About the Author:
Tarnia Riggs is a communications and stakeholder engagement professional with more than 15 years’ experience working across infrastructure, energy, construction, mining, government and community-focused projects. She is passionate about creating meaningful engagement opportunities that help organisations build trust, strengthen relationships and make informed decisions.
Community engagement is more than a legislative requirement. When done effectively, it creates opportunities for residents, businesses, community groups and stakeholders to contribute to decisions that shape the places where they live, work and connect.
The City of Adelaide is currently seeking community feedback on its updated Community Engagement Policy, which has been revised to align with the South Australian Government’s new Community Engagement Charter and amendments to the Local Government Act 1999 (SA).
The review reflects a broader shift across local government towards more structured, transparent and meaningful engagement practices. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, the updated policy introduces engagement levels that are designed to match the significance, scale and impact of a project or decision.
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of five engagement levels outlined in the State Charter:
• Significant – Annual Business Plan and Rating Policy
• Significant
• Standard
• Local
• Inform
These categories help ensure that engagement activities are proportionate to the decisions being made. A major policy change affecting the entire city requires a different level of consultation than a localised project impacting a specific neighbourhood or stakeholder group.
By clearly defining engagement requirements for each category, councils can better allocate resources, improve transparency and provide communities with opportunities to participate in ways that are appropriate to the issue being considered.
Effective community engagement is not simply about collecting feedback. It is about creating genuine opportunities for participation and ensuring community perspectives are considered throughout the decision-making process.
The South Australian Community Engagement Charter is built around several key principles, including:
• Providing meaningful opportunities for participation
• Using clear and accessible language
• Encouraging constructive dialogue and discussion
• Matching engagement methods to the significance of decisions
• Demonstrating how community feedback has informed outcomes
These principles reflect growing community expectations for greater transparency and accountability in public decision-making.
When people understand how decisions are made and can see how their feedback has been considered, trust in institutions and decision-makers is strengthened.
The City of Adelaide represents a diverse and dynamic community. More than 45 per cent of residents were born overseas, over one-third speak a language other than English at home, and the city welcomes more than 400,000 daily visitors.
With such a diverse population, creating accessible and inclusive engagement opportunities is essential. Different communities, businesses and stakeholders often have varying perspectives, priorities and experiences that can contribute valuable insights to policy development and project planning.
The updated policy aims to provide a clearer framework for engaging with these diverse voices while ensuring consultation activities remain transparent, consistent and fit for purpose.
Strong community engagement helps councils make more informed decisions. It allows potential issues to be identified early, improves understanding of community needs and creates opportunities for collaboration between councils and the communities they serve.
Engagement is most effective when it moves beyond informing people about decisions and instead creates meaningful opportunities for dialogue and participation.
As local governments continue to navigate complex social, economic and environmental challenges, community engagement remains one of the most important tools for building trust, improving outcomes and creating stronger communities.
The City of Adelaide’s draft Community Engagement Policy is currently open for public consultation until 2 July 2026.
Community members can provide feedback online, via email, through written submissions or by attending one of the scheduled community drop-in sessions.
Whether you are a resident, business owner, visitor or stakeholder, participating in consultation processes helps ensure local decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of the community they serve.
Consultation closes at 11.59pm on Thursday, 2 July 2026.