Improving how we consult
We’re reviewing our community engagement policy to ensure clarity about when Council will engage the community on the decisions it makes and what other information will be taken into account.
Over the past 4 years we’ve consulted the community on over 100 projects. Last year we asked for your feedback about your experience of our community engagement processes, and now we’re using your feedback to shape our policy and approach.
Our draft policy proposes that we will undertake community engagement when:
- The community can influence the outcome
- A policy, project or decision is likely to impact the community - the impacts may be economic, social, environmental, built form or governance related
- When we need information from the community to help make a decision or progress a project.
Our decisions will also be informed by other information, including:
- Population, demographics and service usage data
- Technical
- Financial
- Research and previous community engagement data
- Legal, government and regulatory requirements
Things we heard are important to you when we undertake community engagement are:
- Make sure people who might be impacted are aware
- Provide information that is easy to understand
- Have different ways for people to get involved and provide feedback
- Be clear about how the community can influence the decision
- Be consistent in our processes
We’ve included some principles in the draft policy that will guide how we approach and design community engagement processes. The proposed principles are:
- Meaningful: We are committed to providing our community with genuine opportunities to participate in decisions that affect them.
- Transparent: We provide timely, comprehensive and easy-to-understand information to support engagement including the rationale behind the negotiable and non-negotiable aspects. We share the outcomes of engagement processes with our community.
- Respectful: We acknowledge the expertise, perspective and needs of customers, community and stakeholders and communicate with them at key milestones.
- Inclusive: We consider our diverse community members when designing our communications and engagement activities. We provide information in easy-to-understand and accessible formats and provide support to those who need assistance to take part in our activities.
- Informed: The engagement provides relevant and timely information to the public.
We will also develop some guidelines for our staff on developing and implementing community engagement processes to support them to apply these principles when seeking community input.
We would like your feedback on a draft policy including the principles. Have your say by 20 May 2024 at knox.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay.
Get involved for your chance to win
Everyone who gets involved can go into the draw to win a voucher for an amazing local experience including Boronia Cinema, Knox Environmental Society Nursery, Stamford Park Restaurant, Knox Leisureworks, Knox Community Arts Centre. Conditions apply, see the Have Your Say and Win page for conditions and details.
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