Key themes that emerged from the results included: 

• 95 per cent of respondents will engage with Council on decisions that are important to them such as decisions around infrastructure/services and strategic plans.
• The most popular methods of engaging with respondents included surveys, online interactive platforms and informative measures (such as e-newsletters, social media and newspapers)
• Suggestions to make community engagement activities more inviting included to articulate how their say made a difference, changing the culture, consider new methods (i.e., Zoom), holding more workshops, keep interactions online or anonymous and taking part in community activities
• Feedback for the draft policy focused on accessibility, including a dedicated place for engagement activities to be advertised (including an e-newsletter or online engagement hub) and making a commitment to provide community members with assistance to understand the material that is provided to them for them to be able to comment. 

Participants also used this opportunity to highlight community projects and these will be considered for future Council Plans and the Community Vision. Council will now review the Draft Community Engagement Policy with consideration for the feedback received. An updated policy will be presented to Council for deliberation at the February 2021 Council Meeting. 

Comments from Administrator Eisenbise:

“Council has a clear commitment to our community and engaging effectively is a vital component in making informed decisions on behalf of South Gippsland. We want to ensure that we are providing engagement opportunities in a way that suits our community and encourages participation by all residents. 

“We are thankful to those that took part in the Community Engagement Review process as it has provided us with valuable information of how we can improve in this space. We look forward to reviewing the final Community Engagement Policy that will incorporate this feedback early in the new year,” said Ms Eisenbise.

Comments from this newspaper:

It would seem disingenuous to claim having a clear commitment to the community when all examples such as when they cancelled the Agnes Falls platform that the administrators made no attempt to engage with the community before reversing another Council decision made by the elected Councillor group.

This newspaper will report upon Council’s deliberations and how and if they incorporate anything from this “exercise” into the already written draft community engagement policy when they discuss or pass the already written draft policy at the February Council meeting.