Here's What We Submitted to Council on Your Behalf

MEMBER BRIEFING

This week, Business Victor Harbor lodged a formal submission to the City of Victor Harbor on its draft Community Engagement Policy. This is the policy that will shape how Council consults business and the wider community on decisions for years to come.

Every fee, permit, rate and public-realm decision Council makes starts with a consultation process. How well that process works determines whether your voice is actually heard before decisions are made, not just recorded after the fact.

What we found: the draft policy actually walks back some commitments in the current policy, including softening the promise that Council will report back on how feedback shaped a decision, and dropping the explicit reference to business owners in its definition of “community.” We backed our concerns with evidence, including Council's own published consultation records over recent years, which show a pattern worth understanding, and not just for business.

What we asked for: our priority recommendation is that Council formally recognise organisations like BVH and commit to notifying us directly whenever a consultation is relevant to our members so important issues don't slip through the cracks.

Read the full submission: Click Here

This is an open submission, we're sharing it with you in full, and we'll share Council's response the same way, whenever it comes.

Thank you to the seven Board members who contributed their own words to the submission on your behalf.

A copy of the full submission can viewed in the Advocacy Tab of the BVH Website & BVH App.