FAQs
How do I make a submission?
- via the online form on this website
- via email to [email protected]
- via posted letter to ATT: Luke Farr, Lake Macquarie City Council, Box 1906, Hunter Region Mail Centre, NSW 2310.
How do I make a submission?
A formal submission must be in writing and sent via one of the following channels:
What should I put in a submission?
Your submission can be as concise or as long as you wish:
Ideally, you will express your level of support for the draft Strategy and provide detailed and specific feedback. The feedback will be reviewed by staff and later presented to Council to make an informed decision.
Should multiple submissions be received from a single resident regarding this project, the feedback will be reviewed by staff and counted as one submission when reporting back to the Councillors.
We recommend that all residents include all relevant feedback in a single submission.
I’ve made a submission - what happens next?
Feedback may result in further changes being made to the draft strategy prior to a report being prepared for Council.
You will be notified again, prior to Council considering the matter, which will include a link to the Council report containing a summary of submissions and how feedback was considered. It is expected the draft strategy will be reported back to Council seeking adoption towards the end of 2022.
- Lake Mac 100 voices community summit attended by 103 diverse community members from across the city
- information on how to get involved in the consultation in several Council enewsletters, including Shape lake mac and Your City online
- 37,500 people reached across social media, with 1600 engagements
- 414 visits to Council's online engagement portal Shape lake mac with 119 comments on this discussion forum topics
- a workshop with the Lake Macquarie Youth Advisory Council
- three pop-up sessions held across the city at Belmont, Glendale and Morisset
What is community engagement?
Community engagement is the process of involving people in the decisions that affect their lives and environment. It is proactive and ongoing, promoting open discussion and shared responsibilities for decisions.
Council recognises that people have a right to be informed and to have a say on projects that are important to them, or which have an impact on their daily lives. Community engagement provides Council with a better understanding of community views and values and helps us to make more informed decisions and deliver better services.
What consultation has been undertaken to support the development of the draft Strategy?
A range of engagement techniques were used to raise awareness and seek input and feedback to inform the development of the draft Community Engagement Strategy incorporating the Community Participation Plan between 13 June and 5 July 2022. This included:
What does engagement look like at Lake Mac?
Our engagement is usually linked to plans, strategies and work outlined in our Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework (IP&R). This framework shows how often we engage around those plans and strategies. Community engagement and the feedback people provide influence every part of what we do, including our day-to-day activities and overarching goals and strategies.
Why does Council need this strategy?
Council must comply with several different pieces of legislation which set out when we must initiate consultation. Section 402(A) of the Local Government Act 1993 requires that Council establish and implement a strategy (its community engagement strategy) for engagement with the local community when developing its plans, policies and programs and for the purpose of determining its activities (other than routine administrative matters).
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (the EP and A Act) also requires that all councils outline how and when the community will be engaged across the planning functions like policy making and assessment.
Random Prize draw
To encourage participation in this exhibition we will be randomly giving away two $50 gift vouchers to community members who provide a submission on the draft strategy. For further information please refer to the Terms and Conditions.