Draft Community Engagement Framework

Since May 2022, the Council has been reviewing its existing Community Engagement Framework, to ensure this framework meets contemporary community needs and desires.

Matters considered in the review include:

• A survey of community members
• The 2021 Census results
• Staff, consultant and Councillor feedback and input
• Lessons learned from recent engagement activities

As a result of this work, an updated Community Engagement Framework - including a revised Community Engagement Policy and a new Community Engagement Strategy - were placed on public exhibition.

The documents outline how the Council intends to meet its Community Strategic Plan Priority 5.5, which is to "make it easy for citizens to engage and participate in decision making".

Please note that the Council's review has not extended to its Community Participation Plan, which defines how the Council engages with the community on statutory planning and development matters, such as planning proposals and development applications. This will be separately reviewed in 2023, and will remain as a standalone document.

Comments on the draft Framework closed on 12 March 2023.

Community consultation workshops

For this exhibition, the Council held two community consultation workshops (which also focussed on the draft Customer Experience Strategy at the Chatswood Council Chambers on 21 February and Naremburn Community Centre in 28 February.

Final documents

At its meeting of 22 May 2023, the Council adopted the revised Community Engagement Policy and new Community Engagement Strategy, subject to an amendment to the Strategy to add the following dot point to Attachment D - Evaluation and Monitoring

“Evaluating individual projects upon completion, including the engagement activity which helped deliver these projects. Part of this evaluation will include considering ‘lessons learned’ as per the Council’s usual project management procedures”.  

The final Policy and Strategy, Council report to the May 2023 meeting and Engagement Outcomes Report are available on this page.