Feedback invited on our Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy Review

Consultation has concluded

Public consultation and community engagement are vital for local government, so we want to hear your feedback on our Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy Review.

A major review of Council's Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy has been undertaken to bring Council in line with the proposed Community Engagement Charter (CEC) developed by the Minister for Local Government and mandatory requirements for community consultation and participation.

The CEC is part of a simplified approach to community engagement which provides greater flexibility and allows councils to design and deliver engagement that is the 'best fit' for decisions and actions.

The reviewed Policy sets out what is required in cases where the Act requires Council to follow its public consultation policy. The policy also sets out the steps Council will follow when Council chooses to involve the community in council decision-making.

To value add to the mandatory requirements, the reviewed Policy references Council’s Communication and Engagement Strategy 2021-2026 to more specifically guide Council’s communication and engagement activities, including how Council will reach out to the community and other stakeholders. The Strategy also references that Council has adopted the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) model to guide its community engagement and communication with the community, as does the reviewed Policy.

As legislated under the Local Government Act, before Council adopts or alters a public consultation policy it must invite interested persons to make submissions on the policy and then consider any submissions received.

Consultation on the revised Policy is open for 21 days from Thursday 7 March until Thursday 28 March 2024.

In the instance that no submissions are received at the conclusion of the consultation period, the revised draft Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy will be adopted by Council.

You can read through the revised draft Policy in the Documents library at the top of this page.

Leave your feedback on our Ideas Board below, where you can also like and comment on ideas as they are added to our collective Ideas Board.




Public consultation and community engagement are vital for local government, so we want to hear your feedback on our Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy Review.

A major review of Council's Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy has been undertaken to bring Council in line with the proposed Community Engagement Charter (CEC) developed by the Minister for Local Government and mandatory requirements for community consultation and participation.

The CEC is part of a simplified approach to community engagement which provides greater flexibility and allows councils to design and deliver engagement that is the 'best fit' for decisions and actions.

The reviewed Policy sets out what is required in cases where the Act requires Council to follow its public consultation policy. The policy also sets out the steps Council will follow when Council chooses to involve the community in council decision-making.

To value add to the mandatory requirements, the reviewed Policy references Council’s Communication and Engagement Strategy 2021-2026 to more specifically guide Council’s communication and engagement activities, including how Council will reach out to the community and other stakeholders. The Strategy also references that Council has adopted the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) model to guide its community engagement and communication with the community, as does the reviewed Policy.

As legislated under the Local Government Act, before Council adopts or alters a public consultation policy it must invite interested persons to make submissions on the policy and then consider any submissions received.

Consultation on the revised Policy is open for 21 days from Thursday 7 March until Thursday 28 March 2024.

In the instance that no submissions are received at the conclusion of the consultation period, the revised draft Public Consultation and Community Engagement Policy will be adopted by Council.

You can read through the revised draft Policy in the Documents library at the top of this page.

Leave your feedback on our Ideas Board below, where you can also like and comment on ideas as they are added to our collective Ideas Board.