Local Government and political development in Papua New Guinea

This article explores the contribution that local government to local government partnerships can make in bringing about more effective and sustained decentralisation through developing the capacity of local governments to deliver improved services to the communities they serve. After almost 15 years of decentralization many of Papua New Guinea’s local governments struggle to maintain essential functions. Building on existing relationships, the Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice Scheme seeks to utilize the resources and knowledge of Australian local councils in partnership with those in Papua New Guinea to build capacity and improve the management and delivery of services to communities. This article examines the program to date, outlining both the successes and failures, but also the potential role such partnerships can play in the deepening of democratic governance at the local level.

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Economic or Political Development: The Evolution of "Native" Local Government Policy in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, 1945-1963

Australian Journal of Politics & History ◽

10.1111/1467-8497.00258 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 193-209

Author(s):

Huntley Wright

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Government Policy ◽

Political Development ◽

New Guinea ◽

Local Government Policy

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Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific Project

Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance ◽

10.5130/cjlg.v1i0.762 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 137-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Terry Parker ◽

Megan Praeger

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Local Governments ◽

Good Governance ◽

Good Practice ◽

New Guinea ◽

City Council ◽

Social Infrastructure

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Pacific Project works with local government and other stakeholders in nine Pacific Island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It seeks to strengthen local democracy and good governance, and to help local governments deal with the increasing challenges of service delivery and urban management in the unique Pacific environment.Human settlement patterns in the region are changing rapidly. The Pacific has traditionally been a rural agricultural/subsistence society, but this is no longer the case. The accelerated pace of urbanisation has impacted significantly on Pacific nations and in the very near future the majority of Pacific Islanders will be found in urban areas. Already over 50% of Fiji’s population are urban dwellers. Rapid urbanisation brings with it unique challenges and opportunities. Local governments are at the forefront of this phenomenon, with the responsibility to manage urban development and the transition from rural areas to cities and towns. Their success or failure to manage urbanisation and provide the required levels of physical and social infrastructure will affect many lives in a new urban Pacific.The project now has three components – the main Pacific Regional Project and two country-specific programmes: the Honiara City Council Institutional Capacity Building Project and the Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice Scheme in Papua New Guinea.

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