Public participation has been critical to the success of the Mitchell Freeway Extension project managed by Macmahon on behalf of Main Roads WA.  The Joonalup community was initially cynical and disillusioned about statutory decision makers and they had become effective activists against many government projects.  In delivering the freeway project, the State Government gave a commitment to the community to be transparent in their decision making and to involve the community.

The formation of a Resident Stakeholder Working Group, a Community Consultative Working Group and a Construction Reference Group were key ingredients in developing a recipe for successful relationships between the project team and the general community.  Working together, the representatives of each of these groups were able to make significant recommendations for changes to the design concept to satisfy the concerns of the majority of stakeholders. A longer case study is provided in the members only area of this website.

Highly Commended

 Brisbane Water Enviro Alliance

 In 2003 Marcom Communication, in conjunction with the Brisbane Water Enviro Alliance, embarked on a three year project to upgrade three Brisbane waste water treatment plants.  Negative opinions were strong in the community to the extent that protest meeting saw residents wearing gas masks.  It was clear from the outset that effective and ongoing public participation was to be a major factor in seeing the project to completion. Such was the effectiveness of the process that only nine complaints were received during the course of the three year construction project.  A longer case study is provided in the members only area of this website.

 Enrolment imbalances across the thirteen public schools in Tamworth, NSW meant that the NSW Department of Education & Training had to undertake strategic long term planning to determine the future of public education provision in the region.  Elton Consulting was engaged to facilitate the public participation process of the Tamworth Learning 2020 project, which sought to define a vision for public education in Tamworth over the next fifteen years.

Through interactive, inclusive deliberations with interest groups in the region including parents, teachers and students from kinder to Year 12, community groups, Aboriginal groups, welfare groups, local industry and other key stakeholders, 58 recommendations were made in the document Tamworth Learning 2020 in response to the issues facing the future of education in Tamworth. A longer case study is provided in the members only area of the website.

 In developing its 2026 Vision, Brisbane City Council employed a powerful public participation process.  It saw a great need to incorporate the views and needs of two community groups which are seldom heard – young people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.  Several unique approaches were used to obtain information including poscards, creative drama, computer animation and  online discussion forums, and in particular a “youth blog”. The resulting document “Living in Brisbane 2026” has been placed at the apex of Brisbane City’s strategic planning framework.A longer case study is provided in the members only area of the website.

 Major projects like Eastern Busway bring both major benefits to the communities they serve and associated impacts which need to be considered and managed.  Translink believes that being up-front about what is negotiable and what is not, needs to happen at the very outset of planning such a major infrastructure project.  The community appreciates honesty and providing clear guidelines makes consultation real and meaningful.  It also shows a real commitment to the community and that the project managers value the community’s input.

Translink’s approach to be consultative at a “grass roots” level was a key factor in its success in developing the Eastern Busway.  There was a sense of genuine interest in the community’s concerns and this ensured that the needs of the local community would be met.  Issues raised by the public helped shape the alignment of the route  and minimised any detrimental impact on the local community. A longer case study is provided in the members only area of the website.

 The City of Onkaparinga encompasses a huge area with a diverse community.  They faced huge challenges in finding common ground for all the stakeholders in implementing public participation for development projects.  Using the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation and Core Values, they instigated a review of their public engagement methodology and identified the gaps and opportunities for further developing their engagement policies.

Their new approach takes into consideration the various issues for key stakeholders and brings all the information together in a framework that can be used effectively for strategic planning into the future.
A longer case study is provided in the members only area of the website.

 A lack of recreational and playground facilities in the Biloela area saw a group of determined mothers engage with the Banana Shire Council in a public participation project to redevelop Lions Park with an interactive, accessible and attractive playground for all ages and abilities. 

The Council implemented a public participation policy and helped the mothers to convene a committee to investigate the options for a redeveloped parklands. The process was a long and difficult one – two years of hard work by the committee saw the development of a design concept. The completion of Stage 1 in 2007 was a huge success .  A longer case study is provided in the members only area of the website.

Gold Coast Water has used the IAP2 framework for public participation to create a Community Engagement Toolkit to assist project managers to implement an effective community participation program.  Many major infrastructure projects have been completed through the use of stakeholder advisory committees. 

The most significant project to date has been the Gold Coast WaterFuture Strategy (2006-2056) which involved an extensive consultation project over some 20 months.  A longer case study is provided in the members only area of the website.