Definition

The Office of the Cabinet’s publication (1993) Consultation: A Resource Document, defines public
consultation as an open and accountable process whereby individuals and groups have a formal
opportunity to influence the outcomes of a decision making process. The consultation process should
remain open to all members of the public.
Public consultation varies in both form and content. It is influenced by the type of project being
undertaken and its significance to the community. Consultation should be viewed as a tool,
complementing existing management and decision-making practices. The application of this
consultation tool is relative to the project type and may be required at different stages throughout the
project.
At one end of the consultation spectrum are advisory processes, that involve one-way information
exercises, while at the other the approach may involve a whole-of- Government approach. Therefore
it is important for an appropriate consultation plan to be formulated in the project initiation stage of a
building project.

Objectives
There are two key objectives for public consultation:
The consultation process is ethical: those whose livelihoods and environments are affected by a
decision should be involved in the decision-making process and the development of strategies
concerning the project outcome.
The consultation process is pragmatic: Success of projects and policies often depends on
people’s willingness to be involved in the process.

Benefits and Risks

Benefits
Promoting independence and community initiative

A consultation program may result in innovative solutions and new approaches that had not been
previously considered. Consultation can provide important ‘local’ knowledge that may not have
been evident from technical studies.
Wider availability of information

The community has a right to know what is occurring in their city, neighbourhood or local area. A
sound consultation program can assist in the availability and dissemination of information which,
in turn can lead to increased community acceptance and ownership of a project.
Enabling greater involvement in, and responsibility for decisions on the part of the public

The project team may develop a rapport with the community which can result in decisions being
made that benefit the community.

Risks

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 Timing

Public participation and consultation needs to take place at appropriate stages throughout a
project to ensure maximum benefit.
A distraction from the impetus of the project

The consultation program needs to allow for a wholistic approach while also considering minor
project details. The consultation needs to be well planned and implemented so that it enhances,
rather than detracts from the project.
Inadequate resources and inadequate funds inhibit the consultation process

Consultation should be driven by a motivated team that recognises the value of community input.
Adequate materials and funds need to be set aside to ensure that the consultation is well
targeted and comprehensive.
Interest groups

A particularly strong or powerful interest group has the potential to dominate a consultation
process. Such groups can provide substantial knowledge, but when identifying stakeholders,
smaller, less active groups should also be noted. Adequate time needs to be set aside for
community input, so that it is not a hindrance to project development.
Non-participants will always form the bulk of the population

It is difficult to ensure that consultation is representative of the community. Non-participants will

always form the greater proportion of the population and the community may require incentives
to participate in the consultation.

Process for formulating a Consultation Plan

At project initiation stage, consultation requirements should be considered and incorporated into an
overall plan that sets out the consultation required at different stages of a building project.
A consultation plan should identify and reflect the following four phases:

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Analysis of Project
Project evaluations of major capital projects are required under the Public Finance Standard for Asset
Management (Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977) and form part of the procedures
associated with an agency’s capital work’s program.
In a formal context, project evaluation is a methodology for assessing the economic, social,
environmental and financial impact of proposed capital projects.
A quantitative summation of the project’s significance and likely impacts is often difficult to establish,
but a qualitative assessment is possible, based on three main categories:

the project;
the stakeholders; and

the environment (the project setting).

The Project
The project requires consideration of its scale and scope and its significance to the community. Each
project, on a case by case basis, will affect the community to a differing extent.
At the project initiation stage, project time-frames and budget allocations need to reflect consultation
requirements. A consultation program can be a costly exercise depending on the type of method
employed. A small budget may allow for minor consultation only to occur. Though, some consultation
methods are more cost effective and appropriate than others.
The costs of consultation are affected by:

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 number and location of meetings;

staff time and consultant costs;

use of materials and brochures;

the initiating nature of the work;

the number of stakeholders represented; and

the geographical location of the project.

The purpose of the consultation and the reasons for involving the community require clarification from
initial stages of the project. Objectives should be clearly articulated and should provide specific
direction to those involved in the process.

The Stakeholders
There is a need to define who will be affected by the project and who may take an interest in the
project. This is achieved by identifying stakeholders by utilising:

inter-departmental groups;
advisory committees;

organisations and networks of relationships between the agency and the community; and

coordination at local, regional and state levels.

In the first instance, it may be appropriate to liaise with relevant local government authorities and
regional councils to substantiate a basis for further processes or undertakings. A coordinated
response can:

assist with the flow of information and identify possible stakeholders;

provide access to advisory committees, open Council meetings and/or active community
development staff who interact daily with the community; and
utilise extensive community consultation programs that might exist as part of a local government
planning process.
The nature of consultation requires the encouragement of all stakeholder participation from a diversity
of backgrounds. Specific frameworks may be required to ensure that all user groups have the ability
to participate in the program on equal terms.
Possible Stakeholders for a project include but are not limited to:

State agencies;
local government;

resident action groups;

environmental groups;

community groups (eg. disability, youth, elderly);

absentee landholders;

professional groups;

business representatives;

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 human service organisations;

political representatives; and

focus interest and hobby groups.

The participants may be required to attend forums, lectures and presentations, provide local
knowledge, respond to project ideas, participate in brainstorming sessions and workshops, respond to
surveys and fill in questionnaires. Some of these activities are time consuming for the community and
require a commitment from the beginning of the consultation phase.
Once the stakeholders for a project have been identified, they should be recorded on a register so
that if additional consultation is required in the area, there is already a starting point for future
projects. A register could include, but is not limited to, a list of groups, their main areas of interest, and
contact telephone numbers.

The Environment (project setting)

The setting in which the project is taking place also significantly influences the consultation process.
Some matters that require thought include:

political, cultural, historical, environmental sensitivity/volatility of an area;

the degree of success of past community consultation programmes;

the dominance of strong community and residential action groups and special interest groups in
the immediate area; and
the overall stability of the political climate at the time of the project.

Identification of Legislative Requirements

While many facets of consultation are non-mandatory, some legislative and agency requirements are
imposed on a project. The legislative components should be identified early in the project planning
phase and supplemented with additional consultation if deemed necessary.
The legislative requirements can be addressed at four levels and may include:

Federal legislation: eg. Environment (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974;

State: eg. The Integrated Planning Act 1997 (IPA) and State Development and Public Works
Organisation Act 1971;
Local: eg. Local Government Act 1993; local Planning Schemes; Local Area Planning Processes;
and
Additional: eg. Agency program and policies.

These legislative requirements and processes should be identified and recorded for future reference.
If compliance is mandatory, additional consultation procedures may need to be incorporated and
designed around the time frames set out in the legislation. For example, when legislation such as the
IPA outlines consultation as part of a required project notification phase, additional consultation may
be employed to supplement the legislative requirements.

Type of Consultation
Phase three of the process considers the best form of consultation that can be used for a particular
project. Timeframes and budgetary constraints will dictate to some degree, the form of consultation
selected.

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 Consultation Form Likely Outcome Time Frame Cost

1. Conforming with  Very basic Dependent on Minimal

agency and ‘informative’ legislative and agency (Low).
legislative process. requirements.
requirements.  Mandatory
requirement.

 All projects are

required to
conform.

2. Informing.  To raise awareness Employed throughout

of the project and the project.
to include the Varies
community at a according to
basic level. methods
(Moderate)
 Disseminating
relevant
information.

3. Feedback.  A good knowledge Usually employed at Additional

of the opinions of the initial stages of a cost to
the community project. informative
(positive and process
negative). (Moderate -
High).
 A forum for people
to have input into
decisions.

Consultation techniques include:

steering groups;

advisory or reference committees;

public meetings;

conferences;

opinion polls;

submissions;

news releases;

brochures; and

questionnaire surveys.

A full list of types of consultation is included in Appendix A.

Assessment and Review of Processes

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This final step in the process determines whether the initial objectives of the consultation have been
fulfilled. An assessment of the overall process is required to measure its degree of success and to
measure and address the shortcomings of the consultation.
The outcomes of the consultation program need to be distributed to the participants and the
community. A response and summary of outcomes is required as soon as possible after completion of
the consultation. Without a prompt follow up, community cynicism may erode the benefits of the
consultation activities and outcomes.
Methods of informing the public of the outcomes of the consultation program include:
follow up public meetings;

the production of a report summarising outcomes and findings;

displays in public places such as libraries, Council Chambers, shopping mall; and

press releases and news reports.

Appendix A
Types of Consultation

Type of Consultation Description

Public Information Media releases, articles, use of radio and television,

programs newsletters, brochures, displays, exhibits, videos, legal
notices and paid advertisements and responses to enquiries
from the public.

Information Centres "Places where people can call in to see displays, get
information and ask questions on a particular project,
program or service."

Site Office A temporary, staffed office where the community has both
access and the opportunity to talk to qualified officers.

Telecentres The utilisation of telecommunication technologies to gain

access to information.

Hotlines/Information Used to record and distribute information "via tape recorded

lines messages; respond to straight forward inquiries about a
plan, project or services available".

Information meetings To provide an open forum to exchange and present

information.

Public meetings "There are two forms of public meetings: meetings where an
invitation to attend is extended to all members of the
public; and meetings restricted to members of identified
interest groups and professional bodies".

Search conference Staged discussion aimed at identifying a broad cross section

of views; lasting a day, weekend or longer. Usually 20-30
participants, selected to be heterogeneous but sharing
identifiable interests.

Workshops Workshops are structured sessions lasting ½ day, one or

two days aimed at producing plans or program
recommendations.

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Focus Groups Small discussion groups that provide insight into the extent
of and intensity of opinions and the extent of resistance to
change.

Design-in Committee members meet to work on maps, scale

representations and photographs to gain a better idea of the
effect on their community proposals or options. Depending
on the level of professional advice used and sophistication of
materials and expert presence may be required.

Charrettes "The charrette is a problem solving process. The various

interested parties develop a fullscale plan through a series
of intensive interactive meetings depending on the
complexity of the problem".

Advisory Committees Committees vary in size but usually involve no more than
eight to 12 people; they may be appointed or elected at a
public meeting to provide on going advice and to monitor
community views on a specialist topic.

Panel A panel of four to six people with special knowledge on an

issue or problem give a presentation; generally used with
other techniques such as a seminar, forum or public
meeting.

Community Meetings Community meetings tend to be sponsored and organised

by a community group or organisation to focus on a
particular issue.

Neighbourhood meetings Neighbourhood meetings are semi-informal meetings

usually hosted by neighbours or ‘local’ residents.

Submissions "The submission, usually in written form, is a widely used

method of obtaining feedback from the public on various
forms of plans, papers and reports in draft or near final
forms".

Surveys Surveys are a useful and relatively inexpensive means of

collecting information, attitudes and opinions from a large
number of people. They involve structured questioning of a
community either using a written form that people complete
themselves, or interviews conducted either face to face or
over the telephone. These methods can collect a large
amount of information.

Reference: Getting Stated: A Consultation Guide for Queensland Local Government

Reference Material
All Queensland Government Legislation

Building Division

Department of Public Works

Glossary of terms

Integrated Planning Act 1997

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 State Development and Public Works Organisation Act

Various Planning Acts

Workplace Health and Safety

Case Study
Construction of a Joint Emergency Services Head Office Facility at
Kedron Park:
As a Queensland Government initiative, the Emergency Services move to Kedron Park required some
degree of consultation and serves as a valuable case study to highlight components of a consultation
plan.
The Emergency Services move to Kedron Park is examined in line with the Four Phase Consultation
Methodology used in this guideline, thus identifying elements of consultation and areas where
additional consultation may have proven beneficial.

Phase One: Analysis of the Project Details:

The purpose of the relocation and construction of the Kedron Park site, was to create central office
administration, logistics storage and training facilities outside the Central Business District (CBD).
The site covers seven hectares with a total accommodation space of about 11,000 square metres and
was formerly the home of Kedron Park Teachers College. The grounds of Kedron Park were intended
to accommodate fire, ambulance and emergency services, operational people, support-services staff,
as well as, lecture theatres, training rooms and workshop facilities.
Stakeholders:
While this project had no formal consultation plan, a consultation plan (in line with this guideline)
would identify stakeholders including:
current employees;

members of the community;

absentee land holders;

the school community; and

surrounding businesses.

Environment:
The project benefits the community in terms of local economy benefits, increased public transport
patronage, improvements to the visual amenity of the area and utilisation of existing facilities.

Phase Two: Identify and fulfil legislative requirements

There were no legislative requirements affecting the consultation program in this instance.

Phase Three: Type of consultation

The Department of Emergency Services undertook consultation which included:
Ongoing discussions and updates with the stakeholders of the neighbouring Kedron High School
(including the Principal, P&C Committee and staff members);
Discussions with the Wooloowin State Primary School to examine child mining options with their
day centre;
Internal staff surveys and, information and briefing sessions on the impact and progress of the
project;

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 The erection of large project signs on the site boundaries informing the general public of the
development;
Press releases in the local newspaper on the commencement of construction and completion of
the project; and
A model of the complex was located in the Lutwyche shopping centre with a summation of the
project.
In accordance with this guideline, additional consultation may include:
periodic media releases in local newspapers;

letter drops informing community members of the change;

a sign or notification board in a local library or shopping centre;

the formulation of reference groups, including community and government representatives;

erecting a sign on the project site that explained the purpose of the construction work and the
expected completion date; and
making information available at local shopping centres.

In line with this guideline, the aim of the consultation was to primarily inform the stakeholders.

Informing.  To raise Employed Varies according to

awareness of throughout the methods
the project project. (Moderate)
and to include
the community
at a basic
level.

 Disseminating
relevant
information.

Phase Four: Assessment and review of process

The benefits of undertaking consultation in this case include:
acceptance of the project; and

identification of solutions to meet project requirements.

The elaboration of Phase Three: Type of Consultation, may have proved beneficial to this project. By
referring to Appendix A additional forms of Consultation may be identified and employed at
appropriate times throughout the project.
This insight into the construction of a joint Emergency Services head office facility at Kedron Park
highlights the value of a consultation plan to notify and inform the local community of major
government construction work.

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