Building New Communities
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OUTER SUBURBAN/INTERFACE SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE BUILDING NEW COMMUNITIES Ordered to be Printed By Authority Government Printer for the State of Victoria July 2006 No 218 of Session 2003-2006 Inquiry into Building New Communities The Committee records its appreciation to all who have contributed to the Inquiry and the preparation of this report. A number of individuals made their expertise available through the submission process, at the Committee’s briefings, public hearings and during site visits; they are listed in the Appendices. The cover was designed by Mono Design with the image supplied by The Selection Partnership, UK. Printing was by TDC3. The report was prepared by the Committee’s Research Officer, Mr Keir Delaney and the Committee’s Executive Officer, Mr Sean Coley. Administrative support and research assistance was provided by Ms Natalie- Mai Holmes, with the research program under the direction of Mr Coley. Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee (2006) Inquiry into Building New Communities ISBN: 0-9751825-5-2 Cover Image Courtesy of The Selection Partnership, UK Cover Design: Mono Design Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee Level 3, 157 Spring Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Phone: (03) 9651 8387 Fax: (03) 9651 8323 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/osisdc TABLE OF CONTENTS OUTER SUBURBAN/INTERFACE SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP - 55TH PARLIAMENT ....................................................................VII OUTER SUBURBAN/INTERFACE SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS ................................................................................................IX FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE.........................................................................IX TERMS OF REFERENCE ........................................................................................XI ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................XIII CHAIR’S FOREWORD ......................................................................................... XVII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................... XIX CONTEXT AND CONCEPTS .........................................................................................XIX COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT .......................................................................................XIX COMMUNITY GROUPS ..................................................................................................XX VOLUNTEERING............................................................................................................XXI NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSES .......................................................................................XXI LIFELONG LEARNING..................................................................................................XXII MENTORING................................................................................................................XXIII PARTNERSHIPS..........................................................................................................XXIII COMMUNITY COHESION IN PERI-URBAN AREAS.................................................. XXIV TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................XXVII LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................XXXIII LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................XXXIII CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND TO THE INQUIRY .................................................... 1 SCOPE OF THE INQUIRY .................................................................................................2 Relationship with the previous Inquiry .................................................................................... 3 THE INQUIRY PROCESS ..................................................................................................4 Briefings and public hearings.................................................................................................. 4 Written submissions................................................................................................................ 4 Overseas evidence seeking trip.............................................................................................. 4 New Zealand study tour ..........................................................................................................5 Seminars and conferences ..................................................................................................... 5 i Inquiry into Building New Communities CHAPTER 2: CONTEXT AND CONCEPTS ..............................................................7 WHAT IS MEANT BY COMMUNITY? ..............................................................................10 COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING ...................................................................................13 THE POLICY CONTEXT ..................................................................................................16 PLACE MATTERS............................................................................................................18 SOCIAL CAPITAL ............................................................................................................21 Social capital, informal interactions and community events ................................................. 24 Measuring social capital and community strength ................................................................ 26 Social capital in the Interface areas ...................................................................................... 27 Social capital in new communities ........................................................................................ 31 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.........................................................................................32 CHAPTER 3: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ..........................................................39 THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT CONTEXT.................................................................44 Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment...................................................... 45 LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTEXT.................................................................................48 Indicators of engagement at the local government level ...................................................... 50 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ............................................................51 Brisbane Declaration............................................................................................................. 51 OECD’s Guiding Principles for Engaging Citizens in Policy-Making .................................... 52 Involve’s Principles of Good Participation............................................................................. 53 MODELS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT...................................................................54 THE ‘HARD TO REACH’ AND THE ‘USUAL SUSPECTS’ ..............................................58 Women in Community Disaster Recovery ............................................................................ 62 Hill End Community Study Group ......................................................................................... 62 ONLINE ENGAGEMENT..................................................................................................63 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.............................................65 Melton Shire Council ............................................................................................................. 66 Nillumbik Shire Council .........................................................................................................67 Wyndham City Council.......................................................................................................... 68 Yarra Ranges Shire Council.................................................................................................. 68 Baw Baw Shire Council......................................................................................................... 70 Moorabool Shire Council....................................................................................................... 72 INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS INITIATIVES ................................................................73 Western Australia.................................................................................................................. 73 Dialogue with the City ..................................................................................................... 74 Citizens’ juries................................................................................................................. 76 Queensland........................................................................................................................... 76 ii Table of Contents The Glenorchy City Council Precinct model (Tasmania)...................................................... 78 Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) (New Zealand) ..................................... 79 Participatory budgeting .........................................................................................................80 CHAPTER 4: COMMUNITY GROUPS .................................................................... 87