Redland City Council has moved to a new online engagement platform that will make it easier for the community to share ideas and have a say on Council plans and projects.
Acting Mayor Julie Talty said communicating with residents was one of the most important things Council does and the new platform for Council’s Your Say page would help people get information and give feedback more easily.
“The new platform will introduce more engagement tools and enhanced features that will offer new ways for the community to participate in Council engagements,” Cr Talty said.
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“For example, an interactive mapping feature is being used in Council’s current Shaping Coastal Connections engagement regarding the uses and access to our beaches and foreshore – allowing participants to place pins on a Redlands Coast map and identify how they use those areas.
“Tools such as this will add value to Council’s engagements.”
The platform offers swipe tools for before and after photos, which will help show the progress of capital projects, and other features such as upgraded ideas walls, surveys, quick polls and moderated forums.
Cr Talty said effective community engagement was essential to enable Council to properly represent and serve its community.
“A good two-way flow of information between the organisation and the community helps to ensure Council makes well-informed decisions,” she said.
“Through our Corporate Plan, Council has committed to undertake meaningful community engagement that encourages diverse participation in local decision-making.
“As part of that commitment, we adopted a Community Engagement Framework last year that set out the principles that will guide Council engagement practices.
“This new platform delivers further on that commitment and will, I hope, encourage more people to engage with Council when we consult on projects, programs and initiatives.”
In the first year since the framework’s adoption, Council completed 16 engagement projects – twice as many as the previous year – using a range of methods including face-to-face and online activities, focus groups, short surveys, community information sessions and pop-ups at markets.
To ensure staff have the skills and knowledge to deliver effective engagement, Council has established an internal network of community engagement practitioners, has delivered information sessions across the organisation, and developed resources to assist Council teams in planning, delivering and reporting on engagement activities.
The new Your Say platform is available at yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au
