Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Local authorities are responsible for the provision of an extensive range of public services in
your area. In addition, local authorities promote the interests of your local community,
including the social, economic, environmental, recreational, cultural, community or general
development of your area.
Responsibilities of local authorities
These are typically broken down into the following broad categories:
Housing
Planning
Roads
Local authorities also control dangerous places and buildings, abattoirs and knackeries and
provide and maintain graveyards and burial grounds.
Local authorities and environmental protection
The local authority has an important function in relation to pollution control and animal
control. It issues licenses for waste disposal and for emissions into the air from plants. It
collects or arranges for the collection of domestic and other waste and it monitors the
environment for signs of pollution. It also issues licenses for keeping dogs and licenses for
horses within its area.
The local authority grants licenses to street traders to allow them to sell goods on the street
and to casual traders to allow them to sell goods at casual trading areas designated by the
city, county, town or borough council.
Lawmaking & enforcement
Local governments legislate and make decisions in areas over which they have
legislative authority. Local laws are not allowed to replicate or be inconsistent with state and
federal laws or the operative planning scheme.
The laws made by local governments are called local laws and cover issues such as the
activities permitted on public land, animal management, and use of infrastructure.
Local governments are also responsible for enforcing local laws and other legislation over
which they have authority.
Policy development
The activities of local governments are guided by policies. Developing and implementing
these policies are key functions.
Advocacy
Local governments have a role in advocating on behalf of their constituencies to state
and federal levels of government, statutory authorities and other sectors.