Local councils and their employees are being recognised for the services they provide to communities across New South Wales as Local Government Week begins.
Running from 3 to 9 August 2026, the annual initiative highlights the role councils play in maintaining local infrastructure, operating community facilities and delivering services used by residents and businesses every day.
Local Government Week is organised by Local Government NSW, with individual councils holding their own events, tours, exhibitions and community activities throughout the state.
Councils deliver services used every day
Local government is the level of government closest to the community and is responsible for a broad range of neighbourhood services and facilities.
Depending on the area, council responsibilities may include:
- Maintaining local roads, bridges and footpaths
- Managing parks, playgrounds and public open space
- Operating libraries, aquatic centres and community halls
- Collecting waste and managing recycling services
- Assessing local development applications
- Maintaining sporting fields and recreational facilities
- Providing services for children, older residents and local businesses
- Managing cemeteries, animal services and environmental programs
Many of these services operate in the background and may not be immediately associated with local government, despite forming part of residents’ daily lives.
NSW is divided into 128 local government areas, each administered by an elected council. The broader sector also includes county councils and regional joint organisations that support shared services and cross-boundary planning.
Extensive network of community infrastructure
Councils collectively manage a substantial network of roads, public buildings, recreation facilities and community assets across NSW.
Current NSW local government data records 128 councils and approximately 169,000 kilometres of council-managed roads.
The government’s Local Government Week announcement also attributes responsibility to the sector for more than 86,000 hectares of open space, over 460 public swimming pools and more than 360 public libraries.
Those figures describe facilities managed across the sector as a whole and should not be interpreted as services provided uniformly by every council.
The range of services varies significantly between metropolitan, regional and rural areas. Some councils also operate water and sewerage utilities, airports, childcare centres, museums, theatres and regional waste facilities.
More than 65,000 people support local communities
The NSW Government says more than 65,200 people work across the state’s broader local government sector.
Employees include engineers, planners, librarians, early childhood educators, mechanics, waste workers, horticultural staff, building inspectors, lifeguards and community-service professionals.
Their work supports both visible frontline services and technical functions such as asset management, emergency planning, environmental monitoring and financial administration.
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig said the week provided an opportunity to acknowledge the work undertaken behind the scenes by council employees.
He encouraged residents to contact their local councils to learn about activities being held in their area.
Fresh Start workforce program expands
The NSW Government is also using Local Government Week to highlight its Fresh Start program, which funds apprenticeships, traineeships and cadetships within councils.
The program was initially established to create 1,300 additional roles addressing workforce shortages in areas such as civil construction, mechanics, planning, engineering, early childhood education, plumbing and arboriculture.
A further 400 positions are planned, comprising:
- 200 apprenticeships
- 100 traineeships
- 100 cadetships
The expansion will bring the total number of newly funded council roles to 1,700 over four years.
This does not mean all 1,700 people have already commenced employment.
More than 1,100 recruits had started working in councils by July 2026, while the additional positions will be progressively filled as later funding rounds are delivered.
Regional councils receive majority of recruits
Around 65 per cent of Fresh Start recruits have been placed with regional and rural councils.
The program is intended to help councils address longstanding skills shortages while allowing young people to study, earn a qualification and work within their local community.
The NSW Government funds wages associated with approved roles, while councils provide employment, workplace experience and supervision.
Participants may undertake nationally recognised qualifications while working in areas such as carpentry, construction, planning, administration and mechanical trades.
The government says the model can also reduce councils’ reliance on external contractors by rebuilding technical and trade capabilities within their own workforces.
Local activities held across the state
Councils are marking Local Government Week in different ways.
Some are offering behind-the-scenes tours of facilities, staff demonstrations, library programs, community information sessions and displays explaining how council services operate.
Yass Valley, Griffith, Clarence Valley, Tweed and other councils have published local programs or community information for the week.
Residents are encouraged to check their council’s website or social media channels because there is no single statewide schedule covering every local event.
Awards to recognise council achievements
Local Government NSW will also hold its 2026 Local Government Week Awards event in Sydney on 6 August.
The awards recognise council initiatives demonstrating excellence, innovation and leadership across areas such as planning, communication, arts, community programs and environmental management.
The awards are separate from the NSW Government’s Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government, for which nominations are also currently open.
Local Government Week will conclude on Sunday, 9 August, but the services it highlights—including roads, waste collection, libraries, recreation and community support—continue throughout the year.
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