Doncaster Rail public participation process
Introduction
Community participation is very important for any big project to take shape. In any large project, there will be many stakeholders with varied interests. It is imperative that all or most of the stakeholders are taken into confidence so that maximum participation is possible.
This is possible through a continuous process of stake holder consultation and using various techniques and process of consultation and evaluation.
The Doncaster Rail Project is a 6.5 billion dollar rail project. It is important not only because of the huge costs involved but also because it would affect the lives of many people in the region in one way or another.
Hence, for a project of such a scale and magnitude, the participation of all the stakeholders is important. This makes the consultation process even more important, as participation can be assured by a proper and effective consultation process.
Objectives and Principles of the consultation process
There are several reasons why a consultation process is necessary for any project. A large public utility project generally involves several stakeholders who are part of or are affected by the project. The effects can be positive or negative depending on the impacts on the stakeholders or groups.
Such stakeholders could be local government, the local community, the business community, the environment, environmental laws and regulations, and other linking services attached to the project.
Any consultation process has some clear objectives. The major objective is to create a consensus among the stakeholders about the project’s positive effects and choose the best alternatives for its implementation, keeping the stakeholders’ best interests in mind.
It is also important to identify the stakeholders. Stakeholders are defined as people or communities or organisations that would most likely have an interest in the project proposal community of interest can be broadly categorised into three groups:
- People who would have a direct impact on the project, like the neighbouring residents or people located on the transport corridor affected by road or rail transport associated with the project
- The groups or individuals that have interests related to the project’s impact and implications in the locality or region, such as local councils, local members of Parliament, environmental groups and NGOs, and indigenous, heritage, and business organisations of the affected area.
- Organisations that operate on the national level and are concerned primarily with the national interests associated with the project could include State and Commonwealth government departments, peak bodies, infrastructure service providers, etc. (Guidelines for Major Project Community Consultation, 2007).
The major objectives of a consultation process with the stakeholders are:
Transparency: the consultation process with stakeholders is aimed to create an atmosphere of trust and reliability on the project implementation authority. This is developed through a process of transparent information distribution, primarily during the stakeholder consultation process.
Inclusiveness: Confidently involving all the stakeholders and listening to their areas of concern about the project gives them a sense of inclusiveness. This is necessary to build a positive image for the project and create a consensus.
Sustainability: The primary aim of a consultation process is to imbibe among the stakeholders that the project is going to be helpful for them. The stakeholders should feel that there would a long term benefit for them once the project gets underway. The sustainability of the project in the long run would allow the stakeholders to negate some of the negative impacts of the project and create a consensus (Collins and Usher, 2004).
Responsiveness: During the project implementation stages, the stakeholder communities or groups could be required to come out in support of the project. A successful consultation process with the stakeholders would ensure that the community’s responsiveness, derived from a sense of inclusiveness, is good in times of need.
Accountability: The consultation process often raises critical factors that the communities or stakeholders linked to the project want answered. The consultation process helps identify the section responsible and accountable for certain factors and events during the project implementation process. This holds true for the project implementing authority as well as those from among the stakeholders.
Collaboration: A consultation process involves exchanging ideas and views about a certain issue. The project implementation process may include instances where the stakeholder communities need to work in close association with the project implementing authorities. An effective consultation process can bring the stakeholders and the project authorities closer together and foster an atmosphere of collaboration.
Strong leadership: Every stakeholder or community includes a number of people. But it is not always possible to interact with all of them individually. A consultation process also identifies the key persons with whom to deliberate and who would speak on behalf of a particular community. The process helps to identify such persons and create strong leadership among both the communities and the project implementation authorities.
Realistic: A consultation process brings out the real issues involved with the real parameters and real concerns since the process deals directly with those who are affected by a project. The process gives a realistic view of the problems and possible solutions that would be acceptable to all parties involved.
Accepting limitations: The revelation of the realities about the problems and opportunities of a large project clearly defines the limitations and scope of the project’s effectiveness. Since the primary objective of a consultation process is to create consensus, accepting the limitations is necessary to bring about a total acceptance of the project.
Flexibility: the acceptance of the fact that there would be limitations to the project implementation and benefits requires the project planning and implementation to accommodate these limitations. The consultation process would also indicate to the implementing authorities about the possible problems that might arise in the future. Hence the need for the amount of flexibility in the project plan and the implementation process can be judged and incorporated (Lewis, 2012).
The key stakeholders
The Doncaster Rail project is a huge project that involves a lot of stakeholders. In any consultation process it is most important that the process involves all the stakeholders that would have an interest in the project. Thus, it is imperative that the stakeholders be identified properly, and it should be ensured that no stakeholder is left out of the consultation process. The stakeholder list must contain the full spectrum of the community involved as well, as they will have different interests and agendas.
The various stakeholders in the rail project are:
Local Councils: The local councils are very important stakeholders in the Doncaster Rail project. The project involves a large number of stakeholders with varied interests. The local councils would be helpful in obtaining an understanding of the social needs and could serve as a link with the local stakeholders.
Local councils would also help the project authorities identify the risks and opportunities of the project-linked stakeholders. For example, the local councillors would be able to suggest the best mode of communication with local interest groups for the best outcome of a consultation session, the prime issues in the minds of the community, and possible solutions.
Such information by the local councillors would help the project authorities prepare a road map beforehand about how to deal with a particular community or interest group.
State/Local Governments: The role of the state and local governments is very important in terms of local rules and regulations. The local governments can provide vital knowledge and advice on the best use of land and its use for infrastructure, engineering, and the environment.
The local government can also assist in reviewing technical reports and offer suggestions. It is also important to identify the best local councillors for the consultation process. The local governments would be the best authority to determine the most appropriate and effective process of including the local councillors and officers in the consultation process.
Federal Government: The Federal government will give the final nod to the Doncaster Rail project. It is very important the project authorities interact and take into confidence the federal government after a series of consultations with the other stakeholders.
The Doncaster Rail project is a complicated project and involves many other areas apart from engineering. Issues related to the environment, inter connectivity of other transport modes and no- governmental organisations means dealing with several departments of the government.
Thus, the Federal government can provide the vital link and communication between various departments, working in cohesion to integrate all the issues related to the Doncaster Rail project.
Community organisations and associations: The Doncaster Rail project involves a large area and scope of development, but it also requires the integration of various other factors to make it a success. At the stakeholder level, the project involves a large number of communities and associations who have direct interests in it. Such communities and associations are affected directly or indirectly by the project.
Such communities associated with the Doncaster Rail project include community representatives from various cities that the rail project would pass through or affect, such as Melbourne, Manningham, Yarra, Whitehorse, Boroondara, and Banyule. During the consultation process, representatives from the communities of these cities need to be included to hear their views and concerns.
Several associations and other groups also have a stake or interest in the Doncaster Rail project, such as the Bicycle Victoria group, Ventura Bus, Public Transport Association, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, VicRoads, VicTrack, Victorian Council of Social Service, and the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.
Business and Industry: Business and industry communities would have a special interest in the project. Any infrastructure project has a direct impact on the economy of the region or the area it passes through. Hence, various business and industry representatives are important stakeholders in the project.
Such associations and representatives can help create a positive atmosphere about the project’s economic benefits and the long-term and short-term benefits and difficulties associated with it.
On the flip side, several business organisations and industries, especially those associated with the established and running transport industry, would have negative impressions about the project, as another rail project would take passengers and businesses away from the existing ones.
According to survey reports for the Doncaster Rail project, existing public transport lines would be affected. These are the Doncaster Area Rapid Transport bus service, local buses and tram service, neighbouring railway lines, and traffic volumes on the Eastern Freeway and the key arterial roads. Hence, taking these stakeholders into confidence, listening to them, and providing solutions to their problems is an integral part of the consultation process.
Conclusion
It is evident that the Doncaster rail project is very important for the community. Numerous stakeholders exist, and the process of involving them and conflict resolution is also very complex. Regular consultation with the stakeholders is needed at every step of the way.
The issues raised, and recommendations given by the stakeholders during the consultation process should be incorporated into the planning stage. The process also needs to be regularly monitored and changed from time to time to ensure maximum stakeholder participation.
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