Over the past few years more and more residents are feeling aggrieved at the bogus consultation methodologies that this council trots out. Here is a summary of what is wrong with the entire process –
- Survey questions are designed to elicit the required response. They are either totally irrelevant to the core issue or are simply vague and nothing more than motherhood statements. We are not told who designs these questions but more importantly whether they are first road tested with councillors and the community consultation committee. The latter group remains nothing but a public relations enterprise given that they have no real input into design or decision making of surveys or issues.
- Public forums are also carefully manipulated and engineered. Half of the time officers present their (positive) take on an issue and little time is left for resident queries and comments. Secondly the chat function is often turned off so that participants can’t communicate with each other and again recordings of the forums seldom are available to review. The latest forum on the Queen’s Avenue trees is the perfect example with council stating that they can’t release the video because of LXRP ‘requirements’ and conversely the LXRP stating that it is council’s forum and hence up to their discretion.
- Consultation summaries are anything but accurate representations of what was stated. Often residents have to be satisfied with a sprinkling of what participants said instead of being able to read in full everything that everyone stated. FOI requests are met with sheer nonsense such as releasing all commentary would be an impingement on council resources and take time away from their other business. When the survey responses are anonymous and collected in a single file the excuse of a drain on council resources is sheer bunkum!
- Often residents find themselves having to plough through hundreds upon hundreds of pages in order to get to the crux of the matter. Council refuses to provide short summaries of the major issues so that residents can know exactly what is at stake.
- Meetings with officers are generally a waste of time. They trot out all the positives but neglect any negatives. Furthermore the times set aside for such activities are mostly during the day – hardly suitable for people who work, or have small children.
So how can all this be fixed? Here are some suggestions that we’ve made in the past –
- Ensure that survey questions are reviewed by both councillors and the community consultation committee before anything goes public. Avoid generalities, closed questions, motherhood statements. Provide a short, succinct summary that addresses all the pros and cons of the matter. For major issues a Discussion paper is vital.
- Given that council was quite prepared to release all commentary on its consultations several years ago, the current approach on the most contentious issues such as structure planning and the housing strategy, has been to cover up and hide as much of the negative feedback as possible. This has to change. All comments, emails (redacted to protect privacy) must be available.
- Major consultations remain at the ‘consult’ level. According to the IAP2 we should surely be at the very least at the ‘involve’ level. Councillors have the power to ensure this occurs.
- Forums either public or Zoom must include the chat facility so that participants can interact. Secondly the full version must be available for those who missed out. The focus should always be on resident feedback and NOT officer reports.
- Finally, it is imperative that before residents are asked for their views, all information is provided to them. We have had councillors complaining that they don’t get to see some documentation prior to their voting, or that not sufficient time has been provided for them to digest the data. Residents also need to have all the facts before they commit to providing responses.
All of this is important if the community is to have any faith and confidence in this council. Refusing to implement genuine consultation only serves to foster suspicion and shows how the essential priority of transparency is moribund in Glen Eira.
January 31, 2024 at 3:11 PM
Spot on. They go through the pretence of wanting decent feedback. It’s rigged from the start.
January 31, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Very good summation on how our bureaucrats behave, and a view into the contempt they seem to hold against residents. Keeping us in the dark like mushrooms is their strategy. I’m sure after reading what can be done to improve their game. They will sharpen their claws and revenge, sprinkled with childish spite will rule the next consultation or forum.
January 31, 2024 at 4:31 PM
Truly listening to the community is anathema to this administration. That would involve them coming up with countless excuses as to why they can’t implement what the community wants – and providing the evidence to support their actions and decisions. Far, far easier and safer to skew results via useless surveys, forums, documentation and then say “we consulted”. Pathetic!!!!
January 31, 2024 at 5:41 PM
I accept that council can’t always do what residents want. If this is the case then they have to provide as you say the concrete evidence as to why not. Most of the time we get repeated scapegoating like it’s the government, or the lxrp, or financial constraints and so on.
I would prefer an honest council which admits openly why it won’t do something instead of blaming everyone else. At the very least we would then save countless thousands of our rate money in useless consultations.
January 31, 2024 at 7:20 PM
I don’t bother filling out surveys anymore because I know whatever I’ve got to say will be ignored. I refuse to partake in this charade.
January 31, 2024 at 8:49 PM
I so agree with the detailed and clear reasons why so many of us are exasperated with council and I assume that’s exactly how Council wants us. Thank you for your good work Glen Eira Debates
Ros
February 1, 2024 at 8:05 AM
Just remember, Cr. Magee often stand up in the chamber and says he believes there is only about 10 people in the whole Glen Eira that oppose development. With councillors making statements like that, is there no wonder the bureaucrats have no respect for residents.
February 1, 2024 at 12:15 PM
True consultation in Glen Eira is dead.
February 9, 2024 at 10:31 AM
The surveys are outrageous, they present deliberately ambiguous questions which mean they can interpret the responses as they see fit.
Time and time again we write basically the same objections to their ill-considered planning proposals and we just get ignored and the same proposals are trotted out again and again.
For the life of me I don’t understand why the planning bureaucrats are so hell-bent on ignoring residents’ concerns, what’s in it for them? Wouldn’t it be easier to take on board the concerns and try to work out a compromise instead of putting up the same proposals to allow high rise again and again?