3000 kb - Mid Western Regional Council - NSW Government

Community Involvement
This section of the Plan outlines Council’s intentions in involving the community in
decision-making during the development of schemes. Community consultation is not only
highly desirable in terms of major capital works, but there are requirements under the
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the Local Government Act, which need
to be satisfied. The aims of community consultation are to:
• Develop ownership of the service delivery issues by the community, and to
gain agreement that action is required;
• Ensure that the concerns of the community, particularly social and
environmental concerns, are taken into account;
• Allow the community to propose options it wants evaluated and ensure that
the costs associated with decisions are acceptable; and
• Demonstrate to the community that Council is making the best decisions
after proper evaluation of all the issues.
Methods used by Council to consult the community in the past include:
• Public meetings and village tours;
• Customer Surveys;
• Public forum at Council meetings;
• Public display of planning documents;
Development of the Local Environmental Plan, new water supplies and reservoirs and
new sewage treatment works all benefit from direct involvement of the community.
Periods of public display, public comment and notices to ratepayers and business groups
to advertise the opportunity to comment are typical.
Following issues need to be considered when undertaking community consultation:
• Members of community who are not directly affected by a project may also
have concerns;
• There must be a balance between due process and risks in order that a
satisfactory level of progress can be maintained;
• While community consultation on projects is highly desirable, it can be a
lengthy process and project lead times need to be programmed to take
account of this.
While community consultation on projects is necessary and highly desirable, it can be a
lengthy process and project lead times need to be programmed to take account of this.
Page 52 Part B - Strategic Plan Mid-Western Regional Council
Strategic Business Plan for Sewerage