I am a self-confessed local government tragic. Twice I have stood for election and twice gotten nowhere. This has not stopped me from being a regular in the public gallery at Council meetings and of taking advantage of a generous public question time when compelled by something that matters to me.
Why does local government not resonate? I offer two reasons.
Without formal recognition that can only come via a referendum allowing local government a place in the Australian constitution, our local councils are illegitimate step-children in the scheme of things. They stay focused on "rates, roads and rubbish" because that is all they are empowered to do, and who, really, can get too excited about that? In the NT planning is reserved for the Territory Government, so even that is out of the picture here.
My second reason has to do with the structure, at least as I see it from where I sit in the public gallery. Local governments are run by their CEO's. They, the CEO's, have the experience and the expertise (and draw the salary) to run the place. Every time I have watched a new council take office, after having campaigned on those very issues mentioned of Integrity, Transparency, Community, Family, Vision, Experience, and Making a Difference (good list - it must be universal), it has been as though I watch an air-bag deploy. And that's the last we will hear from them, except occasionally when they slip the lead, until the next election when they will again campaign on Integrity, Transparency, Community, Family, Vision, Experience, and Making a Difference.
The antidote is more attendance at public meetings. Make them accountable. Insist on transparency. Local media does take notice.
It helps if you also enjoy test cricket.

There is a chicken-and-egg situation here.

>>They stay focused on "rates, roads and rubbish" because that is all they are empowered to do<<

In my experience, this is all that they are capable of. When councillors venture outside these simple - but critical - issues, for example into planning approvals, their intellectual fault-lines become apparent.

So unless and until they are given broader responsibilities, local government will continue to attract the level of councillor whose level of competence can cope with rates roads and rubbish. And while the candidates remain capable only of handling rates roads and rubbish, they won't be given broader responsibilities.

I like my own council, and will be voting this weekend to ensure that they continue to pay close attention to roads, rates and rubbish.

Yeah Ditto, given the wingnut ideological positions of some of my local councillors I'm glad they confine themselves to lobbying Metro trains for better lighting at stations and putting up incomprehensible public artwork.