More than 20 community and business leaders from across the Sunshine Coast came together on Monday, 21 March to participate in the second of a series of four ‘think tanks’ being hosted by the Sunshine Coast Business Council on improving the effectiveness of community engagement.
Those involved — including special interest groups and academics as well as media, development industry and council representatives — discussed a range of issues affecting the quality and value of community engagement in the region.
Sunshine Coast Business Council Chair Sandy Zubrinich said a number of media representatives had taken to the floor to discuss the responsibility the media had in factually informing public debate.
“It was interesting to hear how their media training translated into the real world of journalism and understand how changes within the industry and in technology are impacting on the flow and access of news,” Ms Zubrinich said.
“In recent years, the media industry has undoubtedly shifted towards using social media platforms, particularly as the community becomes more selective about what news they want to read and when they want it delivered.”
“With outlets like Facebook playing such an important role in connecting people nowadays, it’s crucial we look to these sorts of platforms and other alternative methods when conducting community engagement, rather than relying solely on more traditional mediums.”
“This certainly will be one of the ideas we consider in more depth as the ‘think tanks’ series progresses.”
Ms Zubrinich said attendees had also drawn a number of key learnings from a presentation delivered by Dr Sam Wilson of the Swinburne Leadership Institute in Melbourne.
“Dr Wilson spoke about the impact of leadership for the greater good and highlighted the need for communities to cultivate a sense of collective responsibility in order to adequately grasp the social and environmental challenges they face.”
“His sentiments are reflective of the need to work together in developing positive outcomes that safeguard the long-term environmental, social and economic prosperity of our region and are something we will definitely take on board when considering formal recommendations and outcomes at the conclusion of the ‘think tank’ series.”
“Dr Wilson’s presentation also discussed leadership in terms of mindsets rather than skills sets and stressed the need to make the time and space to think about complex issues and not just respond as is the tendency in our fast-paced world.”
Ms Zubrinich said the next event in the series would focus on key community engagement case studies, identifying approaches that have worked well in the past and others that have been less successful when engaging with business and community on the Sunshine Coast.
“The third session will also consider the future of community engagement, with a spotlight shone on how shared benefit can be achieved for multiple community stakeholders.”
“We are pleased with the response we have received regarding these sessions so far, and look forward to using the insights garnered regarding best practice community engagement to assist in striking the right balance between development, growth and the environment on the Sunshine Coast over the coming years.”
To find out more about the Sunshine Coast Business Council and its calendar of events, please visit www.scbusinesscouncil.com.au.