Peer Reviews of Consultation Reports

Jen was contracted by Parks Victoria to undertake a peer review of consultation reports written by PV staff. The reports summarised the feedback received on draft management plans, and Jen’s brief was to analyse community and stakeholder feedback and assess whether it has been accurately and fairly represented in the consultation reports.

In 2021 Jen peer-reviewed consultation reports for the following projects:

• The You Yangs Regional Park and Serendip Sanctuary are much-loved reserves on the outskirts of Lara, near Geelong. In 2020, Parks Victoria developed a draft management plan for the You Yangs Precinct, including Serendip. Jen’s brief involved an analysis of 70+ written submissions, 430+ survey responses, notes from 7 meetings with stakeholders and 520+ comments by signatories of an online petition. She was then asked to provide comments on the draft consultation report and recommend changes to the draft management plan.
• Parks Victoria drafted the Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan in 2020 to set the direction for the future management and protection of the Gariwerd (Grampians) landscape and its values. Parks Victoria released the draft Plan for community feedback from September to November 2020. Jen’s review involved the analysis of 1700+ submissions and 850+ survey responses and Park Victoria’s draft consultation report.
• Concept designs for camping infrastructure along a proposed ‘alpine crossing’ between Falls Creek and Mt Hotham were released for comment in 2022. Feedback was summarised by Parks Victoria in a draft consultation report in late 2022. Jen reviewed the draft report to ensure that it appropriately represented the feedback received from 427 survey respondents and 215 submitters and emailers.