Research

Research at the UNE Business School is shaped by place, UNE’s international reputation and our commitment to solving complex problems in rural and regional Australia. Located in a regional community, we understand the importance of examining the foundations for regional development.  In applying our disciplinary skills we seek to deliver practical, commercial and sustainable benefits to our regional, national and global stakeholders.

At the UNE Centre for Local Government, we have a dynamic and active research culture with a strong record of scholarly publications, research grants and postgraduate completions. We collaborate with all members of the Australian local government community, including local councils, Regional Organizations of Council (ROCs), Joint Organisations (JOs), state and territory Local Government Associations (LGAs) as well as the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), and Departments of Local Government throughout Australia. In addition, members of the UNE Centre for Local Government collaborate with researchers both nationally and internationally.

Research in the UNE Centre for Local Government addresses UNE’s thematic research priorities of "our communities, our neighbours: regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity and peace".

Over the years, work undertaken under the auspices of the UNE Centre for Local Government has not only been published in leading academic journals, but it has also had a significant impact on public policymaking in Australian local government. For example, members of the UNE Centre for Local Government have contributed significantly to the operation of resource sharing, shared services and other forms of council collaboration through applied research and policy advice. Similarly, researchers at the UNE Centre for Local Government have had a decisive impact on the debate in Australian local government over structural reform through forced amalgamation. In addition, intra-community collaboration between local authorities and their residents through co-governance and co-production has been informed by research done at the UNE Centre for Local Government.

Our publications

The Centre for Local Government produces a number of publications each year, including: