Consulting on specific projects
Selwyn District Council: Choices explained well
We liked the way that Selwyn District Council used excellent structure and clear explanations of the issues and choices it was facing. It combined big picture thinking about long-term strategic issues with more detailed consultation on specific projects or facilities whose future was at a turning point. At the upper end of the range, the Council put forward eight issues for consultation feedback, but, rather than lacking focus, the way the Council structured and presented them kept the consultation sharp and coherent.
| Why we liked this example against the eight characteristics of good consultation | ||
| 1 | Outward focused | ✔ |
| 3 | Can be readily understood, with enough information provided | ✔ |
| 4 | Informs discussion | ✔ |
| 5 | Tells an integrated story | ✔ |
Its “big decisions” were:
Water Services
- Big decision 1: Keeping our drinking water safe
- Big decision 2: How we pay for drinking water supply
- Big decision 3: Developing a new wastewater system in Darfield and Kirwee
Transportation Services
- Big decision 4: Maintaining our roads
- Big decision 5: Planning for future roading and transportation projects
Community Facilities
- Big decision 6: Future of the new Prebbleton Community Centre
- Big decision 7: Future of the Leeston Library and Community Centre
- Big decision 8: Future of the Hororata Community Centre
An extract from This way … our map for the next 10 years, Selwyn District Council’s consultation document framing the Council’s big decisions.
We liked the way that Selwyn District Council used the concept of a day in the life of a local resident to illustrate all the ways in which council services support a good quality of life. We thought this helped illustrate the Council’s challenge of trying to balance investment across services.
An extract from This way … our map for the next 10 years, Selwyn District Council’s consultation document, using the metaphor of a day in the life of a local to explain how council services underpin quality of life in all sorts of ways.