Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:4:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 1/11)
Character Range: 3073705–3076733

4                   A step-by-step guide to community engagement and risk communication

4.1              Planning and preparation
A community engagement and risk communication plan is an integral part of the wider goal of successful assessment and management of site contamination. Effective communication relies on a commitment to planning, focusing the response to address community concerns and ongoing evaluation with the aim of continuous improvement. Engagement and communication goals should be quite specific, must be well understood by the consultant and should be communicated to the wider community at the beginning of, and during, any engagement plan.

A good plan should help you to:
    * integrate the engagement and communication efforts with the risk assessment and management process
    * increase the effectiveness of the engagement and communication
    * allocate appropriate resources to engagement and communication efforts
    * increase dialogue and mutual understanding, and reduce unwarranted tension with the wider community.
Engagement should start as early as possible and continue throughout the site assessment. The community should be informed of possible risks as soon as an issue is identified that may pose a risk to health or the environment or raise public concern. This can mean starting the engagement process before all the information is known and before all options for managing the risk have been identified and considered.

The early initiation of the engagement process is often difficult for those responsible for the site, as they may be unused and unwilling to publicise possible risks associated with the site until they are sure what those risks may be and how they will be managed. However, by consulting early, the community is allowed to actively participate in the decision-making process and members will feel that they have some control over and involvement in the risk assessment and management process. When the community participates in a risk management decision, it is more likely to accept it.

For more complex or contentious sites, a better outcome is often achieved if the engagement and communication role is undertaken by a third party such as a consultant or professional facilitator. This can help to ensure a more open exchange of information and reduce tension if the community is already mistrustful of those responsible for the site assessment.

Open and honest information exchange between organisations (including government agencies) and the community is vital in the management of site contamination. Community members have a right to information about environmental factors that affect their lives and they can contribute valuable local knowledge to the decision-making processes. However, when engaging with the community, there are some legislative issues to consider that may limit or modify the information provided.

For example:
    * Commercial-in-confidence materials should not be disclosed.
    * Privacy legislation restrains the giving