[1][2][3][4] The financial impact of the legislation had been a source of controversy both before and after its passage by parliament, and several northern councils protested to the government in 1888 about the arrangements for subsidies and license fees, arguing that they were inadequate to meet the cost of establishing the municipalities.
[5][2] There was lingering dissent around the authority of councils, in particular over the control of dams, wells and reservoirs, which the legislation had maintained as a state government responsibility.
[2] The individual councillors chosen by the Governor also met with staunch opposition in some districts, while the administrative impact of changes to councils already in office was the subject of debate at a local level.
A total of 20 new district councils were created, bringing local government to huge swathes of unincorporated land.
[1] A total of 35 district councils were expanded in an effort to ensure unincorporated portions of settled lands would be subject to local government.