Vision 2020 Update August 2019

REBUILDING TRUST THROUGH GENUINE ENGAGEMENT It’s no secret that councils often need to make difficult decisions. Matters such as planning, whether to invest in a project, or the future direction of the city can divide residents and communities. It can certainly be a challenge to balance competing priorities and differing views. However, the only way a council can ensure that it’s delivering what’s best for long-term interest of the majority of the community is determining the factual information and issues, and undertaking genuine, Following analysis of the survey data and preference results from 1,049 respondents, as well as a review of 450 written comments provided during the

consultation process, the recommendation was for the State Government to select ‘Option 3: Divided – 2 to 3 Councillors Per Division (for 4 to 6 Divisions)’ for the City of Ipswich, to be effective for the Local Government elections in March 2020 and beyond. Following the presentation of the report to the state government, the Change Commission undertook its own review into the city's internal boundaries and released its determination report that agreed with council's recommendation of four divisions with two councillors in each. This report can be viewed at the Electoral Commission's website ecq.qld.gov.au/lgr/ ipswich. In the proposed structure, divisions 1 and 4 include both rural and urban suburbs, while 2 includes suburbs towards the eastern end of council, and 3 many of the central Ipswich suburbs. Residents were invited to provide feedback on the proposed division. This is an excellent example of how the community can positively influence the future of the city. In May, council revealed the 99-strong membership of its five Community Reference Groups who will offer thoughts and ideas to council for consideration across the areas of economic development, resilient communities, growth management, environment, and transparent governance. Mr Chemello encouraged the community to lodge expressions of interest to join the committees back in March, with 151 eligible nominations received. The first meetings were held in June with great success. The feedback was so positive that the next round of meetings have been brought forward to August. “We can now draw from a vast local knowledge base, and thereby give more people a voice in the decision- making process of council,” he said. “Additionally, this reference group structure gives people a better understanding of how council works, and offers insights into key projects and activities.” And most recently, in an unprecedented move, council released an early draft Ipswich Planning Scheme to the city for community advice and views, under the catchcry of “Your city. Your local area. Your land”. A five-week consultation process was provided during which time the public and key stakeholders were

two-way engagement and public participation. Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by proximity, special interest, or similar situations to provide input that enhances decision- making on issues that may impact on their well-being or interests. It can be used as a key tool for local government to navigate priorities and it should be the primary driver behind how local governments inform, consult, engage and empower the community. Unfortunately, the Ipswich City Council of old was not known for its commitment to formal and transparent community engagement practices. Seeing it as an opportunity to rebuild trust with the community, Interim Administrator Greg Chemello promised to significantly increase the level of genuine engagement and meaningful discussion between stakeholders, residents and council in regards to the future of the city. “Effective engagement and public participation not only contributes to building trust between the community and the council but it is the foundation of good decision-making,” Mr Chemello said. So how has your council been demonstrating this commitment and how has the community been involved? Throughout the month of March 2019, Ipswich City Council encouraged residents to help shape their future council by sharing their views on the most appropriate divisional boundary model for the city via a survey, available both online and in hard copy. This report was prepared by the Interim Administrator for the consideration of the State Government to provide a summary of the city’s collective preferences, with three models proposed for consideration through a month-long community consultation program.

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