Engaging Communities in Community Renewal: Challenges, Success Factors and Critical Questions

McCullough J¹*, Stark A¹*

1. Community Renewal, Queensland Government Department of Housing, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Community Renewal is a whole-of-government place-based program established by the Queensland Government to regenerate communities experiencing high levels of social and economic stress. Engaging residents and community members in program planning is critical to ensuring that Community Renewal can broker services and programs that meet community needs and aspirations.

Through workshops, consultations, street barbeques and more, dedicated renewal officers engage people living and working in targeted areas to prioritise local issues and develop actions that will improve renewal neighbourhoods. From health and well-being to sport and recreation, education and training to community identity, Community Renewal involves people across a broad range of issues over a 5–10 year timeframe.

These community engagement processes are coupled with engaging government partners. By innovatively linking community needs with agency core business, lasting solutions can be delivered to renewal communities.

With a distinctly practical focus, this presentation provides an overview of Community Renewal engagement practice and shares the program’s challenges, lessons and success stories.

The presentation includes:

1. An overview of the Community Renewal program;
2. A description of the community engagement mechanisms used in:

• program planning and decision making
• project planning and delivery
• policy and program development

3. An exploration of the community engagement challenges faced by the program;
4. An outline of the factors that have contributed to successful community engagement; and
5. A summary of critical questions to guide future practice.

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