Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee
Inquiry into Community Consultation Practices
Conducting Public Hearings
The Committee is investigating community consultation practices by government and certain non-government entities. The Committee may decide to look into specific instances of consultation; however, the Committee cannot directly intervene or otherwise affect the outcome of any past or ongoing consultation process. Further, the Committee will not be interrogating the merits of government decisions, for example whether a development should or should not have been approved following community consultation. Rather, the Committee will be solely focused on consultation processes and practices. We welcome evidence from organisations and community members that shares their experiences and insights into how processes can be improved. In its final report, the Committee will make recommendations to the Victorian Government to improve its practices for future consultations.
Snapshot of inquiry
The Committee is looking at how state and local government, statutory authorities and essential service providers consult with communities and whether certain groups or regions are underrepresented by existing consultation practices.
Community input
Submissions will be progressively published here on the website.
What’s next?
The Committee will hold public hearings to gather evidence from individuals and organisations. A final report to parliament is due by 28 February 2026.
Contact us
Write
Parliament of Victoria
Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee
Parliament House, Spring Street
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002
Telephone
Terms of reference
The Terms of Reference are the official instructions that explain what a parliamentary committee must investigate and report on.
On 31 July 2024, the Legislative Council agreed to the following motion:
That this House requires the Environment and Planning Committee to inquire into, consider and report, by 28 February 2026, on —
(a) community consultation practices done by, and on behalf of, state and local government and statutory authorities, and providers of essential services such as utilities, in Victoria;
(b) the use of non-government providers to do consultations on behalf of government agencies;
(c) standards of conduct, including preparedness, to be expected in community consultations;
(d) groups or regions who are underrepresented by existing consultation practices, and options to improve their engagement;
(e) the Engage Victoria platform, its use and effectiveness, and areas for improvement; and
(f) best practice community consultation in other jurisdictions in Australia and other comparable countries.