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Australian local government amalgamation: a conceptual analysis of population size and scale economies in municipal service provision

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dc.contributor.authorDollery, B.
dc.contributor.authorByrnes, J.
dc.contributor.authorCrase, L.
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractA common argument advanced by proponents of Australian local council amalgamation proposals is that 'bigger is cheaper' due inter alia to the existence of substantial economies of scale in local council service provision. This argument typically asserts that local councils with larger populations can provide municipal services at lower costs per unit of output than local authorities with smaller population bases, thereby conflating population size with the theoretically distinct concept of scale economies. This short paper examines this argument in the light of standard economic theory. We conclude that it is fallacious to use population size as a proxy for scale economies in Australian local government.
dc.identifier.citationAustralasian Journal of Regional Studies, 2008; 14(2):167-175
dc.identifier.issn1324-0935
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11541.2/117984
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherRegional Science Association, Australian and New Zealand Section
dc.relation.fundingARC DP070520
dc.rightsCopyright 2008 Regional Science Association
dc.source.urihttps://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=983795970019071;res=IELHSS
dc.subjectamalgamation
dc.subjectpopulation density
dc.subjectmunicipal service
dc.titleAustralian local government amalgamation: a conceptual analysis of population size and scale economies in municipal service provision
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished
ror.mmsid9916038711001831

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