A Local-State Government Spatial Data Sharing Partnership

Employees '000s
500.0
450.0
400.0
350.0
300.0
250.0
200.0
150.0
100.0
50.0
0.0
1983
Chapter 5 – Results of Partnership Case Studies at State Government Level
Public Sector Employees Victoria 1983-2005
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
119
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
Total
Federal
Figure 5.2 Public sector employees Victoria 1983-2005 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006c)
It is important to note that the Property Information Project commenced in 1997, during
the period of government down sizing. The reduction of staff at federal and state levels
coincided with a period of economic decline in Australia and the start of an era of
government reform. The decrease in size of local government staff corresponded with
reforms in the 1990s to rationalise the number of small Victorian local government
authorities (LGAs) from 210 down to 79. The decline in the public sector workforce saw
an increase in the private sector workforce to approximately 2.14 million people in 2005.
Since 1996, the proportion of persons employed in the public sector compared to the
private sector in Victoria has declined from 20.5% in 1996 to 16.5% in 2006 (Australian
Bureau of Statistics 2006a). The declining size of the Victorian public sector created
human resource shortages within government agencies and hence encouraged cooperative
activities to reduce pressures on human resources.
Economic Environment
The Victorian economy has grown strongly since 2000, with annual growth of 3.9% which
exceeds the Australian average of 3.7%. The State accounts for 25.3% of Australia’s gross
domestic product (GDP) which also exceeds the national average on a per capita basis
(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006d). Victoria has long been recognised as a major
centre of Australian manufacturing, however in recent years this trend has changed and its
economy is now dominated by the services sector. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the
Victorian economy was significantly depressed which reflected the government policies to
down size.
Property Sector
In 2004, there were 2.36 million rateable properties in Victoria valued at $771 billion.
This compares with 2.25 million rateable properties in 2002 and 2.17 million in 2000,
State
Local