Council commits to open and effective community engagement. We value and acknowledge the skills, views and and expertise of the Bass Coast community.

We want to ensure that all our engagement opportunities lead to better decisions and services for Bass Coast.

Our new Community Engagement Policy 2021 was endorsed in March 2021. The Policy details Council's approach to community engagement. It also covers the principles that guide our engagements, including good governance and transparency in decision making.

Provide your feedback on projects that matter to you

Engage Bass Coast

We would love to have you join us and become part of our Engage Bass Coast community. We want to see this membership grow and become truly representative of the diversity in Bass Coast.

As a member, you will receive emails sharing when topics come up for discussion. You’ll find out how you can take part in online and in-person engagement activities. You'll also be invited to join workshops, attend events or public meetings.

How does it work?

Engage Bass Coast is an online community engagement tool. It provides a convenient feedback option for those who cannot attend face-to-face consultations, such as:

  • workshops
  • pop-ups
  • forums

All comments, ideas and suggestions (collected online or face-to-face) are used to inform Council decision making processes.

Benefits of signing up

There are many reasons to join including:

  • receiving regular updates on how your contributions have helped shape decisions
  • receiving progress updates or changes to projects you have subscribed to.
  • being notified when a project related to your interest is listed.

Who can join?

Anyone who has an interest in Bass Coast can become a member. When you register, let us know what your relationship is. It may be you are a resident, business owner, worker, student or visitor.

Registration is quick and simple with a few optional questions that help us understand a little more about you and your interests.

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Our commitment and aspirations

We will use the following approach to ensure effective community engagement under the principles in the Local Government Act 2020.


  • What we will do

    • Provide equal opportunities for everyone to participate in local decision making and to receive inclusive, accessible communications.
    • Work with our community and create opportunities for collaboration and conversation to help build trust and create strong partnerships.
    • Develop our people to help build skills and capacity to plan and deliver effective communications and engagement.
    • Use methods that place us closest to our community and their needs.

  • How we will do it

    • Use simple and inclusive language.
    • Be accessible for all.
    • Represent and listen to diverse and underrepresented voices.
    • Be timely and open so everyone can participate.
    • Be clear about the level of influence the community has on decision making.
    • Provide a mix of face-to-face and online engagement
    • Work with relevant networks for greater engagement.
    • Co-ordinate activities across townships.
    • Evaluate our processes.
    • Deliver diverse content on various platforms.
    • Keep up with technology trends.

  • What to expect

    • Strategies to engage meaningfully with diverse groups/individuals.
    • Clean and considered content.
    • Regular online newsletter for our community.
    • Promotion of information across multiple channels.
    • Engage Bass Coast for open engagement.
    • Work with external groups/committees to build and strengthen networks.
    • Open opportunities to share your voice on Council projects.
    • Explore communications options for all ages.
    • Increase use of digital channels.
    • Increase participation of Engage Bass Coast.