The draft policy sets out how the City will engage with the community on decisions that shape our region.
This policy defines how, why, when, and who we engage with, and demonstrates our commitment to best-practice principles of community collaboration, as guided by the Local Government Act 2020.
This draft policy builds on the version adopted in 2021 and has been updated following a comprehensive review and consultation process.
Council endorsed the draft Community Engagement Policy to proceed to community and stakeholder engagement at November's council meeting.
Key updates to the draft policy:
- More face-to-face engagement across the municipality
- A section explaining how community engagement informs decision-making with stronger feedback loops
- Plain English definitions, replacing technical terms for easier understanding, and accessible feedback formats to address barriers to participation
- A commitment to actively seek diverse perspectives
- A minimum four-week engagement period
The draft Community Engagement Policy is available for public consultation until Tuesday 27 January 2026.
Community members can give their feedback on the policy via the Have Your Say page .
Feedback gathered during this period will help shape the final policy, which will be presented to Council for adoption in early 2026.
Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM:
We've refreshed and updated the policy so it reflects what we've heard from the community and embraces best-practice community engagement.Community engagement is a two-way process. We listen to the ideas, concerns and experiences of our community, and we share information about what's being planned or decided.
Councillor Emma Sinclair:
The updated Community Engagement Policy takes a step further in becoming a clearer, more accessible and more community-facing document.The policy recognises the importance of equity, access and inclusion as a key priority to best practice engagement.
