Grand Peninsula City Hall
Government of the Grand Peninsula.
The Grand Peninsula is governed by an elected Mayor, a Parliament, and the Departments that carry out their decisions. This page explains who does what, and where the Affiliated City of Portsmere fits in.
Structure
How government
is organised.
- Formal name
- The Union Government of Peninsula
- Also known as
- Grand Peninsula City Hall
- Founded
- The Act of Union, 1872
- Residents
- About 8.5 million. How this is counted
- Head of government
- The Mayor, elected by the public
- Legislature
- Parliament of the Grand Peninsula
- Affiliated City
- Portsmere, governed locally by PortsMere City Hall
- Notices
- Numbered and listed in the Newsroom
The Mayor
Leads the government. Elected by the public. Appoints the Secretaries who lead each Department.
About the MayorParliament
Makes the laws of the Grand Peninsula, known as Acts, and agrees the annual budget. Questions the Mayor and the Secretaries.
About ParliamentThe Departments
Run public services day to day. Each Department is led by a Secretary, who answers to the Mayor and to Parliament.
See all DepartmentsLeadership
The Mayor.
The Mayor is the head of the Union Government. Residents of the Grand Peninsula elect the Mayor by public vote. Dates of elections are announced in a public notice before they are held.
- Leads the government
- Sets the priorities of City Hall and answers for them in public.
- Appoints the Secretaries
- Each Department is led by a Secretary appointed by the Mayor.
- Proposes the budget
- Presents the annual budget to Parliament for agreement.
- Represents the Grand Peninsula
- Speaks for the Union at public and civic occasions, including with the Affiliated City of Portsmere.
Legislature
Parliament.
Parliament of the Grand Peninsula makes the laws that apply across the Union. Its laws are called Acts. The first of them, the Act of Union of 1872, brought the Old City, the Six Lanes, Laoxian and Midtown together under one government. Read the history of the Union.
- Makes Acts
- Considers and passes the laws of the Grand Peninsula.
- Agrees the budget
- Approves how the Union raises and spends public money each year.
- Holds government to account
- Questions the Mayor and the Secretaries about the work of their Departments.
Public services
Departments.
Each Department runs a part of public life and is led by a Secretary. The last column shows who is responsible for the same service in the Affiliated City of Portsmere.
| Department | Led by | Responsible for | In Portsmere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Transport | The Secretary for Transport | The M lines, trams and Metropolitan Rail; fares, timetables and new lines. | PortsMere City HallResident fares: Notice No. 2026/381 |
| Department of Education | The Secretary for Education | All education, from schools to universities and institutes. Before high school, the city-wide general curriculum; in high school, the Advanced Baccalaureate, its 10-point scale and examinations. Universities and institutes set their own academic requirements. | Education Department of the City of PortsmereAdvanced Baccalaureate results already issued remain valid |
| Department of Revenue | The Secretary for Revenue | Tax returns, payments and the annual rates. | PortsMere City HallSeparate administration from 1 January 2027 |
| Department of Housing | The Secretary for Housing | Public housing, tenancy registration and repairs. | Grand Peninsula City Hall |
| Department of Planning | The Secretary for Planning | Building work, street use, events, market trading and permits. | Grand Peninsula City Hall |
| Civil Register | The Registrar | Births, marriages and deaths; certificates; the population estimate. | PortsMere City Hall keeps its own registerReported to the Union once a year |
Affiliated City
One peninsula. Local responsibilities.
The Affiliated City of Portsmere remains under the jurisdiction of the Grand Peninsula. PortsMere City Hall administers its own tax, education and transport affairs. Most other matters remain with the Union Government. About one in six residents of the peninsula live in Portsmere.
- Tax & revenue in Portsmere
- PortsMere City HallSeparate tax administration from 1 January 2027. Notice No. 2026/417
- Education in Portsmere
- PortsMere City HallIncludes Midtown University and the City Institute of Science. Notice No. 2026/402
- Transport in Portsmere
- PortsMere City HallResident fares on Union lines no longer apply. Notice No. 2026/381
- Most other matters in Portsmere
- Grand Peninsula City Hall
Separate administration in these areas does not place Portsmere outside the Grand Peninsula.
Public record
How decisions
are made public.
Decisions of the Union Government are published as public notices. Every notice has a number, for example Notice No. 2026/417, and is listed in the Newsroom. If a notice is not listed there, City Hall did not publish it. How to tell an official City Hall website.
When a Secretary answers questions from the press, an edited transcript is published alongside the notice it relates to. Read an example: the briefing on Line M37.
To ask a question about a decision, or to request a document, contact City Hall.
Recent notices
Government
notices.
Last updated 22 October 2026