Community Engagement – More Than Just Consultation – The Cassy Lives Skate Park Project

Abstract

Gladstone Regional Council's 2019 annual playground inspection of the Cassy Lives Skate Park indicated that the skate park required significant repair works to ensure the park remained safe for use. Some of the required maintenance works were expected to be costly and it was common knowledge that the skate park didn’t have a good reputation due to poor social security and unsuitability for all riding types and abilities. To ensure Council was investing in worthwhile works, community engagement was undertaken in three stages to ensure the community had the opportunity to help shape the upgrade of the facility within the negotiables and non-negotiables defined by Council. Despite having somewhat limited experience collaborating with the community on infrastructure projects, Council made a conscious effort to ensure the community felt heard and valued as a part of the design by developing a community engagement plan that fit in between IAP2’s definitions for involving and collaborating with the community. Throughout the design, the results of the various stages of engagement were used to shape the design of the skate park. The incorporation of community engagement added approximately $8,000 to the total project expenditure and 7 weeks to the design timeframe, a small investment considering there were no variations during construction and the final product has received nothing but praise from the community.