A shared collection of our latest thinking and activities.

Commemorating the landmarks in Australia’s reconciliation journey

Today marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, a time commemorating significant milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum which amended the Constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census; and the High Court judgement in the historic Mabo v Queensland case that introduced the legal doctrine of native title into Australian law, respectively.

Forming a Social License to Operate

Good community engagement is fundamental to effective and responsive development. It gives legitimacy to the project process, ensuring proposed development serves the community it is designed for; and it reduces conflict, harnesses capacity and manages risks from the outset. In order to be effective, community engagement must build trust and relationships. But for today’s developers, planners and those working with communities, building trust is harder than ever. According to the Endelman Trust Barometer, which measures the average annual percentage of trust in NGOs, business, government and media: not one of these societal institutions is trusted by the public. How can institutions build community trust?

Walking forward together

Walking forward together is core to our Creating Communities philosophy. We engage people and organisations to find common ground and build social value. Our Reconciliation Action Plan is central to this work. It reflects our deeply held belief in equality and social equity showing the pathways through which we seek to walk forward together with First Nation’s peoples to achieve this.

Together we are stronger

We don’t need a natural disaster to convince us of the value of community, but tough times bring home to us how much we depend on each other.

Commercial places transitioning to community spaces

Why We Listen to Communities

We love having a chat about what people believe makes their community tick.

The Impacts of Income Inequality

It might surprise you to learn how little you need to earn to be in the top 50% of all income earners in Australia.

Sustainable Future Communities and Cricket Bats

What does it take to build a sustainable community? What early investment is necessary to create a community that not only works for now but works long into the future?

Creating Communities For An Ageing Population

With Scott Morrison announcing a royal commission into Australia’s aged care system and the news that over 50% of residents in nursing homes suffer from depression, what is being done to care for our ageing population?

What is Freedom of Information and Why is it So Important?

The world of today is drastically different from the world of a decade ago. As technology races ahead at breakneck speeds, how do we ensure that equality and freedom of information keep up?

Why is Quality Community Engagement So Important?

If done well, quality community engagement can deliver some amazing benefits for both your organisation and the community. However, if done badly, it can actually create more problems and challenges than if no engagement was done at all.

How You Can Connect To Your Community

With the loss of many physical spaces for communities to come together, what can we do to better connect with those around us?

The Decline of Our Community Clubs

Why, when so many people want to be a part of a community, are places that facilitate community connection dying out?

Creating a Vibrant Commercial and Community Hub

Recently made live, the City of Fremantle’s Kings Square website is a tribute to an award-winning community engagement and urban planning process.

What Makes a Good Community?

Ask this question of a planner, environmental scientist, social planner, sustainability specialist, placemaker, energy expert or engineer and you’ll get a different answer. Theories, models and assessment tools abound in city and community making.

Great ideas for how to make a bright future for Broome

Neighbourhood Knowledge: Why You Should Map Your Community Assets

Asset Mapping is a positive-focused way of celebrating community resources and connecting individuals, organisations and spaces for collaboration, empowerment and support.

Why Completing a Social Impact Assessment is a Smart Move

Our research experts shed light on Social Impact Assessments.

Digital Engagement – Tools To Get Feedback Online

How can we engage the broadest group of participants in an engagement project?