Advanced Waste Processing: Deliberative poll and community engagement

Advanced Waste Processing (AWP) may be a solution to divert residual household waste from landfill in Melbourne’s south east.

This 2022 consultation involved a panel of Frankston residents in helping Council understand Frankston City community attitudes towards AWP. Due to the complex nature of AWP, a modified deliberative poll was used to generate the panel’s feedback. Steps were:

• Selection of panel members to try to emulate Frankston City’s demographic profile.
• An initial poll of participants about waste and AWP.
• Distribution of an information pack.
• A session of presentations by key stakeholders and answering of questions (including the production of a detailed Q&A document).
• A second session to provide the opportunity for deliberative discussions and the completion of a second poll to generate informed feedback.

Jen designed and facilitated the process; Steve Blackley helped with the Q&A document and report.

Waste Circularity Plan

Following the success of the AWP process, Jen was asked to plan, implement and report on community priorities to inform Council’s draft Waste Circularity Plan. This work included strategic engagement advice and input on project collateral and a community survey. It also involved the facilitation of a ‘sensemaking workshop’ of the Waste Panel convened in the earlier work, which helped Council interpret the community feedback.

Jen, with Steve Blackley Consulting, produced an independent report of the community feedback, which she presented at a Councillor Briefing. At this meeting, Jen facilitated an exercise in which Councillors prioritised proposed initiatives.