Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Get involved – international conference on engaging communities

All levels of government have challenges ahead of them when it comes to effectively engaging communities around policy, decision making, and service delivery. Successful community engagement is increasingly important for government because communities want to have a direct input in decisions that matter to them.

With this in mind, the Queensland Government is proud to partner with the UN in developing the inaugural International Conference on Engaging Communities. The conference, to be held in Brisbane in August, will explore issues related to community engagement and address the experiences and challenges that affect individuals, governments and organisations alike.

Local Government is at the forefront of engaging with the community, and local Councils and Councillors are often the first point of contact for the community wanting to have a say on matters directly affecting them.

The conference has recognised this and a number of sessions have been allocated to hearing about engagement and governance at the local level, while also looking at Local Government engagement in action. It will provide the opportunity to learn first hand from local, national and international examples.

This conference is a joint initiative of the Queensland Government’s Departments of Communities and Main Roads and the UN.

To ensure you don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity register online now at www.engagingcommunities2005.org for your early bird discount.

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