REDLAND City Council will be asked to keep its community engagement framework unchanged after a first-year review found consultation activities had doubled since its introduction.
Councillors will consider the review at next week’s general meeting, with officers recommending they note the findings and endorse the framework’s continued use without amendment.
The framework was adopted in June last year following consultation and was designed to provide a consistent approach for planning, delivering and reporting on community engagement across Council.
The review found Council had completed twice as many engagement activities as in the year before the framework was adopted, using a mix of online, paper-based and face-to-face methods.
It found the framework had strengthened Council’s focus on reaching diverse voices, including through engagement activities held at different times of day, as well as focus groups, short surveys, community information sessions and pop-ups at markets.
The report said this recognised that residents had different preferences and capacities to take part in decision-making.
A stronger focus had also been placed on “closing the loop” by telling participants what had resulted from consultation.
Council’s Communication, Engagement and Tourism group established a quarterly Community Engagement Network to share lessons, build staff capability and develop resources.
It also delivered six community engagement roadshow sessions to teams including strategic planning, marine, civil and traffic, people and culture, and strengthening communities, as well as an organisation-wide webinar.
Between 70 and 80 Council officers participated in upskilling sessions between March and June.
Further training, including quarterly webinars, is planned until December.
Supporting resources now available to staff include engagement planning checklists, an engagement cycle, a support fact sheet, and practical guides for running pop-ups, open houses and surveys.
The report found no significant issues requiring amendments to the framework.
It says early, meaningful and transparent engagement can help identify community expectations, concerns and opportunities before decisions are finalised, reducing the risk of project delays, rework, stakeholder dissatisfaction and reputational damage.
The report also notes the framework has helped Council meet legislative and policy requirements by giving officers a clearer way to decide when engagement is appropriate, which methods to use and how to report outcomes.
Council has allocated 2026-27 funding for an online engagement platform, targeted staff training and the equivalent of two full-time positions to plan, deliver and support engagement activities.
Major projects can also have separate consultation budgets where specialist support is needed.
The framework supports Council’s commitments to democratic representation, social inclusion and meaningful community engagement, while also identifying circumstances where Council may not undertake consultation.
The officer recommendation is for councillors to note the review and retain the framework without amendment.
