The District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula seeks to specialise in all aspects of managing a diverse Rural and Coastal Council, and the involvement of the community in Council decision making is seen as critical in achieving this goal.
Effective communication with local communities in decision making maximises the knowledge and experience upon which decisions are made, and leads to better outcomes for all.
Feedback gained from engaging with the community helps Council to understand varied points of view, gather comprehensive information, consider a range of options and identify common ground with stake holders.
Community engagement does not replace the final decision making power of Council, but is considered invaluable in the way it enhances Council’s capacity to make well informed, acceptable and sustainable decisions.
As part of the community engagement strategy 19 Community Reference Groups have been grouped into 'Focus Groups' for the purpose of annual (at least) Community Reference Group meetings as follows:
Community Focus Group 1
Community Focus Group 2
Community Focus Group 3
As part of the strategy, Council have committeed to meeting with the three focus groups at least annually to discuss relevant issues for the region and the community.
Copies of the minutes from these meetings can be accessed by clicking here.