Challenges for Communicators in Future Australian Local Government

Local governments (LGOVs) are ubiquitous institutions for human cooperation and all need to communicate with their communities. Most Australian LGOVs employ at least one communicator but there are few principles to guide practice. This paper examines ‘responsible flexibility’, ‘soft governance’ and trends driving LGOV to enhance dialogue with communities and share ownership of problems and solutions. The paper argues that communicators are well placed to clarify and enhance their role in LGOV of the future by shifting communication focus from telling to listening, advocating the importance of transparency and communication in government, and developing expertise in facilitating community participation.