Draft Community Engagement Policy 2026

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Consultation has concluded

Thank you for your input into the Community Engagement Policy which was adopted by Council at the 3 August 2026 meeting. 

The new policy replaces the old Public Consultation Policy and will come into effect from 2 November 2026 as per the direction given that councils can keep using their current public consultation policy until three months after their new policy is adopted.

Consultation Summary

Consultation on the draft Policy occurred from 6 May to 8 June 2026 (open for 33 days).

During that time:

  • The Your Say project page was live with information and survey which attracted 121 aware, 55 informed, and 3 engaged visitors
  • A latest news item from Council's website directing to the Your Say project page.
  • Posters and a hard copy of the draft policy were available at the Local Government Centre and Library.
  • An email was sent to key stakeholders advising of the consultation
  • An advert was printed in the Courier Newspaper on 13 May 2026.
  • Three social media posts were scheduled over the course of the engagement period with a total of 3,688 views, 10 interactions 9the number of reactions, comments, shares and saves), and 2,246 impressions (the number of times the content was on a screen).
  • An article published in Council's eNewsletter District Matters which was sent on 15 May 2026.

What we heard

A total of five submissions were received - three via the online survey and two via email.

The feedback focused on the following:

  • Clarity and enhancement to the roles and responsibilities.
  • Increasing the minimum community engagement period.
  • Council's commitment to minimum engagement activities and what these include.
  • How submissions are reported back to Council.
  • Greater clarity about how community feedback informs Council's decision-making.

Based on the feedback, the policy was updated. Read the final Community Engagement Policy here.

You can read all the submissions and the changes made to the policy in the Council agenda.

Background

Under the Local Government Act 1999 (the Act) every council is required to maintain a Community Engagement Policy. The Community Engagement Policy sets out our formal commitments, statutory requirements and minimum standards for community engagement.

In December 2025, the South Australian Government introduced a new Community Engagement Charter that sets updated requirements for how councils engage with their communities.

Council has prepared a draft Community Engagement Policy to replace the current Public Consultation Policy. The updated policy aligns with the requirements of the Charter and related amendments to the Act.

Before the Policy can be adopted, Council must consult with the community across the whole council area and consider the feedback received. The new policy must be adopted by 11 September 2026.

What’s changed

The new Charter replaces the previous detailed public consultation requirements in the Act and introduces a clearer, tiered approach to community engagement.

The level of engagement now depends on how significant a decision is, ranging from Inform through to Significant, with each level having minimum engagement requirements.

Minor matters may only require information to be shared with the community, while major decisions such as the Annual Business Plan require formal public notice and opportunities for community feedback.

The five levels of the Charter are:

  • Significant - Annual Business Plan and Rating Policy: decisions related to a council’s adoption of its annual business plan or proposed changes to the basis of its council rates.
  • Significant: decisions that a council makes that have a significant impact on most or all ratepayers and residents, or the wider community or area.
  • Standard: decisions that a council makes that benefit from community input across the council area.
  • Local: decisions that impact an identifiable smaller group of residents/ratepayers or a local area.
  • Inform: matters where councils provide information to a community impacted by a decision.

What could be influenced

The general engagement activities of the mandatory community engagement requirements table (in item 6.2 of the policy) that are in red text. Those items not in red text are set by the Act and Charter and cannot be altered.

What could not be influenced

Legislative requirements as per the Local Government Act 1999 and Community Engagement Charter. That includes the five engagement categories and mandatory requirements.

Thank you for your input into the Community Engagement Policy which was adopted by Council at the 3 August 2026 meeting. 

The new policy replaces the old Public Consultation Policy and will come into effect from 2 November 2026 as per the direction given that councils can keep using their current public consultation policy until three months after their new policy is adopted.

Consultation Summary

Consultation on the draft Policy occurred from 6 May to 8 June 2026 (open for 33 days).

During that time:

  • The Your Say project page was live with information and survey which attracted 121 aware, 55 informed, and 3 engaged visitors
  • A latest news item from Council's website directing to the Your Say project page.
  • Posters and a hard copy of the draft policy were available at the Local Government Centre and Library.
  • An email was sent to key stakeholders advising of the consultation
  • An advert was printed in the Courier Newspaper on 13 May 2026.
  • Three social media posts were scheduled over the course of the engagement period with a total of 3,688 views, 10 interactions 9the number of reactions, comments, shares and saves), and 2,246 impressions (the number of times the content was on a screen).
  • An article published in Council's eNewsletter District Matters which was sent on 15 May 2026.

What we heard

A total of five submissions were received - three via the online survey and two via email.

The feedback focused on the following:

  • Clarity and enhancement to the roles and responsibilities.
  • Increasing the minimum community engagement period.
  • Council's commitment to minimum engagement activities and what these include.
  • How submissions are reported back to Council.
  • Greater clarity about how community feedback informs Council's decision-making.

Based on the feedback, the policy was updated. Read the final Community Engagement Policy here.

You can read all the submissions and the changes made to the policy in the Council agenda.

Background

Under the Local Government Act 1999 (the Act) every council is required to maintain a Community Engagement Policy. The Community Engagement Policy sets out our formal commitments, statutory requirements and minimum standards for community engagement.

In December 2025, the South Australian Government introduced a new Community Engagement Charter that sets updated requirements for how councils engage with their communities.

Council has prepared a draft Community Engagement Policy to replace the current Public Consultation Policy. The updated policy aligns with the requirements of the Charter and related amendments to the Act.

Before the Policy can be adopted, Council must consult with the community across the whole council area and consider the feedback received. The new policy must be adopted by 11 September 2026.

What’s changed

The new Charter replaces the previous detailed public consultation requirements in the Act and introduces a clearer, tiered approach to community engagement.

The level of engagement now depends on how significant a decision is, ranging from Inform through to Significant, with each level having minimum engagement requirements.

Minor matters may only require information to be shared with the community, while major decisions such as the Annual Business Plan require formal public notice and opportunities for community feedback.

The five levels of the Charter are:

  • Significant - Annual Business Plan and Rating Policy: decisions related to a council’s adoption of its annual business plan or proposed changes to the basis of its council rates.
  • Significant: decisions that a council makes that have a significant impact on most or all ratepayers and residents, or the wider community or area.
  • Standard: decisions that a council makes that benefit from community input across the council area.
  • Local: decisions that impact an identifiable smaller group of residents/ratepayers or a local area.
  • Inform: matters where councils provide information to a community impacted by a decision.

What could be influenced

The general engagement activities of the mandatory community engagement requirements table (in item 6.2 of the policy) that are in red text. Those items not in red text are set by the Act and Charter and cannot be altered.

What could not be influenced

Legislative requirements as per the Local Government Act 1999 and Community Engagement Charter. That includes the five engagement categories and mandatory requirements.