Federalism, Regionalism and the Reshaping of Australian Governance

Separating Sovereignty and Sharing Problems: Australian Federalism and the European Union

“…However, recent writing on Australian federalism, whilst not doubting the validity of this underlying narrative, has begun to offer more nuanced accounts of federalism after 1983 (see e.g. Brown ; Carroll and Head ; Hollander and Patapan ; Keating and Wanna ; Parkin and Anderson ). In these works, the process of centralisation is not unidirectional nor uniform across all policy sectors; Hollander and Patapan () observe a ‘pragmatic’ federalism in Australia in which the federation has been continually reshaped by political dynamics to meet the policy demands of the day in the absence of an overarching political theory of federalism to inform party ideology and judicial policy making.…”

Policy Development and Implementation for Disability Services in Rural New South Wales, Australia

“…According to Peters (, p. 61), this settlement pattern resulted in “city centric policy making” with centralization in the state capital cities across all policy areas including health, welfare, and education. Brown (, p. 18) reported that centralization resulted in “the extension of large government departments, bureaucracies, commissions and statutory authorities, quasi‐non‐government organisations and, more recently, the engagement of non‐government organisations and not‐for‐profit organisations in service delivery.”…”

The Australian Government’s “White Paper on Reform of the Federation” and the Future of Australian Local Government

“…partisanship in this regardthat was needed, reminding us that two major reviews of Australian federalism in the twentieth century, the Peden Royal Commission on theConstitution (1927-29) and the Federal Parliamentary Review Committee of 1958, 'achieved bi-partisan consensus that the provisions [for new states] should be adjusted so as to make it easier for new regions to be recognised and admitted to the federation', despite the fact that at the time of the Committee, the Labor members of that body 'subscribed to a party platform that advocated total abolition of the states'.This observation is diametrically opposed to the statement in the ToRs for the White Paper, i.e. : 'We need to clarify roles and responsibilities for States and Territories so that they are, as far as possible, sovereign in their own sphere' Brown (2006). is suggesting that the latter really is simply not possible (see alsoHead 2006, p. 167) Brown (2006).…”

“…In so doing we draw on the work of A. J. Brown (2006;2008). In section five, following Allan (2006a) we identify three ideal-type responses available to Australian local government over the next 18 months, a 'minimalist', a 'maximalist' and an 'optimalist' response.…”

“…: 'We need to clarify roles and responsibilities for States and Territories so that they are, as far as possible, sovereign in their own sphere' Brown (2006). is suggesting that the latter really is simply not possible (see alsoHead 2006, p. 167) Brown (2006). was concise in drawing five lessons for future reform.…”