INTRODUCTION

In 1996 I completed ten years of work with Kiama Council in NSW, totalling twenty years of experience in Local Government including my previous work with Fitzroy City Council in Victoria and Alice Springs Town Council in the Northern Territory. Taking an opportunity of my sabbatical I decided to spend three months in Chile where three main events were to occur which would give me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of Local Government and community development.

Firstly, Chile was going to have its first local Government election (27th October 1996) where Mayors under the new expanded Local Government Act would be directly elected by the people.

Secondly, Chile would host (from 9th November 1996) the 6th Iberoamerican Summit where 23 presidents from Latin-America , Spain and Portugal would meet to develop major international statements of cooperation for the development of social, economic and political ties.

Thirdly, this was also an opportunity to see my ailing parents and especially to attend my mother's ninetieth birthday. This also would give me a chance to see first hand the provision of aged and related health services.

Prior to my departure, Kiama Council saw that such a visit would be of benefit to the operation of Council's Community Services Department if I were to undertake a study of the types of Community Services provided by local governments in Chile. Council requested that I prepare a report outlining the key issues which could be applied in the Kiama Municipality.

My study included visits to three County Council's in California and 8 Councils in Chile. During the first weeks in Chile and as I began to gather information I realised that many of the changes which have taken place in Chile in the last twenty years have had a direct impact in Local Government and the communities which they serve.

I therefore, found relevant to include here an outline of some of the major political social and economic changes which have taken place in Chile during the past two decades, (as these were perceived to have a direct correlation to the micro economic reforms being implemented in Australia) rather than only concentrating my report on Local Government.

In the preparation of this report I have used official Chilean Government information, U.S.A. documents on the coup in Chile, internet material, notes gathered during my interviews with local government Councillors and staff, and the outcome of a socioeconomic study which I was involved within the Municipality of San Carlos.

I am sure, as in previous occasions when I have made statements about Chile, some will consider these too radical while others would say that I haven't gone far enough to highlight the deleterious social and political impact of two decades of economic rationalism in Chile.

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