"Council worker" tells you almost nothing about what someone actually does.

Walk into any council on a Tuesday morning: Someone is negotiating with a developer about how a new shopping centre affects traffic flow and community character. Someone else is investigating why three restaurants on the same street failed their health inspections within a week. Another person is designing a consultation process to help residents shape a 20-year vision for their suburb.

That's all "local government."

One person is balancing economic growth against community wellbeing using planning frameworks. One is protecting public health using regulatory powers and education. One is translating diverse community voices into coherent policy direction. Same sector, completely different cognitive work.

The town planner assessing development applications is doing strategic problem-solving. The environmental health officer conducting food safety inspections is doing risk assessment and education. The community engagement officer designing consultation processes is doing social architecture. They all work for council, but the day-to-day thinking couldn't be more different.

If you've ever looked at how your community works and thought "that could be better"—that's local government thinking. If you've ever wanted to see the direct impact of your work in the place you live—that's local government impact. If you've ever cared about fairness, community, and making things actually work for real people—that's local government at its heart.

Local government isn't bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake. It's the machinery that makes communities function—and the people who ensure that machinery serves everyone fairly.