Superheroes or Puppets? Local Government Chief Executive Officers in Victoria and Queensland

This article examines the chief executive positions in the Victorian and Queensland local government systems through Mintzberg's three-dimensional model and Broussine's capacity model, highlighting the complexities and diversities of these roles. The different approaches to reform taken by the state governments have produced different relationships between chief executives and elected representatives. Of particular interest is the impact of the contract and key performance indicators used by local governments and their ability to facilitate or constrain chief executives in achieving their objectives. The findings suggest that a key challenge for local governments is to establish contractual and performance systems that allow chief executives to achieve their objectives, to deal more effectively with challenges facing communities and contribute to more sustainable local governments.