The Victorian Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee is conducting an inquiry into community consultation practices across the state. The inquiry presents an important opportunity to examine how consultation is undertaken by state and local governments, statutory authorities, and essential service providers, including the role of non-government entities engaged to conduct consultation processes on behalf of government agencies.
The Committee is seeking public submissions by Friday 6 June 2025, with a particular focus on:
- The accessibility and effectiveness of current consultation processes
- Whether particular groups or regions face barriers to participation
- Standards of conduct and preparedness for community engagement
- The effectiveness of the Engage Victoria platform
- Examples of best practice from other Australian jurisdictions and internationally
The inquiry acknowledges that “decision making is always made better through community engagement and consultation,” and seeks to understand how this engagement can more equitably balance differing community needs and interests.
For communities concerned with waterway health and governance, this inquiry provides a forum to highlight experiences with consultation processes related to environmental management, water resource planning, and land use decisions that impact rivers, wetlands, groundwater, and catchments.
Further information, including the full terms of reference and submission guidelines, is available on the Committee’s website.