Central Coast Council is ticking all the boxes with its annual Community Engagement Program, with almost 90 per cent of projects having been actioned.
Council’s Director Community and Recreation Services Melanie Smith said that having such a high action rate on forecasted engagement activities showed that Council was delivering on what it said it would for the community.
“Since July this year we have been consulting with the community on a number of significant projects and we have received hundreds of comments and submissions through our online engagement platform and via face-to-face workshops and information sessions,” she said.
“It is pleasing to see that we are connecting with more community members with more than 21,000 new visitors to our engagement platform Your Voice Our Coast.
“The website is a rich source of information with detailed pages about projects under consultation including frequently asked questions, interactive maps, surveys, polls, event details and contacts for Council staff.”
Smith said five new items had been endorsed at the November 28 Council meeting to be placed on public exhibition before the end of the year.
“All projects have an extended feedback period to allow the community enough time to have their say over the Summer holidays,” she said.
The items open for public comment will be: the Central Coast Draft Night-Time Economy Discussion Paper; the Draft Central Coast Local Approvals Policy; the Draft Central Coast Outdoor Trading Specification; the Draft Central Coast Council Regulatory Policy; and the Draft Central Coast Thematic History.
Council Administrator Rik Hart said the consideration of community feedback was an important part of Council’s decision-making.
“I proposed better communication about Council’s forecasted annual engagement program to improve transparency and increase community awareness of what items they were being invited to contribute to ahead of time,” he said.
“Community members can access the list of upcoming community engagement projects anytime via Your Voice Our Coast, which is an important component in helping the community to get involved and have their say.”
To view the forecasted Community Engagement Program or make a submission on any open project, visit Your Voice Our Coast.