Have Your Say on Community Engagement
Council has two key community engagement documents that were revised and put forward at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 15 May 2025 -
- Draft Community Engagement Strategy, which guides how Council listens to, and engages with, the community.
- Draft Community Engagement Policy, which establishes Council's requirements and responsibilities in regard to community engagement.
Council is also seeking your views on whether formal committees, targeted engagement, working groups or forums might be more effective. Find out more by downloading the Committees fact sheet.
Why do we engage
We believe that people have the right to participate in decision-making and have their voice heard. Understanding our community’s aspirations and concerns helps both administrative staff and elected Councillors make informed decisions about the future of our region.
The benefits of community engagement include:
- Improving service delivery outcomes
- Understanding varied viewpoints
- Identifying shared solutions
- Building partnerships
- The opportunity to educate and inform community stakeholders on Council’s priorities and challenges
- Increasing community understanding and support for Council’s purpose and goals
- Improving transparency and accountability
- Assisting in building trust within the community.
What we've heard
To inform the strategy, we listened to community members regarding how we deliver engagement between November 2024 and February 2025.
The consultation process identified the community's preferred communication and consultation methods in the development of Council projects, programs and policies, as well as suggestions for the refinement of Council’s engagement process in the future.
The majority of community members said they would like to make a greater contribution to Council decisions and would like to participate early and often throughout the process. Identified barriers to participation included the difficulty in finding out about new engagement opportunities and limited time to complete surveys.
Why are we asking about committees
Council is reviewing how we consult and collaborate with the community. As part of this, we're seeking your views on whether formal committees are the right approach, or whether targeted engagement, working groups or forums might be more effective. Find out more by downloading the Committees fact sheet.
Have Your Say
During the public exhibition period, all interested persons are encouraged to view the relevant documents, provide written comments and share your ideas, big or small, on how you’d like to be engaged - online, in person, through committees, surveys, workshops, pop-ups or something new on our ideas board.
All comments will be reported to a future Council meeting for consideration before a final decision is made.
Please note that any submission may be made public. Contact details remain confidential; however, you can let us know if you would like your name to remain confidential.
You can provide feedback by:
- Completing the survey below;
- Share your ideas on how you want to hear from us;
- Emailing council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au; or
- Posting to: CEO Port Macquarie Hastings Council, PO Box 84, Port Macquarie NSW 2444
All submissions must be received by 5pm on 18 August 2025.