Easy-English overview open in new window

Council describes community engagement as:

”A genuine process of working with people to build understanding, strengthen relationships and inform decisions.”

To help us do this, we have a Community Engagement Policy and Toolkit, which were adopted by Council in 2021.

It's now time to take a look to make sure they're still working well.

Community Engagement Policy and Toolkit

The Policy and Toolkit guide Council to involve community in important decisions.

We want to make sure our engagement is clear, fair and easy for more people to take part in, and we need your help to get it right.

As part of the review, we’re asking community about the ways Council engages people.

  • What’s working well and what could be improved?
  • Do you have feedback on barriers that make it hard for people to have their say?
  • What are the best ways for Council to share how community input is used in decision-making?

You can share your views through a survey, either online on this page, or ask us to send you a paper survey. We’ll also be at community pop-up sessions where you can have a chat with us about your thoughts and experiences.

To learn more about the review, the Community Engagement Policy and Toolkit, or how your feedback will be used, please read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Your feedback will help shape stronger engagement across Banyule to help keep people informed and create opportunities to be heard.

Get involved

Other ways to get involved

  • Community pop-ups

    Drop in to learn about the project, ask questions and share your feedback.


    Greensborough Plaza
    Wednesday 15 July, 10am to 1pm

    Warringal Shopping Centre,
    Heidelberg
    Saturday 18 July, 10am to 1pm

    Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub

    Wednesday 22 July, 3.30pm to 6.30pm

    Were St Reserve, Montmorency
    Saturday 25 July, 9am to midday

  • Request a paper survey

    Contact Michael or Ryan to request a paper survey and have your say by 9 August 2026.

    Michael Beattie
    9242 3403
    michael.beattie@banyule.vic.gov.au

    Ryan Hood
    9422 8362
    ryan.hood@banyule.vic.gov.au

  • Talk with the Community Engagement Team

    Talk with Michael or Ryan by phone or online about the Community Engagement Policy Review.

    Michael Beattie
    9242 3403
    michael.beattie@banyule.vic.gov.au

    Ryan Hood
    9422 8362
    ryan.hood@banyule.vic.gov.au

What can you influence?

  • How Council engages with the community.
  • Ways to make engagement more accessible and inclusive.
  • How we share feedback and report back to the community.
  • The Community Engagement Policy and Toolkit will be reviewed.
  • The Policy must follow the requirements of the Local Government Act, including the 5 community engagement principles, when deliberative engagement is needed, and other legal requirements.
  • The Policy must align with the IAP2 Public Participation Framework.
  • Council will continue to follow core engagement principles that are fair, inclusive and ethical.
  • The community will be involved in different ways during the review, depending on the part being reviewed. This may include consultation or collaboration.
  • Council will make the final decision on the updated Policy and Toolkit.

What we've heard so far

We looked at feedback from past community engagement projects to give us a starting point for this review of Banyule's Community Engagement Policy and Toolkit.

To do this, we looked at over 2,700 pieces of community feedback from 17 projects between mid-2023 and mid-2025 to understand how people experience engagement with Council, what gets in the way, and how we can improve.

Take a look below at some of the things you've already told us.

Findings from the analysis

  • Earlier involvement

    People want to be engaged before decisions are made, not after.

  • Plain language

    People want simple, clear information.

  • One method is not enough

    People want a mix of ways to participate - online, in-person, local and accessible options.

  • Respond to barriers

    Some people face barriers to participation, especially when digital-only or hard to access.

  • Close the loop

    Loop back with people so they can see what changed because of their input.

  • Trust comes from feeling heard

    When engagement feels tokenistic, trust drops. When people feel listened to, trust grows.

Click the '+Follow' button to stay-up-to-date on this project.