Local Government Area is a term used in Australia, and especially by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, to refer to the areas controlled by each Local Government. The names of Local Governments vary from state to state, including Shire, City and Borough.

Unlike some other countries such as the United States, there is only one tier of local government in Australia. Unlike in the UK, where a Shire is a County, in Australia a Shire is generally a subdivision of a County. Although some states of Australia have geographical divisions called counties, they no longer have governments, are practically irrelevant, and few people are even aware they exist.

The Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory and the external territories do not have Local Government Areas as distinct from the Territory government.