Port Stephens Council has confirmed its commitment to open, timely and transparent communications with a new Communications and Engagement Strategy unanimously endorsed at its meeting last night.
Mayor Ryan Palmer said the way in which we communicate with our community and involve them in our decision making is key to the future of Port Stephens.
"This new Strategy reflects our ongoing commitment to inform and improve community awareness of our programs, activities and services," Mayor Palmer said.
"It also reflects our commitment to listen to our community and create open channels of communication for meaningful conversation," he added.
General Manager Tim Crosdale said the Strategy has been developed using community feedback.
"We've heard our community wants more access to information and they have a greater desire to engage in planning for their place," Mr Crosdale said.
"We've received lots of feedback over the past 18 months about what's working and what's not – we've listened and we're looking at ways to do it better.
"The community want to know who we'll be talking to and how we'll be doing it. They want to be involved in how we design our communication and engagement approaches and want to know how we'll evaluate and measure these approaches.
"We've taken the feedback from our community and incorporated this into our final strategy and we'll be working closely with our community to deliver on these actions over the next 5 years," he added.
One of the most critical actions from the Strategy is a new Communication and Engagement Advisory Group that will help Council design the communication and engagement programs for major projects.
"A group like this is a new step for us, but it's a step in the right direction. This new group will harness local knowledge, making sure we provide a diverse and representative cross section of our community who have their say on projects that impact their place," Mr Crosdale said.
By working together, we can gain a greater understanding of the communities' priorities and ultimately, deliver outcomes that improve the liveabiltiy and wellbeing of those that live, work and visit Port Stephens.
View the Communication and Engagement Strategy by visiting portstephens.nsw.gov.au/communications-and-engagement-strategy
