Community Engagement Strategy

Author: Margot Stork, Interim General Manager

11 May 2017

Adopted at the Extraordinary Meeting of Council of 29 June 2017 (resolution number 320617)

Murray River Council PO Box 21, NSW 2710 p 1300 087 004 f 03 5884 3417 e [email protected] w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

Community Engagement Framework Documents

1. Community Engagement Policy This is ’s Policy, which underpins the Community Engagement Strategy.

2. Community Engagement Strategy A public document for the community so that they know the types of issues that Murray River Council will consult on, how Council will consult and what the feedback loops will be to give line of sight to how community input has influenced decision making.

3. Community Engagement Toolkit An internal working document that provides Murray River Council’s employees with the tools and templates required to engage in appropriate, effective community engagement.

4. Community Engagement Factsheet for Councillors Sets out the role of Councillors in the community engagement process. It will be used during Councillor induction and to keep Councillors informed of the adopted community engagement model and the commitments of Murray River Council to that model.

2 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

Introduction

On 12 May 2016, the Premier of NSW, The Hon Mike Baird MP, made the Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016 under the Local Government Act 1993, whereby Murray Shire Council and Shire Council were amalgamated to constitute the new area to be known as Murray River Council, effective immediately.

The Murray River Council Local Government Area (LGA) covers an area of 11,865 square kilometres, is home to some 11,456 residents and has a wealth of physical features including majestic sweeping plains, magnificent stands of Red Gum forests and is almost totally surrounded by the mighty Murray River and its tributaries. It comprises three wards, , Greater Murray and Greater Wakool. Each ward will be represented by three councillors.

The main settlements in the council area include:  Moama, with a population of 5,560  Barham, with a population of 1,567  , with a population of 593  Mathoura, with a population of 1,165  , with a population of 173

A number of other small rural communities make up the council area including Bunnaloo (population 126), Caldwell (population under 100), Womboota (population 340), (population 276), Goodnight (population 222), (population 144) and Wakool (population 470).

3 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

Our communities, committees of council and the council work collaboratively to deliver events, projects and infrastructure for the benefit of the community and council.

The Murray River Council LGA is vast and the interests, needs, populations and growth of the various towns and small rural communities making up the council area are diverse.

We interact with our communities every day in a range of ways, such as: . Delivering water and sewage services to homes; . Providing community transport services for the aged; . Collecting rates; and . Land use planning and development.

Council needs to provide information to, and receive information back from, the community to deliver its services and plan for our future. As our newly formed council grows and develops, effective and ongoing communication and engagement with the communities we serve will be critical to our success.

What is community engagement?

Community engagement refers to the connections between governments and communities on a range of policy, program and service issues. It encompasses a wide variety of government-community interactions ranging from information sharing to community consultation and, in some instances, active participation in government decision making processes. Engagement can be formal or informal, direct or indirect.1

1 www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au

4 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

The term community engagement broadly captures public processes in which the general public and other interested parties are invited to contribute to particular proposals or policy changes. Community engagement has the potential to go beyond merely making information available or gathering opinions and attitudes. It entails a more active exchange of information and viewpoints between the sponsoring organisation and the public, however this public is defined.2

Why engage with the community?

Increasingly, communities expect to have greater involvement in decisions being made.3

The NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) requires councils to engage with the community to develop their Community Strategic Plan (CSP). Other legislation also requires council to engage with the community to develop plans and strategies.

The community is involved in the strategic planning process, including developing alternative strategies, identification of preferred solutions and prioritising activities.

Effective community engagement creates a strong partnership between the community and council. Better ways of working with communities leads to good government, good management and good business.4

2 www.iplan.nsw.gov.au Community Planning Toolkit Pp 14 3 www.iplan.nsw.gov.au Community Planning Toolkit 4 Ibid Pp 8

5 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

Good community engagement

Good community engagement will lead to: . Improved planning and service delivery outcomes; . Better management of projects through all stages of development and delivery; . More resilient relationships with the community; . A greater ability for council to meet local needs in a dynamic environment; . Increased understanding of community issues and priorities; . Improved partnerships and networks; . Greater responsiveness to deal with complex and emerging issues; . Opportunities for the council’s diverse voices and communities to be heard; . Communities having a vehicle to identify priorities and an opportunities to help frame solutions.

How and when will council engage?

When starting a project or process, we will determine if community engagement is required, by assessing the level of impact that a decision may have on the community and stakeholders. The higher the perceived level of impact the greater the level of community engagement is required.

6 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

LEVEL 1 (Low Impact) CRITERIA TO CONSIDER There is a low level of impact or risk (real or . No negative impact/s that are considered perceived) on the council area as a whole or to be of high value to the community (eg on a section of the community. lifestyle or physical environment).

. Low level of interest across the council It is likely that the decision will be accepted area or local region. by the community and seen as having positive outcomes or is necessary for the . Low to no risk of controversy or conflict benefit and development of the council area. across the council area or local region. . Only a small change or enhancement to There is no statutory requirement to engage any service. with the community.

LEVEL 2 (Medium Impact) CRITERIA TO CONSIDER There is a medium level of impact or risk . There may be some impact/s that are (real or perceived) on the council area as a considered to be of high value to the whole or on a section of the community. community or a section of the community (eg lifestyle or physical environment). It is likely that the decision will be accepted . Some sections of the community are by the majority of the community impacted; concerned or are likely to have a high level however the decision may be an of interest. inconvenience or impact for some sections of the community. . Potential for some controversy or conflict across the council area or the region. There is no statutory requirement to engage . There is a medium to low level of with the community. complexity in the issue being considered. . There is some loss or change to any service or facility provided by council.

7 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

LEVEL 3 (High Impact) CRITERIA TO CONSIDER There is a high level of impact or risk (real or . Significant impact/s that are considered to perceived) on the council area as a whole or be of high value to the community (e.g. on a section of the community. lifestyle or physical environment).

. Likely to have a high level of interest There is potential for any decision to create across the council area or the region. controversy and/or have varying levels of acceptance within the community. . Potential for a high level of controversy or conflict across the council area or the Consultation is a regulatory requirement or region. Office of Local Government (OLG) directive. . High levels of complexity in the issue being considered. There is a statutory requirement to engage with the community. . Likely to impact on vulnerable sections of the community. . There is a loss or significant change to any service or facility provided by council.

IMPACT LEVEL ENGAGEMENT REQUIRED

LEVEL 1 Assess and engage is considered necessary

LEVEL 2 Assess and engage, unless it is considered unnecessary

LEVEL 3 Always engage

8 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

What does community engagement look like?

Community engagement covers many types of exchange between an organisation and the public. The most commonly used terms are: . Consultation – the way an organisation seeks views from particular stakeholders or the wider public in order to improve a project or outcome. . Participation – a more active processes when the public has a greater role in formulating plans or influencing outcomes. This spectrum of engagement has been depicted in many ways over the years.

A continuum presented in the table below has international recognition through IAP2 – the International Association for Public Participation.

9 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au

Community Engagement Strategy

STEP ACTION

What is the purpose of engaging? 1. DEFINE Define what decision is being made.

Who are you engaging with? 2. IDENTIFY Identify who is impacted and/or is interested.

How and why to engage? 3. PLAN Use the IAP2 Matrix to identify at what level you need to engage and what are the best tools and methods to use.

. Internal communications – inform Council’s staff what is happening (particularly customer service staff). . Implement Engagement Action Plan. 4. IMPLEMENT . Health check your Engagement Action Plan throughout the engagement process. . Collate, collect and record consolidated data (including community evaluation/feedback).

5. EVALUATE Analyse feedback in consultation data.

. Report finding/s to the decision maker/s, explicitly 6. DECIDE AND DOCUMENT documenting what engagement has achieved. . Inform participants about the engagement outcomes.

. Incorporate outcomes of engagement in decision making process, as appropriate. 7. INCORPORATE . Provide outcomes to the community. . Implement decision or changes.

10 Murray River Council · PO Box 21, Mathoura NSW 2710 · p 1300 087 004 · f 03 5884 3417 · e [email protected] · w www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au