of 17 metropolitan councils was analyzed how local councils responded and changed after the enactment of the Public Diplomatic Act. In particular. by analyzing the diplomatic activities of the Busan Metropolitan Council for 14 years efforts were made to identify the problems and limitations that appear in actual operation. The effect of the Public Diplomatic Act should be able to spread beyond the diplomatic administration of local governments. To do this. various institutional supplements are needed to secure transparency and accountability in the operation of public diplomatic activities by reorganizing the legal basis at the local council level and to strengthen public diplomatic capabilities.

Impact of Fire Assistant Personnel on the Reduced Amount of Fire Damage in South Korea

Previous studies have examined the status of volunteer fire brigade members, who are classified as firefighting assistants, observed problems in the firefighting administration, and suggested solutions for these problems. These studies are meaningful because they have led to the proposal and implementation of policies for an efficient firefighting administration. However, the references do not provide evidence on how firefighting assistants reduce the amount of fire damage in firefighting administration. Therefore, this study aimed to statistically analyze the impact of fire assistant personnel on the reduction in the amount of property damaged (RAPD) in South Korea. For this purpose, panel data based on firefighting officers (FFOs), volunteer firefighters (VFFs), obligatory firefighters (OFFs), and the RAPD of 16 metropolitan councils in South Korea from 2011 to 2018 were obtained and analyzed. The results demonstrate that population (POP)/FFO, VFF/FFO, and OFF/FFO did not significantly influence RAPD (p < 0.01). However, negative regression coefficients are shown for POP/FFO and VFF/FFO, and positive regression coefficients are shown for OFF/FFO. These results can form an evidence base to explain the relationship between fire assistant personnel and RAPD.

Municipal tax restrictions and economic efficiency: an analysis of Australian local councils

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the impact of rate capping policy on local council efficiency. It also examines a set of exogenous factors associated with local government efficiency. A semi-parametric framework based on data envelopment analysis is applied to construct an efficient frontier for Victorian local governments. Findings indicate that rate capping policy had no significant effect on the overall economic efficiency of Victorian local governments. Furthermore, the policy appears to have an adverse effect on the efficiency of metropolitan councils during the study period. The heterogeneity of local governments needs to be considered when setting rate caps.

Post-political planning in Sydney: a turn in the wrong direction

ABSTRACT The New South Wales (NSW) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (EPAA) was promulgated in 1979 to simplify the planning process, to pay particular attention to ecological sustainability and to improve community consultation in planning matters. In the four decades since its inception, the EPAA has been amended more than 150 times. The changes to the planning system have mostly revolved around the decision-making process, the unmistakeable struggle for control between the State and Local Government and the attempts to shift to a post-political/ managerial planning system. The delegation of substantial decision-making powers to Local Government by the EPAA on its inception forced the State Government to work collaboratively with Local Government. In practice, however, this has proven difficult for the NSW State Government. In this paper, we will draw attention to some of the decision-making reforms that have dominated the planning system debate in NSW, how they have created legitimacy questions and stronger opposition to planning decisions, and how a shift to a post-political decision-making system is being used to overcome the power and legitimacy of collaborative planning and to re-concentrate the decision-making powers in the political hierarchies. We conclude that the change to the post-political system of the past decade is a move in the wrong direction. The most recent amendment to the EPAA regarding the compulsory use of the Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels (IHAP) in all Sydney metropolitan councils, hides political influences within the decision-making process and is another means of eliminating or undermining the democratic scrutiny that comes with the exercise of political powers. These changes with time could create a risk to the integrity of the profession.

Impact of Fire Demand on Fire Service Budget

This paper aimed to statistically analyze the impact of fire needs not considered in previous reports based on preventive and preparedness strategies of fire administration and fire budget.. The panel data came from 16 metropolitan councils from 2008 to 2018 and was statistically analyzed based on the preventive measures of the fire administration (agreement for building permission, specific target for fire-fighting, public use facilities, and special fire inspection [SFI]), preparedness of the fire administration (fire safety education [FSE]), response of the fire administration (mobilization for fire suppression [MFS] and mobilization for ambulance service [MAS]), and fire budget. In the results, SFI, FSE, and MFS had a significant negative influence on the fire budget. Meanwhile, MAS had a significant positive effect on the fire budget (p < 0.01). These results reflect public policy in Korea; there has been a paradigm shift in fire administration: from disaster acceptance (focusing on recovery) to disaster response (focusing on field response) to disaster preparedness (focusing on preparedness).

Effect of Preventive and Prepared Fire Administration on Response Fire Administration

This study aimed to provide an empirical analysis of the effect of preventive fire administration (PVFA) and prepared fire administration (PPFA) on response fire administration (RPFA) in fire service organizations in Korea. To this end, panel data was collected from 16 metropolitan councils from the period of 2008 to 2018 and statistically analyzed using PVFA, PPFA, and RPFA. The independent variables were PVFA and PPFA, while the dependent variable was RPFA. The analysis of the current situation of the specific target for firefighting (STFF), public use facilities, proof of completion of safety families for public use facilities, and special fire inspection were sub-variables of PVFA. Fire safety education (FSE) and the mobilization for fire suppression (MFS) were sub-variables of PPFA and RPFA, respectively. In the results, STFF and FSE had a significant positive influence on the MFS. This study will contribute to the basic research regarding the investigation of the effectivity of fire service organizations in Korea.

The missing link between growth area planning and metropolitan governance

ABSTRACT In Melbourne, growth area planning is generally influenced by the overarching metropolitan plan, but there is a missing link – an overall metropolitan point of view and approach is lacking. While a planned approach to growth areas is important and is quite sophisticated and well-established in Melbourne, it is also crucial to account for what these plans mean for the overall metropolitan area and what interdependencies exist. Growth areas are places where some of the central challenges of metropolitan development play out and are dealt with. At the same time, their growth also exacerbates some of those challenges. Current metropolitan governance structures in Melbourne lead to growth councils being left alone to some extent in their dealing with the strong population growth. The State Government assists those councils with some programmes, but there is no balance, support or coordination between all metropolitan councils to counterbalance the diverse challenges. A more inclusive and less state-focused metropolitan governance structure can provide some solutions and the opportunity to discuss how we want our metropolitan growth to happen.

우리나라 광역자치단체 부동산업의 성장 특성 분석 - 변이할당분석과 성장률시차분석을 이용하여 -

우리나라 광역자치단체 부동산업의 성장 특성 분석 - 변이할당분석과 성장률시차분석을 이용하여 -

Democratic decentralisation, citizen engagement and service delivery in South Africa: A critique of legislative and policy considerations

Negotiations to restructure and transform local government in South Africa commenced in 1993. Key roleplayers and stakeholders in local government were instrumental in adopting a negotiated local government model comprising three distinct phases during the constitutional development process. The Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) facilitated the process for the introduction of transitional local and metropolitan councils which constituted the first phase. Local government elections were held for the first time in November 1995 and May/June 1996 in seven provinces (and thereafter Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) constituted the second phase. Three fundamental legislative enactments, i.e. Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998 (Act 27 of 1998); Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) and the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), were critical to the final phase. Elections held in December 2000 marked the end of the transition period resulting in a reduction of municipalities from 843 to 283. There were two successful local government elections held thereafter on 26 March 2006 and more recently on 18 May 2011. Regular elections and the plethora of legislation introduced to consolidate the new dispensation have resulted in local democracy and decentralisation being deeply rooted in the local governance system. The latter is an integral component of the local governance policy framework as the country has a diverse population of almost 50 million people. It is believed that a democratic and decentralised governance system will promote local development, address poverty reduction, facilitate civic engagement and ensure national integration. Local democracy, introduced seventeen years ago following the ushering in of the developmental state in 1994, has since been tried and tested. Despite 'world class' legislation and a 'best practice' local governance system, which has as its basis people centred development, engagement and decentralisation, several governance challenges has emerged. This includes inter alia, unfunded mandates; rampant corruption and nepotism; violent service delivery protests; capacity constraints; crime, lack of communication, transparency and accountability; limited civic engagement and a significant number of municipalities that are not financially viable. These issues will have to be addressed if Chapter 7 of the Constitution has to become more meaningful to the majority of the populace in terms of discharging its developmental mandate.

광역의회 여성 대표성의 의미와 한계 : 7개 의회의 여성정책 분야 의정활동 분석을 중심으로

본 연구는 광역의회 의정활동 분야 중 여성정책 의제가 어느 분야에서 활발하게 논의되고 있으며, 여성정책 의제를 활성화시키는 주체는 누구인지를 살펴보고자 조례안 발의, 예·결산 심의, 시·도정질의, 행정감사 분야에서 제기되는 발의안과 발언들의 수와 내용을 남녀 의원별로 양적 및 질적 차원에서 분석하였다. 분석대상의 시기는 2014년 7월 1일부터 2017년 6월30일까지로 3년간이며, 분석 대상의회는 17개 광역의회 중 7개를 선정하였다.BR 분석결과, 양적 분석에서 여성정책은 행정감사 분야에서 가장 활발히 논의되었으며, 가장 많은 발언이 제기된 세부주제는 안전/폭력 이슈였다. 또한 의정활동 네 개 분야 전반적으로 여성의원들의 활동이 남성의원들보다 두 배에서 세 배 이상까지 앞섰으며, 여성의원이 참여한 상임위원회에는 여성정책 관련 발언이 반드시 제기된 점이 확인되었다. 조례안과 발언에 대한 내용 분석에서 발견된 것은 첫째, 남성의원들의 성차별적 발언이 상당수 있었다는 점, 둘째, 여성정책 세부주제에 있어서 남녀 의원 간 성차가 발견되었다는 점, 셋째, 여성의원의 발언이 활발히 제기되었지만, 각 지자체의 여성정책에 변화를 가져올 정도의 추진동력이 될 만한 발언은 발견되지 않았다는 점이다.BR 본 연구는 광역의회에 여성의원의 양적 확대가 실질적 대표성으로 연결되고 있다는 점을 확인했다는 데 의의가 있으며, 남성 중심적 문화가 지배적인 광역의회에서 여성의원의 의정활동에 제약이 많이 존재하고 있다는 점, 그리고 정당정치의 틀 안에서 의정활동과 재공천이 별개로 간주되는 구조적인 문제점 등은 한계로 지적할 수 있겠다.

Does wastewater discharge have relations with increase of Turner syndrome and Down syndrome?

The purpose of this study is to examine whether water and air pollutants have a relationship with an increase in the genetic disorders Turner syndrome and Down syndrome, which are caused by congenital chromosomal abnormalities, and to generate a hypothesis about the genetic health effects of environmental pollutants. A panel regression based on random effect was conducted on Korea’s metropolitan councils from 2012 to 2014. The dependent variable was the number of Turner syndrome and Down syndrome cases, and the main independent variables were those regarding the water and air pollution. Air pollutants did not have a significant impact on the number of Turner syndrome and Down syndrome cases; however, the increase in number of wastewater discharge companies did have a significant relationship with the number of cases. The more the number of wastewater discharge companies, the more the number Turner syndrome and Down syndrome cases were observed. Therefore, scientific investigation on water and air pollutants in relation with genetic health effects needs to be performed.

South African Municipal Elections in 2016: Contests over the Metropolitan Councils

South African Municipal Elections in 2016: Contests over the Metropolitan Councils

Planning Playgrounds to Facilitate Children’s Pretend Play: A Case Study of New Suburbs in Perth Western Australia

Playgrounds are important features of residential areas. Their design influences child play behaviour, particularly ‘pretend play’. With a growing number of young families moving into new suburbs, investigation into the extent to which pretend play is considered in playground design is an important planning issue. This is the focus of this research. Three playgrounds in Perth, Western Australia, were chosen as case studies, and intercept surveys of parents supervising children at these playgrounds and observation of the children behaviour were carried out. Park managers, landscape architects and community facilities managers from outer metropolitan councils were also interviewed. A key finding was that multi-purpose play equipment, particularly sand and themed playgrounds, best fostered pretend play. Further, while local government officers were supportive of pretend play, several factors limit the inclusion of pretend play features into playground designs, primarily risk management. Officers acknowledged that high-risk play was conducive to pretend play, but the need to reduce risk was the main consideration for playground design. The overall conclusion was that pretend play is neglected in playground designs, therefore greater education is needed of the value of pretend play in playground design needed, including the role of risk.

Fiscal Policy and Local Government Administration in Nigeria

Opinions have varied on the utility of local government administration in promoting sustainable grassroots development. Scholars are apprehensive of the prevalence of high degree of corruption and systemic inefficiency at the local government. This paper evaluates the system of financial regulations put in place to curtail the degree of corruption at the local government level with a view to ascertaining the efficiency of its operation. A critical analysis of the inbuilt financial control mechanisms reveals that they are sidetracked by state and local government officials for selfish ends. The paper is analytical in nature and used the theory of revenue exaction to examine the dynamics of fiscal policy at the local government level. The paper frowned at the existence of municipal area councils and recommends the abolition of metropolitan councils, the creation of more rural based local government councils and the strict enforcement of fiscal laws as means of promoting fiscal efficiency and sustainable development at the grassroots.Key words: Fiscal Policy; Fiscal Discipline; Local Government; Human Resources; Sustainable Development; Tax Liability; Tax Eligibility

Devolution of power in Zimbabwe's new constitutional order : opportunities and potential constraints

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have adopted constitutions which legislate different forms of decentralisation for their governance structures and systems. This currency and desirability for decentralisation is built on a consensus of African governments, international development agencies and civil society organisations that see it as a democratic system of government which advances citizen participation in human development. This consensus further sees decentralisation as a key for local democratisation in Africa since it brings a locally responsive government closer to the people and makes government more accountable to local people. Although there are four main forms of decentralisation, namely, administrative, political, fiscal and market, many African governments have chosen to implement political decentralisation (devolution) and administrative decentralisation (deconcentration) with those running devolved systems of government being seen and acclaimed as more democratic. These are the democratic credentials usually showered on Kenya and Uganda which run devolved governments, as well as South Africa which uses a unique decentralisation model based on a three tier co-operative government structure. Of late, Zimbabwe has joined this group of African countries with constitutions that legislate a devolved governance system. Zimbabwe's new Constitution adopted in May 2013 states that governmental powers and responsibilities must be devolved between the national government, provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities which are expected to ensure good governance by being effective, transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of local people. This introduction of devolution of power as a new governance model in Zimbabwe replaces deconcentration on the premise that devolution is a more democratic, citizen centred, participatory, more transparent, accountable and locally relevant development focussed governance system. This article examines the opportunities and potential constraints associated with this transition from deconcentration to a three tier devolved system of governance. It does this through answering the following questions: To what extent will this reconfiguration of the State from centralisation to devolution give citizens more power to elect representatives who understand and champion their local development needs? Will local needs, aspirations, influence and drive the development agenda as opposed to the current top-down deconcentration model of development? Which consequentialist and deontological benefits will be derived from devolution of power? Is devolution going to influence equitable and fair exploitation of local resources for the benefit of all communities including marginalised provinces, such as, Matabeleland, Midlands and Manicaland? Does an anti-devolutionist ZANU-PF dominated government have the political will to fully implement devolution? Or maybe devolution of power will remain a symbolic constitutional provision while the deconcentration status quo remains?

A Study on the effects of Environmental Taxes on Inhabitant’s Health - With Emphasis on Metropolitan Councils -

A Study on the effects of Environmental Taxes on Inhabitant’s Health - With Emphasis on Metropolitan Councils -

Carbon Management by Queensland Local Councils: Citizenship for Transitioning to a Low Carbon Future

Climate change and carbon mitigation are key issues for local government. This paper evaluates carbon actions by 32 local councils in Queensland, Australia. A climate action framework and carbon management matrix were used to assess corporate citizenship by councils on emissions reduction. This study found carbon actions related to council size and capacity, coastal location and climate change strategies. Carbon mitigation actions were mainly implemented by city, then regional and lastly shire councils. Carbon leadership was mainly evident among larger councils (>30,000 population), that have climate change plans and targets. Coastal and metropolitan councils were more ‘carbon-ready’ (i.e. consolidating or mainstreaming carbon actions) than smaller inland rural councils (i.e. latent or emerging actions). Most Queensland councils were minimalistic or opportunistic in adopting eco-efficiency actions while a few progressively integrated low carbon measures in council operations. The paper identifies key issues for local government in transitioning to a low carbon future. O Climate change