‘How dare you do anything productive!’ is pretty much the motto of local councils the world over.

Their portfolios of responsibility are limited to the menial tasks of civilisation; rubbish collection, pothole filling, bus shelter repairs, and the occasional festival. Ratepayers give this assortment of minor tyrants (councillors) about double the correct price to fulfil these activities and in return they are gifted Pride-coloured bins with a set of IKEA-style instructions, a bill for parking in their own driveway, and a polite reminder that commenting on knife crime is racist.

In Australia, councillors have decided to let the garbage pile up and...