CRG Transition

The Community Engagement Review project was conducted in partnership with contractors Engagement Plus in 2023. The project was an initiative to help deliver on Council's commitments in the Corporate and Operational Plans to improve Council's community engagement.

There were two phases of community engagement undertaken as part of the review. The first was designed to gather insights, while the second sought to validate the feedback received.

The following engagement activities were held in community:

• Two online community briefings
• A face-to-face community workshop
• An online community workshop
• A survey (both online and via hard copy)

Internally, the Council held:

• Three councillor workshops
• Three staff workshops
• Two staff briefings
• One-on-one interviews with councillors and key staff
• Two meetings with the Whole of Management Team, including managers and Council’s executive leaders.

These engagements, along with several reports informed the development of Council’s new Community Engagement System.

The Community Engagement System consists of:

• Community Engagement Policy
• Community Engagement Statement
• Community Engagement Framework
• Community Engagement Strategic Action Plan (2024-2028)
• Community Engagement Toolkit

One of the key initiatives within the Community Engagement Strategic Action Plan (2024-2028) is the CRG Transition project, which aims to re-align Community Reference Groups (CRGs) to recognise them as place-based community development and planning groups. The project acknowledges the unique needs of each community, meaning that the transition will look different for every group.

What’s next for the CRG Transition?

Discussions on the transition will be held during CRG Forums, rather than the usual quarterly meetings. These forums will bring together multiple CRGs, providing an opportunity to collectively discuss the transition, share experiences, support one another, and gain insights into each other’s operations. The forum times, days, and travel distances have been thoughtfully planned to best accommodate the different groups.

If you are unable to attend a session, please feel free to get in touch to discuss alternative ways to contribute to the ongoing discussion.