Inquiry into Community Consultation Practices

Inquiry into Community Consultation Practices

On 31 July 2024, the Legislative Council agreed to the following motion:

That this House requires the Environment and Planning Committee to inquire into, consider and report, by 28 February 2026, on —

(a)      community consultation practices done by, and on behalf of, state and local government and statutory authorities, and providers of essential services such as utilities, in Victoria;

(b)     the use of non-government providers to do consultations on behalf of government agencies;

(c)      standards of conduct, including preparedness, to be expected in community consultations;

(d)     groups or regions who are underrepresented by existing consultation practices, and options to improve their engagement;

(e)     the Engage Victoria platform, its use and effectiveness, and areas for improvement; and

(f)       best practice community consultation in other jurisdictions in Australia and other comparable countries.