Involving the community in decisions

INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY IN DECISION-MAKING

Community engagement in Wodonga looked different in 2020-2021. COVID-19 restrictions prevented face-to-face engagement for significant periods in 2019 and 2020 while the new Local Government Act 2020 put increasing importance on ensuring all residents have the opportunity to engage with the council on local priorities and the future of their community. In line with Local Government Act 2020 changes, council developed a new Community Engagement Policy and also asked the community to “Have a say on having a say”. In 2020-2021, the council sought feedback from the community on 29 matters. Those matters ranged from key strategic documents including a new Council Plan, the annual budget and a new Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan to tourism, the arts, dog parks and playgrounds. The council worked with neighbouring AlburyCity to ask both communities how to best promote Albury-Wodonga to visitors under the Visit Albury Wodonga banner.

HOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAD THEIR SAY

The council heard from community members through the Make Wodonga Yours online portal, workshops, drop-in sessions, a Community Conversations online panel, “Seats on the Street” face-toface sessions at key locations out in the community, formal submissions, emails, phone calls, interactive maps for comments, social media and letters in the post.

HOW COUNCIL ENCOURAGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE A SAY

Council promoted opportunities to engage through public notices, media reports, social media posts, email newsletters, posters on community noticeboards and word of mouth.

IMAGINE BETTER – DEVELOPING OUR COUNCIL PLAN AND HEALTH PLAN DRAFT COUNCIL PLAN 2021-2025

To inform the draft Council Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, key strategic documents to guide decision-making over the next four years, council asked the community to imagine better. Council asked the community: • What are the important issues facing our city; • What are the needs and aspirations of the community; • What is important to you and what you want the council to focus on over the next four years; and, • What it looks like to live a good life in Wodonga and what’s next? The council asked the community to imagine better. All the feedback from two drop-in sessions, six stakeholder workshops, a shopfront, two open community workshops, a survey, an interactive online map and two Seats on the Street sessions and through the Make Wodonga Yours online portal, was collected, reviewed and used to develop a draft Council Plan 2021-2025. The draft outlined five key priority areas to improve outcomes for the community. • Strong, responsible and sound leadership • Sustainable and forward looking • Healthy, safe and resilient community • Connected and engaged community • Thriving and vibrant community That draft document was taken back to the community for further feedback. More than 1000 members of the community participated in the engagement process and the Council Plan 2021-2025 was adopted in June, 2021.

OTHER ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS:

Proposed update to Belvoir dog park Cultural Services Plan Wodonga 2033 Community Vision review Draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2021-2022 to 2024-2025 Draft Road Management Plan Review of Councillor and Mayoral Allowances Councillor Professional Development Policy Ernest Condon Playground Whenby Grange Playground Extension Dog park proposal Draft Community Engagement Policy Notice of intention to sell land x 4 Australia Day Award nominations 2020 Deck’d 2021 campaign Community Conversations Online Forum Marimba Park Playground Schorobura Park Relocation Common Seal – Local Law Governance Update - proposed policies Community Safety in parks Visit Albury-Wodonga community survey Physical Activity Survey Talking Dogs