interactive
Federal, state and local
Do you know what each level of government is responsible for? Test your knowledge of the three levels of government in Australia with this game.
Introducing ... the three levels of government
Begin your exploration of the three levels of government in Australia with this short introduction. Discover the responsibilities of the federal Parliament, state and territory parliaments and local government, and how they work together.
Australia has three levels of government that work together to provide us with the services we need.
The three levels of government are:
- federal – national – parliament
- state and territory parliaments
- local government.
Three levels of government in Australia.
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Each level of government has the power to make laws about different things. Sometimes these powers are shared.
Things you need to know
- Each level of government provides different services to Australians:
FEDERAL PARLIAMENT |
STATE AND TERRITORY PARLIAMENTS |
LOCAL COUNCILS |
|
Responsible for issues that affect all Australians (national issues) |
Responsible for issues that affect people in that state or territory |
Responsible for issues that affect local communities |
|
Post, telephones and the internet Immigration Defence |
Police Public transport Hospitals |
Rubbish collection and recycling Parks, sports fields and swimming pools Pet control |
- There are some areas both the federal parliament and state and territory parliaments can make laws about. These areas include:
- Education
- Health
- Taxation
- Environment
- If the federal Parliament and a state parliament make laws about the same thing but these laws don’t agree, the Australian Constitution says the federal law will be followed and the state law will be removed.
- The three levels of government often work together to solve problems and provide Australians with the services they need. For example, the federal Parliament funds interstate and other highways, state parliaments manage major roads and local councils look after local roads.
The law-making powers of the federal Parliament.
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
- Australians have someone to represent them at each level of government. They vote to elect their representatives to the federal Parliament, their state or territory parliament and local government.
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Did you know?
In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) there are only 2 levels of government! The ACT Government has the roles and responsibilities of both a state government and a local government. This means the ACT Government runs hospitals, schools and prisons, as well as controlling parking, collecting rubbish and running libraries.
