FAQs

The City is committed to consulting with our community and stakeholders to inform decision-making. Not only do we want to do this, but we want to do it well. Therefore it is important to review our community engagement practice to ensure we are providing a service that is up to date, aligned with best practice and importantly, meets the community's expectations.

With the input of the community, we aim to produce a revised Community Engagement Policy and Strategy that clearly reaffirms our commitment to community engagement. We will also be updating the various tools and practices in place to provide the necessary support to our staff to deliver good quality engagement as part of doing business.

Community and stakeholder input was gathered to understand the community’s views on the City’s community engagement practice and to inform the preparation of the revised policy and strategy, processes and templates. The engagement was undertaken in two stages. 

Stage 1: A community survey was conducted from 24 November to 14 December 2020. The survey was available online at Engage Bayswater, in hard copy at the City’s libraries and Civic Centre and upon request. The opportunity to participate was also provided at two pop up stalls at the Christmas Markets at De Lacy Reserve and at Hawaiian’s Noranda shopping centre .  In partnership with the Neighbourhood Watch Chinese Group, the survey was also provided in Chinese.  

Communication and promotion of the project included:  Promotion via social media (Facebook), The Eastern Reporter and in the summer edition of Bayswater Beat  Emails to community groups, clubs, service providers and businesses  Promotion to the City’s Youth Advisory Council, Reconciliation Advisory Committee, Community Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee and Age Friendly Ambassadors  Promotion to the Engage Bayswater Panel A total of 351 survey responses were received. 

Stage 2 The second stage of engagement involved meeting with lesser-heard stakeholders, including focus group meetings with the Youth Advisory Council and Age Friendly Ambassadors, attending meetings of the Local Homelessness Advisory Committee, Access and Inclusion Committee and Reconciliation Advisory Committee, as well as meeting with the local business association and chamber of commerce and some of their members. The purpose of the targeted engagement with external stakeholders was to better understand how to reach those community members who are seldom heard from or are under-represented in our engagement activities, as well as how best to engage with them on matters that are important to them or may impact them. 

Feedback from this stage has not only informed the revised policy and strategy, but will inform revision of the processes and templates used to tailor our communication and engagement activities. 

Additionally, this stage of the project involved engaging City staff and Councillors.

Council adopted the Community Engagement Policy in 2016 to reflect a commitment to effective and inclusive community and stakeholder engagement. 

When making decisions, Council considers several factors including financial, technical and resourcing information, alongside community and stakeholder input.

The policy is built upon a set of commitments that guide the City's community engagement processes. These are based on the Core Values identified by the IAP2.

The policy is reviewed on a regular basis and will be updated as part of this review.

Council adopted the Community Engagement Strategy in 2016. The strategy identifies where we aspire to be and how we are going to get there, with our community engagement practice.

The strategy is now out of date and requires updating. The feedback we receive from this review will help inform the development of the new strategy.

IAP2 is the International Association for Public Participation. The City of Bayswater is a member of IAP2 Australasia.

This is the peak body for the community and stakeholder engagement sector here in Australia, and provides resources, training, advocacy and networking to support those working in this field.

The City's community engagement practice is aligned with the IAP2 Core Values.