Role and functions of council

Roles and functions of Council

There are three levels of government in Australia. Each carries out distinct and important roles to provide Australians with the services they need. These services may overlap in some areas.

Local government plays an important role in community governance. As a forum for local decision-making, it helps deliver the Queensland Government priorities locally and regionally. A local government or council provides a wide range of services and activities, and for our Council this is even wider and more important than most. Councils are part of the economic, social, and cultural development of the local government area and represent and play an important role in community governance by enforcing various federal, state, and local laws for its communities.

The powers of local governments in Queensland are defined in the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012 . The services Torres Strait Island Regional Council provides include the following: Maintenance and construction of local roads and infrastructure

• Provision of water and sewerage • Provision of waste collection

• Provision of animal management • Provision of planning services • Management of local laws • Provision of community facilities such as community halls and Indigenous Knowledge Centres • Provision of child- and aged care • Provision of postal services • Provision of Centrelink services

• Provision of fuel and gas • Social housing management including repairs, maintenance, and newbuilds Some of these services differ from your normal local government due to the nature of our location. Often, we are the only organisation in the region able to provide these services.