Just Communities Network
About the Project
The Centre is partnering the Local Government Community Services Association (LGCSA) of Australia to undertake an action research project into local government's role in promoting community democracy and wellbeing.
Entitled "Just Communities", the project will explore relationships between how councils go about engaging local communities in their activities, the organization frameworks they employ, and the results achieved. It was launched at the LGCSAA national conference in Melbourne in October 2005, and councils have been invited to express interest in joining a small national network to share ideas and experiences.
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Latest News
The fourth Just Communities Network Roundtable was convened at the University of Technology, Sydney on 25-26 October 2007. It was another important step in advancing the Network's agenda and consolidating the work completed to date by our network of practitioners and researchers that begun in April 2006.
In addition to workshop and plenary sessions, there was consensus at the Roundtable that we need to go beyond simply improving community consultation by ensuring that engagement is both supported and followed through by complementary management frameworks and decision-making processes. These inter-relationships are at the heart of the project.
The Roundtable also welcomed a new project research partner, Professor John Martin, head of La Trobe University's Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities. We greatly anticipate Professor Martin's input into the research.
In the next stage of the Project each participating council will re-appraise the self-assessment results and convene workshops to review their action priority work and best practice resources with assistance from a Project Team staff member.
Previous Meetings
The third Just Communities Network Roundtable was convened at the University of Technology, Sydney on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 May. It was another important step in advancing the Network's agenda:
- Reviewed progress to date and assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the self-assessment tool used in Stage 1
- Considered international projects with similar aims and methodologies to Just Communities, notably the CLEAR model being piloted in Europe with EU support
- Exchanged ideas on areas for improvement in their councils and priorities for further work, and endorsed the draft 'Ideas Kit' for action planning
In the next stage of the Project each participating council will convene a workshop to review progress and action priorities with assistance from a Project Team staff member.
Council representatives at the Just Communities May workshop
Karen Purser from Bankstown Council reads Mayor Mihailik's statement to dinner audience
"Like many other councils here, we utilise the widest range of techniques available to local government to try and engage with the community more effectively. We are constantly looking for best practice examples or new methodologies from comparable organisations both here and overseas and are lucky to have staff who are as passionately committed to effective community engagement as I am."
Clr Tania Mihailuk, Mayor of Bankstown City Council. Full a full text of the Mayor's speech click here.
Related documents:
Jenny Wills leading the Just Communities Meeting at UTS
Meeting at UTS with Network Members
The second Just Communities Network Roundtable was convened at the University of Technology, Sydney on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December. It was another important step in advancing the Network's agenda:
- Reaffirmed Councils' support for the project and the benefits of participation, especially in terms of sharing information and experience on the emerging challenges of community engagement and democratic governance
- Reviewed the results of Councils' self-assessments of their current community engagement, governance, organisational and management practices, and discussed key issues requiring further investigation.
- Examined the latest Australian and international experience in this field, and received a detailed presentation on recent developments in the UK.
- Identified next steps to be taken by individual Councils and the Network to move the project forward. This will include the compilation of an 'Ideas Kit' of key documents and relevant experience.
Kerry Stubbings at the Just Communities Network Dinner
The Network: Councils Promoting Community Wellbeing and Local Democracy
Our Network partners are: City of Salisbury (SA), City of Melville (WA), Orange City Council (NSW), Knox City Council (VIC), Mackay City Council (QLD), Baulkham Hills Council (NSW), Ku-ring-gai Council (NSW), City of Prospect (SA), Sutherland Shire Council (NSW), City of Moonee Valley (VIC), Moreland City Council (VIC), Palmerston City Council (NT), Hurstville City Council (NSW), Brisbane City Council (QLD), Parramatta City Council (NSW).
Additional council involvement is pending.
For further information contact Simone Schwarz
Workshop: From Community Management to Community Empowerment
The Centre for Local Government held a Just Communities Workshop on Thursday 6 April 2006. The workshop was aimed at Councillors, Managers and Community Leaders and drew upon Council/Community experiences. Small group discussions and experiential exercises enabled participants to take the next steps in promoting community wellbeing through effective democratic and management processes.
Delegates came from the following councils: Auburn Council, Baulkham Hills Shire Council, City of Prospect, City of Salisbury, Dorset Council, Fairfield City Council, Holroyd City Council, Hurstville City Councils, Knox City Council, Lithgow City Council, Liverpool City Council, Mackay City Council, Moreland City Council, Orange City Council, Palmerston City Council, Pittwater Council, Port Stephens Council, QLD LGCSA, Queanbeyan City Council, Sutherland Shire Council, Waverley Council, Wingecarribee Shire Council and Wollondilly Shire Council.
AIMS
- Explore a democratic rather than a managerial approach to community wellbeing
- Discover an integrated framework for promoting community wellbeing
- Apply a community empowerment model to Council-Community governance,
- Organisational practice and civic engagement
ISSUES ADDRESSED
- Dual purposes of Local Government: local administration and community management; and local democracy
- Challenges, roles and responsibilities of Local Government in the 21st Century
- The concept of participatory democracy and its application in developing and maximising community wellbeing
- Our Council's/Community's strengths in good community governance, organisational practice and civic engagement
- The Community Wellbeing Framework adapted from Just, Vibrant & Sustainable Communities.
WORKSHOP PRESENTERS
Jenny Wills - Former Director of Social and Cultural Policy at the Municipal Association of Victoria and author of the LGCSAA publication Just, Vibrant & Sustainable Communities - A Framework for Progressing and Measuring Community Wellbeing.
Kate Nash - A consultant with extensive experience in local government who provides facilitation, mediation and coaching to communities and organizations.
The Just Communities Workshop
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