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‘It is never too earlyto involve citizensin issues directlyaffecting theirneighbourhoods ...’6. CommunityinvolvementIn the greater Adelaide area a basic conflict exists around how tomake community involvement work while not allowing a few toderail projects for selfish reasons. Time and time again I hear fromcommunity members that they have not been involved in key projectsor programs until well along in the development process. And likewiseI hear from government, both local and state, that it is premature tobegin discussions with the public when a project or program has notreceived the blessing to proceed from elected leadership and nothingmay come of it.As I have watched similar debates around the world, around theUnited States and certainly in my own community of Portland,Oregon, I believe there are ways to move forward, meeting thegoals of all stakeholders. First and foremost, systems agreed to bystakeholders must be put in place that find common ground, notbattle ground. And the most successful of these efforts have been,in my view, when there is a structure for people to become engagedthrough working with other people in their own communities.C O M M U N I T Y I N V O L V E M E N TThe City of Portland provides one model of how to achieve effectivecommunity involvement, although there are many other models fromaround the world that Adelaide should evaluate to determine howbest to structure a system that works.Forming neighbourhood associationsThe Portland model is based on government assisting the creationof local neighbourhood associations. These associations are formedthrough democratically elected neighbourhood officers. Their sizeis small enough to allow active and engaged community membersto participate meaningfully. In Portland, on average, there is aneighbourhood association for each approximately 5000 residents.The boundaries of the association are defined by naturally occurringdemarcations, such as topography, waterways, major roads, schooldistricts or other items that mean there is a natural coherence andlikeness of outlook for each neighbourhood.There is also a requirement that government must engagethe neighbourhood associations in decisions affecting thatneighbourhood, whether it be a liquor licence application or aproposed major new development. The neighbourhood associationshave standing to formally participate in the various reviews conductedby government approval bodies.42 FRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARDFRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARD 43