LESSON 12.8 Inquiry: How do we share the power?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • explain division of powers • discuss how to balance different needs.
Background The Australian Constitution sets out how Australia is governed. It shows how the federal and state governments share power to make laws. This is called ‘division of powers’. At federation the states gave some powers to the federal government. For example, the federal government manages things like immigration and defence. These are called speciýc powers and are listed in Section 51 of the Constitution. The states kept control over things like health, education and public housing. These are residual powers and are not listed in the Constitution. Some powers, like marriage and taxes, are shared by both the federal and state governments. These are called concurrent powers.
FIGURE1 The river system that feeds the Murray–Darling Basin stretches across four states and the ACT.
Each level of government manages its own resources and services. Sometimes, they need to work together, especially when sharing resources. One shared resource is water. The Murray–Darling Basin is Australia’s biggest river system. About 530 000 gigalitres þow through the system each year. This river system þows through four states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. All governments must work together to share water fairly and keep the river system healthy. The Murray– Darling Basin is on land of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Discuss the following: 1. What does the term ‘division of powers’ mean? 2. How do you balance the different needs of different states and groups? Before you begin Find the Inquiry rubric in the Resources panel. Use it to help with your task and check your work when you’re ýnished.
TOPIC12 Government and democracy 469
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