The VPA’s Commitment
Why – Our Values
We are responsive to, and engaged with, all stakeholders at all times. We will keep you informed, listen to you and acknowledge your concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how your input influenced the decision.
Our ultimate objective is to create plans that deliver community benefit consistent with government policy that are responsive to the specific context of that community. This objective takes priority over the particular interests of an individual stakeholder involved in the project.
As a planning authority, the VPA is required to ensure that its recommendations to the Minister for Planning are impartial, evidence-based and free from undue influence. This means the VPA must engage transparently and equitably.
Therefore, in the interests of efficiency and probity, we will structure our engagement to reflect the different stages of our planning projects.
When and how we engage will depend on:
- What your interests are (eg are you a landowner, Council, Government agency, Registered Aboriginal Party etc).
- The desired outcome and goal of the engagement (eg to inform, to receive information, to solve a problem etc).
Our approach to engagement is always “open by default” and we will make available all appropriate information, including expert reports when new, timely or relevant information becomes available. The VPA will seek to engage at the earliest appropriate stage.
However, there will be some information that will not be provided to all parties because of commercial in-confidence considerations or the subject of confidential government deliberations. Information in these categories must be confidential to ensure that no stakeholder or group of stakeholders is advantaged by receiving information that others do not have equal access to or are able to act on.
Please keep in mind that once projects teams are in the process of producing the PSP documents there will be periods when there is no new information to tell you. When there is, we will contact you as soon as we are in a position to share.
The VPA will engage with different groups of stakeholders (landowners for example) in a manner appropriate and relevant to that group in order to negotiate outcomes in the public interest. This approach will necessarily differ according to the interests and involvement of the different stakeholder groups. This will also ensure that the approach is timely and efficient, and the information is targeted to what you need to know.
Non-negotiable matters will be identified and communicated as early as possible in the process to provide certainty to stakeholders.
For more information, refer to:
How – Our mechanisms and approach
Our primary means of engagement will be:
For all stakeholders:
– Our website – which will be kept updated with any and all publicly available information, either monthly or more often if things change
– Email updates – every two months or more often if needed
Landowners (and their consultants):
- Regular landowner briefings (offered to all landowners) – to meet at a minimum quarterly, with additional meetings in accordance with milestones and project needs as determined by VPA
- Special-purpose problem-solving meetings with identified landowners – for the VPA to inform itself on, or to seek solutions regarding, strategic planning issues affecting particular land
Councils, Government agencies and utilities:
- Regular council officer meetings – around fortnightly operational project meetings, and strategic partnership meetings (approx. every 6-8 weeks)
- Agency liaison through established working groups, coordination meetings and utilisation of established escalation pathways
- Special purpose problem-solving meetings with identified agencies – for the VPA to inform itself on, or to seek solutions regarding, particular agency issues
Traditional Owners:
- Will be engaged through the Registered Aboriginal Party(ies) (RAPs) via targeted meetings early in the process and consistently (i.e. early and often)
Community groups and the public in general:
- Special purpose problem-solving meetings with identified groups – for the VPA to inform itself on, or to seek solutions regarding, particular issues
- Public consultation – to ensure all interested parties have their say on the PSP
For more information, refer to:
When – Engagement at Different Process Stages
The PSP 2.0 process has multiple stages. When and how you have input, and what you can expect from us to support that input, will vary at different project stages (refer table below for detail) with a focus on input from the following groups at each stage:
Pre-commencement:
- Council(s) and key agencies
- Landowners
Place-shaping and Plan Preparation:
- Council(s), agencies, utilities, RAPs, landowners, community groups (at VPA discretion)
Public exhibition:
- Community groups and the general public, others if issues not addressed at agency validation stage
Finalisation:
- At discretion of VPA as required to address issues raised during exhibition or by Panel/SAC
For more information, refer to: