Local Government
How Council Committees Decide, Recommend or Review Local Matters
Understand council committee decisions, recommendations and scrutiny so you can tell who has authority over a local…
The explainers
All explainers
Browse explainers on local government, public services, civic processes, public records and neighbourhood life. Each piece starts with a reader's question and makes its terms and limits clear.
Public Records
How to Read Council Agendas and Minutes for Local Issues
Learn how to read council agendas and minutes to trace a local issue, locate the papers behind it and identify what to…
Civic Process
From Public Consultation to a Recorded Decision
Public consultation to a recorded decision: trace how a council sorts your feedback, weighs options and explains its…
Public Services
Who Is Responsible for a Local Service?
Find who is responsible for a local service by separating funding, delivery and oversight, so you can send a concern…
Neighbourhood Life
What to Listen for at Your First Neighbourhood Forum
Learn what to listen for at a neighbourhood forum: separate concerns from solutions, spot unanswered questions and…