The Community Engagement Policy was adopted in 2021 in line with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2020. We are now reviewing this policy.
Following the adoption of the policy, the council has undertaken more than 40 consultations ranging from the new Council Plan, draft budgets, playgrounds, land sales and strategies and plans.
This review focuses on the policy and its principles and asks the community their perceptions, experiences and opinions of our community engagement. We are interested in your feedback on the effectiveness and appropriateness of our community engagement and consultation activities.
Our Community Engagement Policy outlines five principles and our commitments for community engagement. Please see the document library for the principles and the commitments.
- Each process will have a clearly defined objective and scope
- Participants will have access to objective, relevant and timely information
- Participants will be representative of the persons and groups affected
- Participants will receive reasonable support to enable meaningful and informed engagement
- Participants are informed of the ways in which the community engagement process will influence council decision-making.
It's important to remember that community engagement is not the sole determinant in a decision-making process. There are many other stakeholders and factors that need to be taken into consideration. Some of these are shown in the chart pictured.
As part of this consultation, the council is hosting a community focus group to inform the review. The group will meet twice – at the start and end of the consultation – and consider all viewpoints in providing feedback.
You can provide feedback via a submission, through our survey or in-person. A report on the review will be presented to councillors in December.