Annual Report 2023-24

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Our Council
     Engaging with
     our community
     Council is committed to keeping the community               – Your Say Noosa                                            – Your Noosa Publication                                          Community engagement highlights
     engaged and informed of its projects, plans, initiatives,   Our online engagement tool. Registered guests can           We regularly print in our local community newspapers              For this reporting period, there were 10 major projects
     and activities across the Shire. Furthermore, Council       provide feedback and ideas on helping to shape the          a lift-out spread that highlights the latest Council              requiring community engagement during the reporting
     recognises that community engagement is a vital part        future of our Shire.                                        information for our community readers to digest.                  year.
     of effective democracy. Quality engagement between
     Council and residents makes good business practice          – Surveys                                                   – Letters                                                         These ranged from place-based engagement and
     and it is critical to good governance.                      Common method for obtaining information from                We send information to members of our community                   those of shire-wide strategic significance.
                                                                 the community, available electronically through our         likely to be directly affected by a decision, project, or
     Our Community Engagement Framework                          websites, such as Your Say Noosa.                           upgrade.                                                          About 55,500 people visited the Your Say Noosa
62                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          63
     On 16 March 2023, Council adopted its Community                                                                                                                                           engagement portal during the year, with 3,067 people
     Engagement Policy which outlines Council’s                  – Facilitated sessions and workshops                        – Social media                                                    participating in a survey, quick poll or provided input as
     commitment to the Community Engagement                      We hold online and face-to-face workshops and               We inform the community and stakeholders of                       part of those projects.
     Framework and associated principles of engagement:          sessions to exchange information, involve the               engagement opportunities through social media,
      — Inclusive                                               community and obtain feedback on our plans, ideas in a      providing links to information on Your Say Noosa.                 The on-going development of the draft master plan
      — Transparent                                              more personal way. Community members can interact                                                                             for the Noosaville Foreshore, attracted over 1,825
      —A  ppropriate                                            directly with staff and have their questions and concerns   – Community stalls at events                                      responses to the survey, and more than 400 people
      —A  ccountable                                            listened to, answered, and considered.                      We may set up council stalls at major events to maximise          participated in face-to-face workshops over two
      — Timely                                                                                                               the opportunities to let the community know about open            phases of engagement.
      — Well resourced                                           – Roundtables and working groups                            consultations. The stalls are managed by a diverse range
      — Informative                                             Discussions with community groups, stakeholders             of staff to allow for answers to be provided by relevant staff.   More community engagement will occur over the next
      — Understanding our changing community                     and community members may be facilitated through                                                                              12 months.
                                                                 developed roundtables and work groups that focus            – Coffee chats with councillors
     Council will continue to engage with the community          on a particular issue or topic.                             Our councillors offer to the community coffee chats,              As will the ongoing development of a Destination
     in order to work together to address local issues and                                                                   where residents can discuss their ideas and thoughts              Management Plan for the Shire, which received over




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Noosa Council Annual Report 23/24
     collectively achieve better outcomes.                       – Submissions                                               about matters that are important to them. They are                770 responses to the survey in Phase 1 of engagement,
                                                                 We may request formal submissions to capture                located in various cafes and locations across our Shire.          which was held during the reporting period.
     Engagement methods                                          community interest and input on various topics.
     Council uses different community engagement
     techniques and communication methods depending              – e-newsletters
     on the issue or project, its goals, its circumstance and    We deliver various community e-newsletters to
     the level of influence the community have on decision-      subscribers with the latest information on Council’s
     making.                                                     projects, events, and activities.