Response to Draft Community Engagement Charter
Once finalised, the Charter will enable the final elements of the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Review) Act 2021 to be commenced.
Our position
LGA has consistently supported a more flexible and principles-based approach to community consultation which allows councils to tailor engagement based on the complexity and scale of the decision, and to adopt more contemporary tools and practices.
This is particularly important in responding to shifts in technology and changing expectations in citizen engagement.
LGA listened to comments made by communications and governance practitioners during a webinar on the Draft Community Engagement Charter and has reviewed council submissions shared with LGA.
Our recommendations
LGA has made 14 recommendations and associated commentary on improvements to the Community Engagement Charter to best support councils to meet modern expectations for public participation, while ensuring approaches remain practical and proportionate.
These include:
- making the Charter short, easy to understand, and helpful for councils and communities
- using the same words and meanings throughout, and aligning with widely accepted engagement terms
- keeping engagement activities that only provide information in a separate table or section, and merging the two 'Significant' categories as they are too similar
- clarifying that councils don’t have to publish notices in printed newspapers if there are better channels for the council to use
- clarifying that councils acting in good faith and following the Charter and their own policies should be seen as meeting their consultation duties.
- listing some engagement requirements (under sections of the Local Government Act 1999) in more than one category so councils can choose the best approach.
- giving councils nine months to adopt new policies and allowing them to keep using their current processes for three months after adoption.
Next steps
LGA will continue working with the Office of Local Government to help finalise the Community Engagement Charter.
The goal is to ensure the final document:
- meets legislative and state policy requirements
- supports strong community engagement across local government.
This includes making sure there are practical transitional arrangements in place to support a smooth and effective start.
LGA also plans to develop a model community engagement policy for councils.
This will help guide additional engagement activities – both for matters covered in the Charter and for other council matters not included.
As the Charter progresses, LGA will provide further guidance to help councils implement it effectively.
Find out more
For further information on the Community Engagement Charter, please contact LGA Manager, Governance Michael McCarthy at governance@lga.sa.gov.au