A shared language
for the work
councils do.
ORTA-LG is an evolving, research-led skills taxonomy developed specifically for Australian local government. The taxonomy is being built through detailed analysis of council work, examining the tasks performed across roles and the skills required to carry them out. Through ongoing research and refinement, ORTA-LG is creating a shared, evidence-based picture of local government capability—supporting more informed workforce planning, skills development, recruitment and career pathways across the sector.
See how it works
Councils need to plan around skills.
Most don't yet have a common way to
describe them.
30%
of NSW councils analyse the job roles they
will need in future, a share brodley
unchanged since 2018
88%
of responding councils reported occupational shortages in 2024-25
1 July 2026
From this date the Local Governemtn (State)
Award makes skill-based progression and annual skills assessment part of how
councils operate
What ORTA-LG is
A taxonomy designed for local
government, not adapted to it
Local government work is unusually diverse. Councils operate water utilities, regulate animals, assess development, maintain roads, run libraries and deliver a wide range of community and regulatory services. General-purpose occupational and skills taxonomies often describe this work too broadly, without reflecting the way councils structure roles, describe responsibilities or build workforce capability.
ORTA-LG, the Occupational Role Taxonomy for Australia: Local Government, provides a sector-specific way to describe council roles and the skills behind them. By creating a consistent view of work across councils, it supports stronger workforce planning, capability development, recruitment and career pathways across the local government sector.
Developed for councils
Roles, tasks and skills use the language councils already use in position descriptions, not generic competency terms.
Connected to national systems
Each role links to an Australian occupation code, and skills linked to nationally recognised training
Shaped by the sector
Practitioners and specialists review each role, so the taxonomy reflects how the work is really done.
How it works
From a council role to the training that supports it
ORTA-LG follows one simple chain. Every role in the taxonomy is described the same way, so any two roles, teams or councils can be compared.
Four layers, from the whole sector
down to a single skill
