Facilitating Community Reference Group workshops to gather local ideas and knowledge to inform the development of a coastal hazard adaptation strategy.
Situation Explained
City of Moreton Bay (Council) has developed Moreton Bay’s Living Coast Plan (LCP) to:
- inform future decisions regarding the protection and management of the coast and foreshore areas
- inform future land use strategic planning
- guide the management of public utilities and facilities
- inform the management of areas of environmental and cultural significance
- foster collaboration and the shared custodianship of our coastline
- remain up to date based on implementation and new information.
The LCP will help Council, its service providers, residents and the wider community understand and plan for the likely impacts of change on the coastal landscape, with historical and future coastal hazard risks considered.
Coastal communities within the project area demonstrated a notable level of interest in the project during the initial engagement period. As part of the ongoing community and stakeholder engagement for the project, Council established a Community Reference Group (CRG) to capture local ideas and insights. Comprised of 12 community members from across the Council area, each member of the CRG has strong connections to Moreton Bay and represented a range of interests.
Our Approach
Leisa Prowse Consulting was engaged to:
- design and facilitate 4 face-to-face workshops, including a site visit and walking tour
- design and facilitate 1 face-to-face deep dive activity
- design a pre-workshop survey
- provide a virtual walk-through of the online hub platform for CRG members
- provide workshop reports and a summary report of the CRG process.
Results
Through the process:
- CRG members were able to see real outcomes of potential adaptation options through use of a wave tank.
- CRG members attended a site visit and walking tour of a case study area that included different types of assets and a discussion about trade-offs in prioritising those assets (including infrastructure, private housing, recreation areas, natural environment and cultural heritage).
- CRG members discussed the impacts of recent flood events on their lives, homes and communities (Workshop 1 was postponed due to the February 2022 flood event).
- CRG members engaged in many constructive and meaningful discussions about coastal areas, coastal hazards and potential adaptation options.
At the final workshop, Leisa Prowse Consulting faciltiated a short evaluation exercise with the CRG. The most common responses indicated that:
- 70% of CRG members would like to see a new community reference group formed to support the implementation of the LCP.
- 80% of CRG members would like to be a part of this new group.
- 90% of CRG members would like to be a part of another Council CRG with a different environmental focus.
When asked what worked well in the CRG process, 60% of responses related to the workshop formats, social environment established in meetings and workshop facilitation.
By contributing to the development of the LCP, the CRG helped Council to understand how coastal hazards and anticipated changes in sea level may impact coastal communities, the local economy, the natural environment and Council operations. This information helped the Council to consider and assess the viability and preference of adaptation approaches.
In May 2023, the Living Coast Plan was endorsed by Moreton Bay Regional Council.
In October 2023, the project won the 2023 IAP2 Australasia Core Values Award (Environment).