One thing that we are in the process of improving at Council is the way that we consult with or notify the community regarding proposed changes.
An example of this is Traffic DAs where our staff will traditionally send a notification to nearby households (eg 10 or 20), and then make a recommendation based on any feedback received. However these notifications may not necessarily go out to the wider group of residents who are affected by the traffic proposal, and a ward councillor may end up asking for the notification to go out to a wider group.
To assist with this process, I’ve asked the staff to make some of the larger impact matters available for online consultation so that we can reach a wider group of people.
We experimented with this approach when a roundabout was proposed to improve safety conditions at Trafalgar x Clanville. The traditional notification only generated a few responses, so when we switched to online we received quite a lot more. [I have not yet seen what these responses say.]
The process can still be improved. On hindsight I should have actively shared the consultation link on social media, and will aim to do so next time.
https://krg.engagementhub.com.au/clanville-trafalgar-roseville-proposed-roundabout
