Supplementary Agenda of General Meeting - Wednesday, 14 April 2021

Deputy General Manager's Report No. IM4/21

Infrastructure and Major Projects Division

Date of Meeting: 14/04/2021

13 COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT UPDATE - DRAFT MASTERPLANS FOR HORNSBY AND WESTLEIGH PARKS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

· This report provides further detail on the content and approach to communications with and engagement of stakeholders (refer to Attachment 1).

· The stakeholders have been identified, along with the proposed engagement processes.

· The objective is to undertake a rigorous engagement process involving a range of techniques, including telephone and online surveys, workshops, swing by sessions, site tours and stakeholder meetings.

· Feedback from the public exhibition will be incorporated and analysed in an outcomes report prepared by a consultant specialising in community consultation. The outcomes report will form the basis of a report back to Council in July 2021.

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council reaffirm the communications and engagement process shown in Attachment 1 to Deputy General Manager’s Report No. IM4/21.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Report is to reinform councillors of the consultation and engagement plan for stakeholders and the community on Draft Master Plans for Hornsby and Westleigh Parks.

BACKGROUND

Councillors have been separately advised of the content and approach to communications and engagement of stakeholders reflected in Attachment 1. The communication and engagement plan supplements Deputy General Manager’s Report No. IM2/21, which outlines the content of draft Master Plans for Hornsby and Westleigh Parks.

It is important to note that the exhibition of the Draft Master Plans represents the initial step in the delivery of activities at both sites. Feedback from the exhibition will be used to refine proposals for both Westleigh and Hornsby Parks. The feedback will also inform the preparation of detailed designs and separate approval processes.

DISCUSSION

This section provides a high-level view of the communications and engagement plan for both projects.

Communications and Engagement Plan

The Plan identifies:

· The objective of the engagement

· The engagement approaches

· Potential risks

· Mitigation approaches

· The engagement process.

It also outlines the consultation phases and timings.

Stakeholders and Engagement Tools/Techniques

The following external stakeholders have been identified:

· Council Advisory Committees – BMAC, HATSICC, HAC, ESAC

· Bushcare and Environmental Groups, Mountain Bike Groups, Sporting Groups and the Business Chambers

· The Waterboard Alliance

· Schools and TAFE

· The Community Deliberative Forum (CDF) established for Hornsby Park.

A workshop is proposed for Council’s Advisory Committees and stakeholder meetings will be scheduled for others. Site tours will be made available for residents, and swing bys will be held in Hornsby Mall and Ruddock Park. Large AO sized plans and poster boards will be available at the swing by sessions. Two meetings are planned with the CDF – one at the beginning of consultation and one at the end.

The meetings of stakeholders will outline how continued and expanded access can be accommodated. The establishment of strong relationships with key members of stakeholder groups will be required to assist in disseminating accurate information and educating the membership of those groups about proposals for both sites.

High level messaging is contained on page 2 of Attachment 1 and reflects the content of Deputy General Manager’s Report No. IM2/21.

Surveys

Community views will also be obtained through telephone and online surveys.

It is proposed to conduct telephone and online surveys for both projects. The proposed approach involves two steps:

Step 1: A telephone survey will be used to collect initial thoughts about the Parks. It is proposed that 700 residents (aged 18 years +) will be recruited, and they will be asked to participate in a follow-up research program.

Step 2: The 700 recruits would then be sent an email with a link to the second questionnaire (hosted online), which would contain information about the parks and follow-up questions. It is anticipated that up to 400-450 completed online surveys will be received from Step 2.

Importantly, information (simple images, descriptions, etc) about each park would be embedded/ linked to the online questionnaire – so for instance, images/designs could be shown, then reactions sought.

The above approach will provide some initial perceptions obtained in Step 1 that reflect the broader community opinions. More informed responses will be obtained in Step 2, once the technical context embedded in the survey has been considered.

Survey questions are currently being developed and will be provided to councillors separately, but essentially they will be designed to seek the community’s views and understanding of the projects and their environmental settings; what they like and don’t like in each of the projects; whether anything has been omitted; whether residents would be willing to pay for a car parking space at each of the sites given the high quality offerings and costs of the activities being provided; and whether the projects strike the right balance between protecting and conserving high biodiversity value bushland while providing activities such as formal and informal or unstructured recreation.

Feedback

Feedback from the public consultation will be incorporated and analysed in an outcomes report prepared by a consultant specialising in community consultation. The outcomes report will form the basis of a report back to Council in July 2021.

BUDGET

There are no budgetary implications associated with this Report.

POLICY

There are no policy implications associated with this Report.

CONCLUSION

The communications and engagement strategy seeks to ascertain the views of a wide group of stakeholders and a large cross section of the community through a range of techniques. The feedback provided during the process will help refine the content of the two Draft Master Plans and subsequent stages in the delivery of these projects.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICER

The officer responsible for the preparation of this Report is the Deputy General Manager, Infrastructure and Major Projects – Bob Stephens – who can be contacted on 9847 6555.

Robert Stephens

Deputy General Manager - Infrastructure and Major Projects

Infrastructure and Major Projects Division

Attachments:

1.⇩

Hornsby and Westleigh Park Communication and Engagement Plan

File Reference: F2016/00295-003

Document Number: D08141235