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As engagement practitioners, we talk a lot about the benefits of engaging early but too often the focus can be on securing community buy-in. That much sought-after idea of social license when a project has the approval and broad social acceptance of the community and other stakeholders. What we don’t do well is espouse the […]

The importance of consultation, or more significantly, the lack of consultation, has been in the news this week when it was announced the US Open would go ahead without wheelchair tennis. Australian player and world number one in wheelchair tennis, Dylan Alcott, led the backlash against the US Tennis Association calling it “disgusting discrimination”. Part

Congratulations, you’ve made it through consultation and secured planning approval for your infrastructure project! But now, as you delve into project delivery, brace yourself for the inevitable: complaints. They come in all shapes and sizes, from minor grumbles to major grievances, but with the right approach, you can navigate them like a seasoned pro. Engage

Spectrum Comms recently worked with Lake Mac Council to develop and facilitate their 100 Voices community summit which will be used to inform their Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035, Local Strategic Planning Statement and other core documents. This was the second time we have joined forced with Micromex Research and the engagement gurus at Lake Mac

Have you ever wondered how big is Australia, geographically speaking when compared to our population and land mass? In 2024 the population density of Australia is 3.45 people per square kilometre. That figure highlights a relatively small population and large land mass, in essence we are country that is very spread out – especially when

Community meetings, town halls, open forums. There was a time when many community relations practitioners recommended them as the best way to connect with large groups of stakeholders. Nowadays they appear to have become a tool of last resort. What happened?  There are many contributing factors but what they have in common is this –

The world of social media and online engagement is ever changing, with new trends, platforms and algorithms popping up all the time. Have you ever stopped to think about how many platforms, services and products are out there? Many of the larger ones like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube are well known

ICYMI (in case you missed it), acronyms are seemingly everywhere these days. It’s rare to receive a text or message on social media that is short a FOMO, YOLO or IKR. But while some of us are down with the most efficient way possible to tell someone they only like them AAF (as a friend),

The role of communication and stakeholder engagement in the delivery of projects has rapidly evolved over the past 20 years. This has mainly been a response to increased community participation, triggered in turn by legislative change and greater social awareness.  Those tasked with managing such projects have adapted their approach to ensure communications and engagement

As community engagement practitioners we sometimes find ourselves wedged in that ‘inform’ part of the IAP2 Spectrum where we’re tasked with delivering tough news to people with little scope for them to influence a project or decision that will affect their lives and/or livelihoods. While the given project or decision might benefit the broader community