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Is bigger Better? Local Government Amalgamation and the South Australian Rising to the Challenge Inquiry

Author

Listed:
  • Dollery, Brian

    (School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale Australia)

  • Byrnes, Joel

    (School of Economics, University of New England, Armidale Australia)

  • Crase, Lin

    (School of Business, La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia)

Abstract

Although municipal amalgamation has enjoyed prominence as the primary engine of structural reform in Australian local government for at least the past century, mounting evidence concerning its adverse consequences has led to a growing scepticism over its efficacy as a suitable method of enhancing the operational efficiency of local councils. The results of an exhaustive enquiry into the financial sustainability of South Australian by the Financial Sustainability Review Board (2005) provides further damning evidence on the inability of amalgamation to improve the financial standing of fiscally distressed local authorities in that state. This paper examines those aspects of the deliberations of the Review Board that shed empirical light on the impact of amalgamation on the financial viability of South Australian local government and considers its wider implications for amalgamation as an efficacious instrument of municipal reform in Australia.

Suggested Citation

  • Dollery, Brian & Byrnes, Joel & Crase, Lin, 2007. "Is bigger Better? Local Government Amalgamation and the South Australian Rising to the Challenge Inquiry," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:37:y:2007:i:1:p:1-14
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    Cited by:

    1. Kohei Suzuki & Kentaro Sakuwa, 2016. "Impact of municipal mergers on local population growth: an assessment of the merger of Japanese municipalities," Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 223-238, October.
    2. Cristina M. Campos-Alba & Emilio J. De la Higuera-Molina & Gemma Pérez-López & José L. Zafra-Gómez, 2019. "Measuring the Efficiency of Public and Private Delivery Forms: An Application to the Waste Collection Service Using Order-M Data Panel Frontier Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Hirota, Haruaki & Yunoue, Hideo, 2011. "Municipal mergers and special provisions of local council members in Japan," MPRA Paper 37485, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Libman, A., 2011. "Integration of the Regions: Economic and Economic-Political Effects," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, issue 10, pages 155-158.
    5. Francesca Bartolacci & Rosanna Salvia & Giovanni Quaranta & Luca Salvati, 2022. "Seeking the Optimal Dimension of Local Administrative Units: A Reflection on Urban Concentration and Changes in Municipal Size," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    6. repec:dgr:rugsom:14019-eef is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Reingewertz, Yaniv, 2012. "Do municipal amalgamations work? Evidence from municipalities in Israel," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 240-251.
    8. Allers, Maarten & Geertsema, Bieuwe, 2014. "The effects of local government amalgamation on public spending and service levels," Research Report 14019-EEF, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    9. Pevcin Primoz, 2018. "The Analysis of the Implementation of municipal Cooperation and Merger Strategies: Case Study for Slovenia," Economics and Culture, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 15-21, June.
    10. Simões, Pedro & Carvalho, Pedro & Marques, Rui Cunha, 2012. "Performance assessment of refuse collection services using robust efficiency measures," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 56-66.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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