Page Sections: What is Community Consultation? | How You Can Have Your Say? | Kiosks I Community Forums I Neighbourhood Forums I Convenor's Meetings | Background Information
Exhibitions
Community Engagement
Community consultation describes the ways we interact with the community and the processes and practices we use to:
- notify the community about Council’s services, facilities, and plans
- listen to the community about their concerns and aspirations
- seek feedback from the community about existing and future Council business
- inform decisions that are in tune with the best interests of the community.
As the community contribute funds to Council’s services and facilities, we need to be responsive to the needs of the community we serve.
Through consultation the community can:
- learn about what the Council does or plans to do
- express views on decisions that affect them
- suggest how the Council may improve the way it plans for and provides services and facilities
- make Wollongong a better place to live.
You can also view and comment on current development applications on exhibition.
Creating our Community Strategic Plan Together
Council is currently working on the development of 'Wollongong 2022', our Community Strategic Plan which will be prepared with input from the community to provide a 10 year vision for our city.
The Community Engagement Strategy for the Community Strategic Plan was adopted by Council in May 2011, and outlines how we will involve key stakeholders from across our diverse community in developing this major plan.
The Engagement Strategy will ensure that individuals, community groups, government agencies and non-government organisations are identified and invited to participate in meaningful discussions about their aspirations and visions for the future of Wollongong.
One of the first steps we've taken is the Draw Write Snap Share project, which invited the community to tell us what they love most about Wollongong. For further details, please visit our Draw Write Snap Share page.
To stay up to date on this and other ways you can be involved, visit our website regularly or call Customer Service on (02) 4227 7111.
How You Can Have Your Say?
Important city strategy plans and studies are placed on public exhibition.
In addition to the below consultation activives, our community engagement team attends community events like markets and festivals so you can have your say.
Kiosks
You’re invited to drop by an interactive ‘stall’ and register your comments and views. You can raise any topic we're responsible for and the information will be relayed back to the relevant part of the organisation. Information and staff will be on hand about a variety of Council services and projects.
Upcoming Kiosks: Community Engagement Calendar
Community Forums
A community forum is an interactive session where you can speak to Council staff and provide feedback on proposed plans.
Upcoming Forums: Community Engagement Calendar
Neighbourhood Forums
A Neighbourhood Forum is a community group independent from Council which meets to discuss local issues. These groups will receive Council support as outlined in the the Neighbourhood Forum Charter. To find out which Neighbourhood Forum area you live in, please view the Neighbourhood Forum boundary map.
Neighbourhood Forum Meetings: Community Engagement Calendar
Convenor's Meetings
Neighbourhood Forum convenors also meet with Council officers and Administrators on a regular basis.
Background Information
October 2005
Community engagement policy adopted.
The creation of this policy involved a year of research and community consultation. More than 200 people were surveyed, planning (DAs and zoning specifically) and infrastructure were most important to those surveyed.
The policy includes a range of new ways for the community to have their say on Council matters.
February 2008
Ward Kiosks and community planning sessions began.
April 2008
Due to changes within Council structure, particularly the appointment of three Administrators, we shifted from Neighbourhood Committees to Local Area Committees.
A review of the Community Engagement Framework, Policy and options was resolved at the Council meeting on 23 April 2008. We gained feedback from the community about this review through Local Area Meetings and Community Forums.
July 2008
A new Community Consultation Discussions Paper was placed on public exhibition to seek community feedback.
October 2008
The Community Consultation Policy, Neighbourhood Forum Charter and Community Leader's Meeting Charter were adopted at the Council meeting on 28 October.
March 2010
In March 2010 we appointed Elton Consulting to undertake an independent assessment of how well the policy framework was working in practice. We provided data on how and when we used each of these opportunities in the period from January to December 2009.
The results enabled us to ensure we will:
- continue to support and promote Neighbourhood Forums
- consult with the community about membership attendance at Neighbourhood Forums and the potential revision of Neighbourhood Forum boundaries
- further develop e-consultation techniques
- replace the 'Community Leaders Meeting with Administrators Charter' with the 'Neighbourhood Forum Leaders Meeting with Administrators Charter'
- promote Public Access Forums to encourage broad participation by community members
- update the Community Consultation Policy to differentiate between consultation opportunities and support mechanisms; will be reviewed every two years.