Local government in Victoria

In general, an urban or suburban LGA is called a city and is governed by a City Council, while a rural LGA covering a larger rural area is usually called a shire and is governed by a Shire Council.

There are also unincorporated areas, consisting of small islands or ski resorts, which are administered either by the state government or management boards.

To become a shire, the road district had to be over 100 square miles (260 km2) in size and have annual rate revenue of over £1000.

[citation needed] Promotion to town or city status was dependent upon the gross revenue of the council.

It does not operate as to make Victoria a federation or protect the borders or powers of local government from amendment by executive order or act of parliament.

The clauses have been amended many times by parliament, but since 2006 the Constitution Act has required a referendum to further alter them.

According to the Local Government Act 1989, the term "city" must be used for a municipal district which is predominantly urban in character.

In practice, this is understood as referring to the population distribution between urban centres and rural areas.

Under the repealed Local Government Act 1958, boroughs, towns and cities were defined on the basis of area, population and rateable property.

In contrast to ones at federal and state levels, local government elections in Victoria are a generally non-partisan affair.

[17] This has resulted in a situation where councillors may hold political party affiliation, but instead contest the election as an independent.

Nonetheless, recent trends have seen greater party involvement within local government politics.

[17] Various residents' associations, community alliances and independent groups also sporadically contest elections.

The political composition of Victorian LGAs following the 2024 local elections and subsequent countbacks is as follows: Thirty-one of the municipalities form the Greater Melbourne area, each being wholly, or partly, within the Melbourne metropolitan or urban area.

Greater Melbourne and regional municipalities are sometimes treated differently by state government legislation, for instance the Public Holidays Act permits non-metropolitan councils to replace Melbourne Cup Day with a local public holiday.