Engaging With Our Communities

The 2021/22 financial year saw Council gain 40 per cent of new members and retain 62 per cent of the existing members on Conversations, Councils online engagement platform. Conversations was viewed more than 59,000 times in the year and had more than 2,400 contributions. The highest engaged project was Don’t Waste our Waste with 468 contributions, while the top five visited project pages (with more than 3000 views) were Virtual Neighbourhood Centre, Philip Street Communities and Families Precinct, Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail, Agnes Water Beach Visitor Carpark and Boyne Tannum Aquatic Recreation Centre. Council also continued to have a broader engagement presence across the region for various projects, including the following projects:

Don’t Waste our Waste

Understanding our communities’ waste management practices and preferences to help develop alternatives for Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) in our region. During Phase 1 Council attended all 13 transfer stations to promote the online survey on Conversations and provided paper copies through pop-up consultations. During Phase 2 consultation, Council hosted a pop-up stall at Stockland Gladstone Shopping Centre to compliment the online survey on Conversations.

Recreational Vehicle Project

Engaging with the community regarding Council’s Recreational Vehicle Strategy and clarifying roles and responsibilities for Council and regional tourism operators to deliver outcomes defined in the strategy. Council held a stall at the Stockland Gladstone Shopping Centre for one week, as well as door knocking at Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Boyne Island, Tannum Sands, Gladstone and the Boyne Valley Community Discovery Centre.

Energising the Gladstone Region Future Economy

An inclusive planning process to design a roadmap that will guide our region over the next 10 years as we navigate the changes in the energy sector that directly impact our local economy. Council hosted online workshops, online surveys, and engagement sessions in partnership with The Next Economy. Face-to-face sessions were held in Agnes Water and Gladstone, along with key stakeholder sessions with First Nations peoples and industry representatives and workers.

Gladstone Region Bridges Replacement

Several bridges across the region have been identified for replacement due to age and poor condition. The community of Lowmead had two bridges identified for replacement and Council engaged with the community using several methods. The online engagement platform, Conversations, was used to provide weekly updates to the community and a portal for any questions.

Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail (BBIRT)

Council consulted with the community on a strategic project, the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail. The Conversations platform was used to share concept designs, with 76 per cent of those surveyed supportive to see continued development of this valuable tourism asset.

Our Coast. Our Future – Boyne Island Tannum Sand Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (BITS SEMP)

One of the short-term actions from the Our Coast. Our Future. Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy was to develop a management plan for the Boyne Island and Tannum Sands shoreline from Lilley’s Beach to Bangalee. To inform this management plan, the community were consulted using several methods including the Conversations platform and community drop-in sessions.

Agnes Water Skate Park

Council is investigating a potential redesign/ upgrade of the Agnes Water Skate Park to gauge the possibilities of increasing recreational experiences for residents, skate park users and visitors to the region. Council hosted many in-person events including pop-up stalls, a community information session, a drop-in session, a community workshop and STEM programs, along with online surveys.

How we engage

Council follows the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) engagement framework which promotes the integration of community engagement in decision-making. We engage through various methods, by informing, consulting, involving, collaborating with and empowering the community. This includes through direct mail, social media, interviews, workshops, surveys, committees and so much more. Visit Council’s website for more information or view our Community Development Strategy.

LOOKING AHEAD

In the next 12 months Council will be working with the community on several projects, including: • Our Coast. Our Future - Seventeen

Seventy Shoreline Erosion Management

Plan is an action from the Coastal

Hazard Adaption Strategy. • Gladstone Region Bridges Replacement will continue to engage with the community about the identified and required bridge replacements.