As the Federal Member for Mallee, I am your representative in Canberra. Here is how each level of government works together.

Federal Government

The Federal Government is responsible for broad areas of legislation that affect the entire country, including:

• Foreign affairs
• Immigration
• Customs
• Trade
• Defence
• Taxation
• Post and telecommunications
• National / interstate highways
• Centrelink (social services)
• Banking

The federal government is also responsible for covering some additional areas such as aged care, and private education.

State Government

The State Government is responsible for all legislation that isn’t covered by the Federal Government. These are called ‘residual powers’ and include areas like:

• Health
• Education
• Transport
• Housing
• Emergency services
• Water and gas
• Environment
• Major state roads
• Railways
• Child welfare
• Justice
• Consumer affairs
• Local governments

Local Government

The Local Governments (usually known as Councils or Shires) are responsible for managing the needs of your local community, including:

• Footpaths
• Local roads
• Garbage collection
• Town planning
• Parking
• Childcare
• Pet control
• Street signs and lighting
• Public facilities like parks, sporting facilities, libraries, and swiming pools.