Community engagement

Get involved – Your Say Woollahra

Opportunities for our community to provide feedback and have a say take place throughout the year. You can get involved through our online community engagement platform.

Your Say Woollahra

Registration is free and easy, and you only have to register once to participate in and follow the progress of any of the engagement projects that interest you.

What is community engagement?

Community engagement plays an important role in making Woollahra a great place for residents and people who work in and visit the area.

It is a two-way process through which the community’s aspirations, concerns, needs and values help inform Council’s decision-making process.

Why does Council engage the community?

We value our community as a source of local expertise and actively seek community feedback. We ask for and listen to your ideas, feedback and concerns in order to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of the whole community.

When does Council engage the community?

There is a growing expectation that engagement will occur regardless of statutory requirements, so it’s important for us to be clear with you about when we will ask for community input and when it is not appropriate to do so.

Council is committed to engaging the local community when developing plans, policies and programs, other than routine administrative and operational matters.

On matters that are not subject to statutory consultation requirements, Council may choose to not engage the community when we are confident we already have sufficient community feedback to proceed, have adopted a plan which is the result of community consultation or when we are bound by legal restraints.

You can read more about our approach to public participation in our Community Engagement Policy.(PDF, 544KB)

Every Council is also required to create a strategy for how they will engage the community in creating and reviewing their Community Strategic Plan. Take a look at our Community Engagement Strategy(PDF, 3MB), which sets out how and when Council will engage, so our community knows what to expect from us.

Community engagement for planning and development

The Woollahra Community Participation Plan(PDF, 3MB) set outs how and when Council will engage with the community on planning functions under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

This plan helps to ensure that our community is aware of the opportunities and processes that allow them to participate in planning matters that affect them. Council staff use the plan to guide processes and procedures for community consultation on planning functions.

It is important to note that the plan describes the high level processes and minimum requirements for how Council will engage on planning functions. It does not outline specific engagement strategies for each type of planning proposal or project.