E‐government services in the local government context: an Australian case study

To examine the progress local governments in Victoria. Australia have made utilizing the internet to deliver traditional services, and examine models that attempt to define the maturity of local government electronic service delivery.

The research approach comprised two components. The first was to examination and assess local government web sites in Victoria, and the second part involved an in‐depth case study with one local government.

The findings suggest that conventional linear e‐commerce and e‐Government maturity models are not applicable in the case of local government as this level of government traditionally focuses more on active community participation and interaction.

The research examines a wide sample of council web sites but the case study is limited to one council. It suggests that the implementation and uptake of e‐commerce and e‐Government across the local government sector have been mixed and more detailed models of electronic service are needed.

In Australia, there has been significant Federal government emphasis on initiatives to promote internet use for local government service provision, yet the move to electronic service delivery (ESD) in the sector has been varied. For the local government sector, the internet offers significant potential for the delivery of government services and this research identifies some significant issues.

The report on the research outlines the similarities and differences between the various levels of government and suggests that the purpose and needs of ESD are different for municipal councils.