Community Engagement Strategy

This strategy is the result of Council’s passion for one of our key foundation stones: Community Engagement.

Kempsey Shire Council believes that the best outcomes are reached when our community is engaged in the decision-making process at the earliest opportunity.

We are committed to working together to deliver the community vision outlined in the 20-year community strategic plan 2042: Your Future.

We know our community is also passionate about participating in decision-making.

Sadly, too many in the shire have reason to think that Council doesn’t want to listen to them. Too often this means they don’t even try to be heard. This is the cycle that we aim to break with this strategy.

The 2020 Micromex independent survey of Kempsey community priorities highlighted “Council decision-making reflecting community opinion” and the “opportunity to participate in Council decision-making” as two key priorities.

We aim to engage early and broadly and to continue to improve access to information and our community engagement processes.

This Community Engagement Strategy articulates our strategic vision and framework for giving the community a meaningful voice in decision-making.

It should be read in conjunction with the Community Participation Plan, which outlines how the commitments outlined in this strategy will be delivered. Engagement is an ongoing, evolving practice and for this reason we will continue to develop and improve the Plan.

We welcome the combined experience, imagination and common sense of the Kempsey people to help guide Council decision making.

Community Engagement Strategy