Community engagement aims to “makes some inroads” in lead up to Docklands Summit

Community engagement aims to “makes some inroads” in lead up to Docklands Summit
Brendan Rees

Docklands residents as well as the broader municipality have expressed a desire to have a “one-stop shop” set-up in the precinct that would have access to neighbourhood-related information.

That was the feedback following a recent City of Melbourne survey with residents that aims “to understand the strengths as well as the challenges” in the community.

The results were mentioned by the council’s director of community development, Rushda Halith during the council’s Future Melbourne Committee meeting on May 17, which was held for the first time in the Docklands community.

Ms Halith spoke about neighbourhood key issues and City of Melbourne projects for Docklands, saying a recent survey included questions such as, “What does a council mean to you in your local neighbourhood? What’s missing? And what are your local priorities?”

“We have spoken over the last few months as part of implementing the neighbourhood model to about 6000 people across our municipality and about 800 people in Docklands who have made over one thousand contributions, so it’s been really fantastic to see that engagement locally and here from the community,” she said.

“The feedback at the moment is being gathered from that consultation in Docklands and we’re hoping to go out later this year around August for a second round of really testing what we have heard and does that resonate, [and if] there are any gaps.”

Ms Halith added the council was in the process of developing neighbourhood portals across the municipality including Docklands which would contain neighbourhood-related data and community resources.

She said all information collated would “build the foundation” and “to look how we’re going to make some inroads” in the lead up to the Docklands Summit to be held later this year.

It comes as the council’s “Participate Docklands” project – in which consultation was completed at the end of April – seeks to provide the local community with some clarity about the precinct’s future. All submissions from Participate Docklands are currently being analysed by an independent consultant with the results and demographic data expected to be revealed in July. •

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