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Department of Premier and Cabinet

About Tasmanian councils

Tasmania has 29 councils, including 6 city councils. Each council is responsible for governing a municipal (council) area and has between 7 and 12 councillors, including the mayor and deputy mayor.

What councils do

Councils are responsible for providing a range of community services and infrastructure. These include

  • roads and bridges
  • parks and sportsgrounds
  • animal control
  • waste and recycling
  • planning, building and environmental services
  • local events

Every council provides different types of infrastructure and services because of differences in things like their communities’ needs and expectations, land area, population, location, number of properties and industry mix (refer to the demographic snapshot below).

The powers and functions of Tasmanian councils are set out in the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act). The Act states that councils are to

  • provide for the health, safety and welfare of the community
  • represent and promote the interests of the community
  • provide for the peace, order and good government of the municipal area.

In performing these functions, councils are to consult, involve and be accountable to their residents and ratepayers. In doing so, councils can ensure they are acting in the best interests of the communities they serve.

Find out more about

Contact your council

For more information about your council, please contact your council directly. Contact details for each council is available in the Tasmanian council directory