Community consultation on the draft policy occurred between 18 September and 16 October 2023

The Community Engagement process

Below is a snapshot of the community engagement activities and promotions. Please note- this report is best viewed on desktop or horizontally on mobile.

The key themes to emerge from the public consultation include:

  • Integrated approach

    Some submissions suggested that the Draft Policy’s integrated approach is too broad and makes it difficult to address the needs of specific priority populations.

  • Implementation

    Some submissions suggested that there is limited detail explaining how the policy will be implemented and monitored.

  • Location

    Some submissions highlighted disparity between suburbs and the importance of considering different locations when Council makes decisions.

  • Carers

    Some submissions noted that carers are not included in the Draft Policy, highlighting their experience of social exclusion and barriers to employment and accessing services.

  • Engagement

    some submissions highlighted the need for Council to provide more opportunities for priority populations to be included in community engagement activities.

Revisions to the Draft Policy

The following revisions have been made in response to feedback received from public consultation.

The method by which the Final Draft incorporates Council’s DAP have been clarified and strengthened. A new section has been added to outline the process in more detail. It specifically shows how the legislated purposes of the DAP link to the strategies and actions within the Final Draft and subsequent action plans. Additionally, all relevant strategies have been clearly aligned to one of the four DAP purposes, as outlined in the Disability Act 2006, with minor changes to the wording of Strategies 1.1 and 1.5 to provide better alignment. An action to explore the potential to resource and establish a Disability Advisory Committee has also been included in the 2023-24 Action Plan.

Carers have been incorporated into the “People with a disability” priority population group to acknowledge the critical role that they play in Hobsons Bay, as well as the range of barriers and disadvantage they can experience. Carers were included in preliminary engagement and their perspectives were considered in the development of the Draft Policy. However, carers were not specifically highlighted in the Draft Policy, and this has been addressed through their inclusion as a priority population alongside people with a disability. Additionally, local data relating to carers has also been added to Final Draft, with an action also included in the 2023-24 Action Plan to identify appropriate local venues and spaces for programs or other activities for carers and people with dementia.

The Final Draft has been updated to clarify the alignment between the policy’s outcomes, themes, strategies, and annual action plans.

Other minor changes have been made in response to feedback, including:

  • Fair Access – added a statement showing how the Final Draft assists Council to meet its responsibilities under the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap, which aims to ensure equitable access to sporting facilities for people of all genders
  • Outcomes Framework – updated the wording of the Indicators of Change to ensure they are presented clearly, and are consistent with the presentation of indicators in other Council plans, policies, and strategies
  • Barriers and issues – made minor changes to some strategies to ensure they address key barriers and issues impacting priority populations
  • Readability – updated wording to improve readability, as required.

    • Overall, due to the extensive preliminary engagement undertaken to inform the Draft Policy, minimal revisions were required to update the Final Draft.