Report: Community Workshop, 15 October 2008
November 7, 2008
A community workshop was held at Bentley Park College on 15 October 2008.
The purpose of the workshop was to:
- Inform community members about Mount Peter master planning
- Seek community input to inform the master planning process
- Seek feedback to affirm the vision for Mount Peter, and
- Generate community interest in the master planning process.
The workshop included:
- A short introductory presentation that provided an overview of the master planning process, the products or outputs that will be produced, and the various means for people to participate
- A short general question and answer session
- Two small group discussion sessions that focussed on characteristics of existing communities and neighbourhoods and the draft vision statement, and
- An individual reflection exercise to identify the most important issues to be considered in the master planning process.
Key issues emerging from the workshop included:
- Housing density and community response to it
- The viability, sustainability and character of surrounding areas, and
- The community engagement process.
The workshop confirmed that lifestyle issues are of high importance and are strongly associated with place. Lifestyle was linked to the natural environment, the ‘peace and quiet', natural features such as mountains and creeks, and also to the social connections, cultural values and the village/rural style living found in the study area and in towns like Gordonvale.
Responses to questions about what people would like to change about where they currently live included: traffic; public transport; open space and recreation; development control; community facilities and services; and road/highway upgrading.
Participant comments included the desire for Mount Peter master planning to set a new standard in development, and the need to balance and/or reconcile new development with quality of life and the natural environment.
Workshop participants also expressed a strong desire for a genuine and robust community engagement process.
The report is available for download here (pdf 1 mb).
