Community Engagement

What is community engagement?

Community engagement is the act of informing, consulting, involving, collaborating and empowering individuals and groups on relevant topics, issues or decisions that may affect their everyday lives. This might include issues specific to homes, businesses or neighbourhoods. This may involve sharing information using a variety of channels and seeking community feedback in person or online.

Why is community engagement important?

Community engagement plays a vital role in shaping local outcomes and is an important way for us to gather valuable information to assist in better decision making. It is the foundation to good governance, allowing us to identify and address local ideas, concerns and opportunities by involving the public in relevant processes that affect them and their community. 

Community engagement does not replace the decision-making functions of Council, rather it informs and guides it.

Our Responsibility

Council has developed the Georges River Council Community Engagement Strategy to clearly guide how and when we engage with our community. It establishes guiding principles to ensure community engagement is purposeful, timely, genuine, inclusive and transparent. This strategy has been informed by feedback from a wide range of individuals and groups across the Georges River area. This feedback has provided us with a clear understanding of the community’s expectations and the desired level of engagement with Council.

 This document meets Council’s legislative requirement under the Local Government Act 1993 to provide a Community Engagement Strategy and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to prepare a Community Participation Plan. The Local Government Act identifies community participation as a guiding principle of local government and stipulates that community engagement should be based on social justice principles. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act encourages effective engagement with the community to provide meaningful opportunities for participation in planning matters. 

Who do we engage?

This strategy is of interest to all individuals and groups who live or work in the Georges River Local Government Area (LGA), or are affected by Council’s decision-making processes within Georges River. We actively encourage our community to get involved in community engagement.

What are the benefits of community engagement?

  1.  Better project and service outcomes
  2. Improve quality of policy being developed
  3. Strengthen relationships with individuals and community groups
  4. A process to ensure Council is meeting local needs
  5. Creates opportunities to discuss complex and emerging issues
  6. Opportunities for a diversity of voices to be heard

Our Engagement Framework

We have used community feedback to design a Community Engagement Framework that responds to the needs of different individuals and groups. This framework incorporates aspects of the International Association for Public Participation’s (IAP2) spectrum. 

IAP2 Level of Engagement
Our Commitments
Level of Impact, Influence and Involvement from you
INFORM
To provide you with balanced and objective information to assist you in understanding a particular matter. Informing may take place after a decision has already been made or to prompt further action. 
  • We will keep you informed. 
  • We will be open about how much influence you can have.
  • We will be open about Council’s role.
  • We will clearly outline how you can provide feedback or get in touch. 
     

CONSULT
To obtain your feedback on a particular matter and to contribute to shaping the outcome. Involving may be undertaken using a variety of communication channels and/ or engagement activities.
  • We will listen to our diverse community. 
  • We will actively ask for your views and opinions.
  • We will value and consider all feedback received.
  • We will inform you of the outcome.
     
     
INVOLVE
To actively seek your participation to ensure that concerns and aspirations are understood and considered prior to decision making. Consulting requires the community to take greater responsibility for what is happening in their local area
  • We will actively reach out to you for your participation. 
  • We will provide a range of opportunities for you to participate. 
  • We will actively work to involve new voices. 
  • We will demonstrate how your involvement was used.
     
COLLABORATE
To partner with you in each aspect of a decision, including the development of alternatives and the identification of the preferred solution.
  • We will work together to formulate solutions. 
  • We will incorporate your advice and recommendations into decisions as much as possible.
     
EMPOWER
To place final decision making in your hands.
  • We will implement what you decide.