Accessible new strategy to drive community's engagement in decision-making process

City of Newcastle (CN) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure all Novocastrians feel involved in the decision-making process as part of its new four-year Community Engagement Strategy.

Councillors unanimously voted this week to adopt the Strategy, which provides a framework for how CN engages with the community to support the development of its plans, policies, programs and key activities.

Based on inclusiveness, transparency, and responsiveness, the new Strategy will continue to ensure CN delivers genuine, meaningful opportunities for everyone to share their voice and have a say, which in turn delivers better outcomes for the community.

A key focus of this Strategy is ensuring CN hears feedback from all groups within the community, and a diversity of opinions and voices.

It outlines how community members can be involved in local planning and decision-making, as well as how CN will plan and deliver community engagement activities, including the tools and methods that may be used.

The Strategy builds on CN's current engagement activities, which during the 2022/23 financial year included over 25,000 interactions with members of the community on more than 40 projects. Community input was used to develop a broad range of strategies and plans, events, infrastructure and capital works, facilities and services, parks and recreation, and transport initiatives.

To read the full Strategy visit: http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/about-us/forms-and-publications/strategies/community-engagement-strategy