Community Engagement Strategy & Relocation (GM) Policy Adopted

Published on 03 March 2026

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Community Engagement Strategy Adopted 

Council has adopted the final version of the Community Engagement Strategy (Strategy), tabled at the 25 February 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting. The Strategy will guide Council’s future engagement and is a critical component of the Integrated Planning and Reporting framework as stipulated in the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW)(NI).

Council notes the three (3) public submissions received from the period of Public Exhibition from 24 September to 22 October 2025, with key messages from the submissions being: 

  • Request to stage and separate documents on Public Exhibition, to reduce overlap, which places high demand on the community (respondents said they are “consulted out”) 
  • Request for feedback on how input is used. 

As a result of the public feedback received, the strategy now specifies, under Section 1.1 Council’s Vision, Mission and Values, that “Council must seek to stagger community engagement to ensure stakeholders are not overwhelmed.” 

During this Public Exhibition phase, Council coincidentally undertook an extensive engagement program about electricity tariff options, supported by The Comms Team. With a stakeholder engagement practitioner on the island, Council sought a short peer review of the draft strategy by The Comms Team to reflect how Islanders prefer to be engaged, utilising what was learnt from the electricity tariff community engagement process. 

As a result of the peer review, changes to the draft strategy were recommended by the consultant to: 

  1. Reflect and endorse feedback received – recommending separating out times when large documents are on Public Exhibition, where practical, and ensure that feedback is provided after Public Exhibition phases to explain how input was considered and applied.  
  2. Include practical methodologies and processes that will work best for Norfolk Island, within cultural context and resource limitations, being:  
    • continuing promotion of opportunity to provide comments;
    • considering whether provision of documents is sufficient, or whether socialising the subjects through meetings is needed; and
    • providing feedback as to how input was considered during decision making.

These changes have been reflected in the adopted Strategy available on Council’s website for viewing: Community Engagement Strategy.

Relocation and Rent Assistance Policy (General Manager) Adopted 

Council has adopted the Draft Relocation and Rent Assistance Policy (General Manager). 

The Relocation and Rental Assistance (General Manager) Policy was originally developed to provide governance and clarity around financial assistance offered to support the recruitment and retention of the General Manager. 

As part of Council’s ongoing commitment to maintaining contemporary and transparent governance practices, the draft policy was placed on Public Exhibition from 28 November to 27 December 2025. This provided members of the community, stakeholders, and interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the proposed policy content. 

The exhibition period concluded at 4pm on 27 December 2025, with no submissions, recommendations or amendments received from the community. 

The adopted ‘2.24 – Relocation and Rental Assistance (General Manager) Policy’ is available online for viewing under ‘Council Policies – Governance and Human Resources’ on the Council Policies page.

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