Strengthening Community Engagement
The Concerned Waterways Alliance (CWA) has made a formal submission to the Victorian Legislative Council Inquiry into Community Consultation Practices, which is now available on the Parliament website here (Submission No. 84).
Our submission reflects the collective experience of grassroots organisations, advocates, and community members working to protect and restore Victoria’s rivers, wetlands, and groundwater systems. It outlines a range of issues encountered in planning, water governance, and environmental management processes, and offers constructive recommendations to improve the quality, consistency, and accessibility of community engagement across the state.
Legislative Intent and Practical Gaps
Victoria has strong legislative foundations that support community involvement in land and water management. The Water Act 1989 and the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 both clearly set out expectations for public participation. However, our experience suggests that these principles are not always fully realised in practice.
Many consultations are limited in scope or timing, or lack opportunities for meaningful dialogue. In some cases, community groups with long-standing knowledge and expertise have been excluded from forums or planning processes altogether. This disconnect between legislative expectations and operational practice can undermine the trust and effectiveness of engagement efforts.
Case Studies from the Submission
The submission draws attention to several recent examples:
- Integrated Water Management Forums: Despite a stated commitment to partnership in the Water for Victoria plan, no formal community or environmental representation has been included in Victoria’s IWM Forums. This exclusion is inconsistent with the participatory intent of the governing legislation.
- Yarra River Protection (Willip-gin Birrarung murron) Act: While the Act includes a strong social principle supporting community involvement, in practice, key governance bodies such as the Birrarung Council and the Yarra Coordination Committee have not consistently engaged with community-based environmental groups. This risks weakening the effectiveness and legitimacy of these institutions.
- Rivers of the Barwon Initiative: Initial proposals included community participation in catchment governance, but later iterations removed this provision. Ultimately, no formal community reference group was established, despite early commitments to public involvement.
Recommendations for Improvement
CWA’s submission offers several practical recommendations to strengthen consultation:
- Ensure early, ongoing, and transparent engagement throughout the lifecycle of major projects, particularly those affecting waterways and natural systems.
- Improve the design and delivery of consultation processes, including greater clarity on the purpose of engagement, clearer reporting on how community input is used, and stronger follow-up mechanisms.
- Support inclusive practices, including hybrid engagement formats, plain-language summaries, and better access for regional communities and those with limited digital capacity.
- Establish clear standards for third-party facilitators, ensuring independence, transparency, and the accurate representation of diverse viewpoints.
- Draw on recognised frameworks, such as the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Quality Assurance Standard, and international examples from New Zealand and Canada that support and fund community engagement as a core element of environmental decision-making.
Looking Ahead
This Inquiry presents a valuable opportunity to reflect on the role of community in shaping public decisions and to strengthen the structures that enable genuine participation. Our submission encourages a consistent, inclusive approach that recognises the value of local knowledge and lived experience—particularly in matters relating to waterway health and environmental stewardship.
We thank the Committee for considering our contribution and welcome the opportunity to participate further in this important process.
Read the full submission:
Inquiry into Community Consultation Practices – Submission No. 84