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Draft Community Engagement Policy

On display until 07 October 2026, 05:00 PM

Council is reviewing its Community Engagement Policy and would like your feedback.

The policy outlines the principles and commitments that underpin Councils approach to Community Engagement. We invite you to review the draft policy and tell us what you think. Your feedback will help us finalise the policy before Councillors consider adopting it at a future meeting.

Council is developing an Engagement Toolkit to support this policy. The Toolkit will outline how we engage with the community, when we engage and the approach we will use.

Submissions close at 5pm on Wednesday 7 October 2026.

Online Survey

Full Name * (required)

Street Address * (required)

Phone Number

Email * (required)

Submission

What is your understanding of Community Engagement? * (required)

How do you normally find out about an engagement opportunity? For example; print, social media, word of mouth. * (required)

	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Unsure
Being able to participate online	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Unsure
Being able to participate in person	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Unsure
The level of influence on the final decision available to the community is clear	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Unsure
Feeling like the engagement is genuine and Council is listening to the community	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Unsure
The people being impacted are actively being targeted and represented through the engagement process	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Unsure

	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Online surveys	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Quick polls (online voting)	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Community workshops	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Drop-in sessions	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Written submissions	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Receiving information only	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never

Yes, I have read the draft plan.

Do you have any other feedback? Your feedback will help us finalise the policy before Councillors consider its adoption at a future Council meeting.

Would you like to speak about your submission at the November Submissions Committee Meeting?

Email

Email your feedback on the Draft Community Engagement Policy to inq@colacotway.vic.gov.au

If you would like to speak to your submission at the November Submissions Committee Meeting, please include this in your feedback.

Post

Send your feedback on the Draft Community Engagement Policy to:

Colac Otway Shire Council
PO Box 283
Colac VIC 3250

If you would like to speak to your submission at the November Submissions Committee Meeting, please include this in your feedback.

In Person

You can access a copy of the Draft Community Engagement Policy at Colac's Customer Service Centres in Colac and Apollo Bay.

You can also provide written feedback to Customer Service Centre staff.

If you would like to speak to your submission at the November Submissions Committee Meeting, please include this in your feedback.

Privacy and Data Collection Information

Contact details

Colac Otway Shire Council

03 5232 9400

inq@colacotway.vic.gov.au