Community Engagement Strategy

Project update: The updated Community Engagement Strategy (CES) was endorsed at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 22 April 2025. 

In response to community feedback, a number of changes were made to the CES:

• Expanded stakeholder definition - Section 4.1 ‘Who do we engage with?’ has been amended to include a broader and more inclusive definition of stakeholders.
• New section on tree notifications - While not raised in the submissions, Council has recently received strong community interest in how we notify residents about tree removals. As a result, we’ve added a new section (5.4) to outline our approach. The new section:
  1. provides a public statement of commitment to retaining trees
  2. requires a sign to be placed on any street or park tree proposed for removal for a minimum period of 14 days advising the reason for removal and intended replacement planting
  3. outlines when tree removal is delegated to the General Manager and when matters come to Council for determination.
• We’re also exploring the use of QR codes on Development Application (DA) signage to make accessing information easier. As this is an operational change, it won’t be included in the CES but will be looked at separately.

Read the updated Community Engagement Strategy here.

Randwick Council has updated our Community Engagement Strategy (CES) and we invite your comments.

We’ve had a strategy in place for many years and we’re required to review it following the commencement of a new term of Councillors. 

Our CES commits Randwick Council to meaningful engagement with the community. We believe you have a right to have a say in matters affecting you and that Council can make better decisions by valuing your knowledge and experiences.

The CES prescribes minimum exhibition periods for all Council consultations, suggested consultation activities, required face-to-face engagement and requirements for notification of development related matters. 

We are proposing minor changes to our current plan (last adopted in 2022) to improve its readability, fix typographical issues and to align with current engagement practices.

Updates to the CES include:

• New sections to highlight how we developed the strategy and how we engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Updates to community data based on the latest ABS information 
• Updates to our internal and external committees and reference groups
• Minor improvements to our community engagement matrix to make our engagement approach easier to understand
• Updates to reflect recent changes in NSW government guidelines and naming conventions

The updates maintain the intent of the existing strategy, ensuring the community remains informed and has a strong voice in Council’s decisions and projects.

Have your say on our updated Community Engagement Strategy

You may prefer to read the 2022 CES with the 2024 updates marked here. 

Does the strategy reflect how you’d like to be engaged? Share your thoughts by making a submission below. 

Feedback open: 19 December 2024 to 6 February 2025.