Draft Community Engagement Policy and Framework

Background

Council prides itself on its consultation processes, and the ability for the community to have their say on issues that affect them.

Council’s community engagement is guided by two documents:

• A Public Consultation Policy (GOVPOL15) which outlines the legislative requirements and minimum standards that Council must adhere to, and
• A Community Engagement Framework which further details Council’s engagement principles and how we plan engagement opportunities.

These documents are informed by other internal policies, State Government legislation, and recognised best practice. Council’s approach is aligned with the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and their Public Participation Spectrum, which details different levels and methods of engaging with the community.

Recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1999 made by the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Review) Act 2021, and commencement of the State Community Engagement Charter (the Charter) in December 2025, have necessitated a review of Council’s policies and procedures surrounding engagement.

A desktop review of the Community Engagement Framework was undertaken in early 2025 and identified several opportunities to update the document to clarify our engagement approach. Additionally, the Community Engagement Framework reflects the Charter requirements to guide staff in planning engagement.

Council is subsequently amending the above documents to reflect the changes to our legislative obligations to ensure our compliance and provide clarity and transparency to our community regarding our engagement processes.

Legislative Requirements

The Local Government Act 1999 section 50A (1) mandates that “A council must prepare and adopt a policy relating to community engagement for the purposes of this Act (a community engagement policy).”

A community engagement policy adopted by a Council must be consistent with and comply with the requirements specified by the Charter which sets out 5 different categories of decision and 12 different mandatory consultation requirements, which variously apply to 19 types of statutory decisions set out in the Charter.

For this reason, Council needs to rescind its current Public Consultation Policy and replace it with a Community Engagement Policy that clearly responds to and aligns with the Charter.

What Feedback are we Seeking?

A Draft Community Engagement Policy and a Draft 2026 Community Engagement Framework have been prepared for the community’s review.

Council is hoping to understand from your feedback:

• Does the Draft Community Engagement Policy clearly outline Council’s legislative requirements for community engagement?
• Is the Draft 2026 Community Engagement Framework easy to read and understand?
• Are Council’s engagement principles and processes clear and consistent across these documents?
• Is there anything missing from these documents that could provide further clarity for the community?

Please note:

There are sections of the Draft Community Engagement Policy that must align with the Charter’s mandatory minimum requirements as well as our responsibilities under relevant legislation. These sections cannot be changed unless to rectify errors or provide clarity.

Similarly, the sections of the Draft 2026 Community Engagement Framework which relate directly to the requirements outlined in the Charter cannot be altered unless to more clearly align with both the Charter and the Draft Policy.

How to Participate

Review the Draft Community Engagement Policy and Draft 2026 Community Engagement Framework documents and submit your feedback to Council by:

• Filling out the Comment Submission form below
• Emailing feedback directly to info@dcgrant.sa.gov.au
• Submitting a hard copy feedback form or letter to:
  • District Council of Grant Principal Office, 324 Commercial Street West, Mount Gambier
  • Port MacDonnell Community Complex, 5-7 Charles Street, Port MacDonnell
  • PO Box 724, Mount Gambier SA 5290

Community consultation is open on this project from Tuesday 16 June 2026 to 5:00pm Tuesday 7 July 2026. Any submissions received after the close of consultation will not be considered.