Case Study - Engaging on Community Local Laws
Conversation Co. was engaged to design and deliver a broad engagement program to inform the review and refinement of a Community Local Law. A Local Law was developed with a focus on community safety, protecting public assets, and enhancing neighbourhood amenity. Following the introduction of the Local Law, the Council released public information explaining permit requirements relating to private land use and updated website content to clarify the process.
Strong community feedback emerged around several clauses within the Local Law, particularly those relating to private land use and permits. In response, Council endorsed a community engagement process to inform the review and refinement of the Local Law.
Purpose of Engagement
To inform the review and refinement of the Community Local Law.
To understand emerging issues likely to impact safety and amenity over the next ten years.
To understand community sentiment towards Council’s approach to education and communication regarding Local Law requirements.
Engagement Activities
The engagement program included:
Online and hardcopy surveys
Household visits to promote the project and support survey participation
Community pop-ups across multiple locations
Community workshops
Councillor workshops
Challenges
A key challenge was managing community expectations regarding the scope of the engagement. While the consultation focused on specific clauses within the Local Law, many participants wanted to raise broader concerns relating to issues such as animal management, noise, amenity, permit systems, and the removal of existing clauses.
The engagement questions were framed using a ‘Reasonable Person Test’, which considers whether behaviour or decisions would generally be viewed as appropriate by a reasonable person. However, interpretations of what was considered ‘reasonable’ differed for different community contexts and situations, particularly between rural and residential areas.
Media attention and misinformation surrounding the project also influenced some responses, with concerns raised about perceived government overreach and private property rights.
Keys to Success
The project was well-resourced and achieved broad community reach, supported in part by the heightened public awareness surrounding the topic. More than 1,200 people participated across the engagement activities, with the survey being the most widely used tool.
Capturing participants’ residential locations proved valuable during the analysis phase, revealing notable differences in perspectives between rural and residential communities.
Having Local Laws Officers present during workshops was also beneficial. Participants often arrived with practical questions about how the Local Law would apply in real-life situations. Workshop activities explored a range of scenarios, asking participants to consider whether an activity should be permitted, what conditions may make it acceptable, and what concerns such as noise, safety, or amenity should be considered. Interestingly, many of the considerations raised by participants aligned closely with the factors already used by Council in decision-making processes.
Outcomes
The engagement findings informed the drafting of a revised Local Law.
Overall, there was broad support for Council management of many Local Law topics, though support was lower for areas including temporary dwellings, shipping containers, recreational vehicles, vehicle repairs, and waste-related matters.
Participants living in rural areas were generally less likely to consider certain Local Law provisions reasonable when compared with participants from more residential areas. The greatest differences related to issues such as open-air burning, heavy vehicles, shipping containers, waste on private land, vehicle repairs and unsightly land.
There was majority support for Council’s education-first approach to enforcement, with many participants supporting enforcement processes that prioritised communication and awareness before penalties.
Following the engagement process, Council exhibited a revised draft Local Law for further public comment. Key changes in the revised draft included:
Improved definitions and clearer terminology
Amendments to clauses relating to temporary dwellings and shipping containers
Removal of permit requirements for certain recreational vehicle use on private land
Removal of permit requirements for some vehicle and machinery repairs on private property
Removal of clauses considered unnecessary or duplicative
Reflections and Learnings
The project demonstrated the importance of genuine responsiveness to community concerns, particularly on topics that directly affect people’s homes, lifestyles, and property use.
The engagement findings also highlighted the need for clear and accessible communication materials to support community understanding of Local Laws. In response, Council committed to developing supporting educational resources including multilingual factsheets, visual guides, explainer videos, and practical guidance materials to help residents better understand the revised Local Law.
