By Matthew Sims
Cardinia community members are encouraged to have their say on how the council consults the broader community, as part of a review of its Community Engagement Policy.
As part of the council’s Creating Cardinia on the Move engagement initiative, the council’s Community Engagement team is heading out and about to connect with the community, with the first of four visits planned for this year to be held on Tuesday 16 April from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 6pm at Pakenham Central Marketplace.
A number of additional drop-in sessions where community members can provide feedback on the Draft Community Engagement Policy 2024 will be held across the shire, including Wednesday 10 April at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Wednesday 10 April at Hicks Reserve in Officer, Thursday 18 April at Emerald Library and Friday 3 May at the Garfield Community Centre.
The updated policy sets out how, when and why the council engages with the community to help inform its decisions and will guide the way in which it engage with the community over the next four years.
Cardinia Council mayor Jack Kowarzik said community members are welcome to share their thoughts on the council’s engagement strategies and practices as part of these engagement opportunities.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to connect with council and share their thoughts on our community engagement practices and policy,” he said.
“By taking Creating Cardinia on the move out to our community, we aim to connect with a broader range of community members and to give everyone a voice in our community engagement activities.
“Through the community pop-up events, we aim to raise awareness of community engagement opportunities that you can have your say on, provide information and close the loop on previous consultations and to hear first-hand what you think we’re doing well in the engagement space, and what we can improve upon.”
Under the Draft Community Engagement Policy 2024 document, the council will not undertake community engagement in an emergency or situation which impacts public safety, where an immediate resolution is required; situations which are strictly confidential in nature; when there is a ministerial exemption; or day-to-day operational decisions which have minimal to no impact on the community.
According to the document, a minimum of 3 weeks must be allowed to enable participation unless there is a genuine reason to reduce this timeframe.
Cr Kowarzik said any feedback will be appreciated and will inform the council’s consultation direction moving forward.
“By participating in community engagement opportunities, you’re providing council with valuable feedback on a range of projects and policies, which in turn helps inform council decisions,” he said.
For more information about the pop-up or drop-in sessions or the review of the council’s Community Engagement Policy, visit creating.cardinia.vic.gov.au/creating-cardinia-move
