Research Discussion

The Institute lunch-time seminar series are free to attend and no registration is required. Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available from 12.15pm for a 12.30pm start. BYO sandwich.

Abstract

Community participation in local government has received considerable attention in recent years, especially in the UK and Europe. The OECD has identified three levels of participation, the highest of which is “active participation of citizen’s in policy making”

An important question in considering community participation is to ensure that all those affected by an issue have at least the opportunity to be involved in that participation. Where a community is diverse geographically, socio-economically and demographically, as is the Shoalhaven, this can be challenging.

This presentation focuses on this issue and examines:
- existing participation arrangements in the Shoalhaven
- the nature of the Shoalhaven community
- types of issues raised by community representatives in meetings with Council members, and
- the extent to which issues affect different communities and groups.

The implications of the findings on these issues for community participation in local government in the
Shoalhaven will be explored.

Speaker Details

Dugald Monro is an adjunct associate at the University of Canberra . He spent over twenty years as a Commonwealth Public Servant. Work he undertook included policy and administration of government programs for public and community housing and crisis accommodation.

Since joining the University of Canberra as an adjunct he has undertaken research on the delivery of government programs, the role of third sector organisations and federalism . he is currently working on citizen’s participation in local government.

In 2003 he graduated with a PhD from the University of Sydney. His thesis topic was The Results of Federalism: an Examination of Housing and Disability Services.

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