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Community Consultations
What our community told us
Council consulted with the community and key stakeholders from November 2020 to October 2021 across a variety of platforms. Key stakeholder organisations consulted included:
• NSW Police - Wagga Wagga Local Area Command • Department of Communities and Justice
Youth Justice
Community Corrections; and
Housing • Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga • Mission Australia • Red Cross • Neighbourhood Watch Member – Mathieu Nolte • Wagga Women’s Health Centre • Domestic Violence Liaison Committee • NSW Health Engagement with community was equally as vital to building the plan and ensuring it met the needs of current trends and concern. The community guided the development of the priority areas in the community safety perception survey and gave invaluable feedback as to what they believed the key areas of concern were in their neighbourhoods.
• 68% of survey respondents identified as female vs 30% male with the remaining 2% identifying as non-binary or preferring not to say • The largest group of respondents were aged 35 to 54 (34%) • 65% of respondents answered yes to having been concerned about their safety in the last 12 months with 18% of this cohort being aged 45 to 54
Top five community concerns
67%
47%
32%
28% 26%
Breaking and entering homes
(e.g, burglary or theft from houses)
Domestic and family violence
(e.g, verbal, psychological, emotional, financial, physical, sexual, spiritual or religious, reproductive or imaged based abuse)
Arson
(e.g, setting fire to bins/cars/house/ trees)
Sale or use of illegal drugs Alcohol related assult
(e.g, physical harm by intoxicated person/s)
It is important to further understand our community in the contexts of different cohorts which add to the diversity of Wagga Wagga. These include First Nations, youth, and multiculturally diverse community members.
Total of 674 surveys completed
Total of 180 young people surveyed
The Community Safety Perception survey was completed by community members from across a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures, and ages. The survey was available on the connectwagga webpage and hard copies were available at Council's customer service counter and Wagga Wagga City Library. Specific engagement sessions were held in social disadvantage communities including Tolland, Ashmont and Kooringal to ensure all community members had the opportunity to share their thoughts.
What our First Nations community told us Total of 180 young Considerable work was undertaken to ensure the voices of First Nations people were people surveyed included in the plan with community consultation sessions delivered in partnership with Mission Australia and Red Cross Australia at the community centres across Ashmont, Tolland and Kooringal. Key data from these sessions includes but is not limited to the following: • 13% of respondents of the Community Safety Perception survey identified as Aboriginal. • Over 60% of Aboriginal respondents identified that they have been concerned about their safety in the city in the last 12 months in the community safety perception survey • 70% of First Nations respondents identified break and enter of home as their number one priority.
Overall 94% completion rate
What our young people told us
Youth Forums & Mayoral Breakfast
Overall 94% Council engaged with local High Schools and discussed community safety and crime concerns with 150 Year 9 and 10 students and school leaders and captains from across completion rate Wagga. The school-based forums empowered young people to engage with Council staff to rank their top community concerns, discuss their experiences with/of crime and to brainstorm potential solutions to increase safety across the Wagga Wagga LGA. Key data from these sessions includes but is not limited to the following: • Young people in Wagga Wagga were engaged with the development of the Community
Safety Action Plan on many different levels. The “Shape Your City” youth forums held in November 2020 and June 2021 and Mayoral Breakfasts gave young people the opportunity to discuss concerns and priorities specific for youth within the city • 183 young people aged between 10 and 24 completed the Community Safety
Perception survey • 63% of students identified domestic and family violence as their top community concern, closely followed by breaking and entering of homes, arson, sale or use of illegal drugs and alcohol related assault • Lighting was raised as an important component to young people that would increase their feelings of safety across the city.
