Public Involvement

Public involvement is important at all stages of developing a Local Housing Strategy. Community representatives and even local businesses may provide important sources of information to assist in identifying housing needs, while the support of local resident groups may be needed to implement specific components of the strategy, such as changes to planning provisions.

The extent of consultation you undertake will depend on things like the scope of your Local Housing Strategy (whether a stand-alone strategy or linked to other strategic planning work of council), the availability of resources, council’s general consultation procedures and timing.

Consultation may actually be a statutory requirement for some elements of the strategy, such as changes to planning instruments or when council considers development proposals. In these instances, prescribed consultation processes will need to be followed, consistent with statutory requirements and local council policies.

Depending on these factors, you might base your strategy for public involvement on the information provided below.

Some consultation approaches to consider include:

• establishment of an overall steering or advisory committee, to guide the development, and/or implementation of the strategy. Depending on the intended role of the committee, it might include representatives of key local stakeholders, other government agencies, and some recognised housing experts
• holding targeted meetings with key individuals
• holding focus groups at key times during the development of the strategy
• a housing ‘expo’ or forum, to bring stakeholders together to discuss key issues and develop collaborative approaches
• provision of printed information, or a community Hotline and Website
• public exhibition of a draft strategy and/or planning instruments.

Not all issues will be significant for all stakeholders. Sometimes targeted consultation with stakeholders likely to be most affected by a proposal may be appropriate.

Where areas have significant Indigenous populations or significant Indigenous housing issues, ensure that effective and appropriate consultation with the Indigenous community occurs. Including one or two invitees within a general consultation session is usually not sufficient. Consult with local Indigenous groups to determine the best and most appropriate approach.

Potential stakeholders

A range of stakeholders is likely to be interested in the development of your Local Housing Strategy, such as:

• Councillors· Managers and relevant departmental officers (such as community services, planning, building, administration, as well as the Council’s general manager)
• Council's property section (responsible for managing council assets)
• Government agencies (such as Housing NSW, Department of Planning, Office of Community Housing, Aboriginal Housing Office, Department of Ageing, Disability and Homecare, Area Health Service, Department of Community Services)
• Other government agencies with significant local land holdings (such as the Department of Environment)
• Neighbouring councils (mainly relevant for metropolitan and coastal councils)
• Local community housing organisations and service providers (such as the local community housing association, supported accommodation providers, neighbourhood centre, tenants advice service, church groups)
• Local residents, including tenants
• Private sector interests (including real estate agents, developers, builders, major land holders, property owners/landlords, major employers).

The table below lists possible ideas for public involvement at different stages in developing a Local Housing Strategy. It is not always necessary to undertake formal consultation at each of these stages, although regular consultation helps build support for implementation.

 

Table: Involving the community in your Local Housing Strategy