The Aboriginal community is one of the most place-based marginalised groups in New South Wales. According to Prior and Herriman, numerous conflicts with the white settlers and inter-community interactions affected the community’s engagement with the rest of the population (51). The communities started moving away from their traditional locations to new locations in an attempt to adapt to the invasion. Some of the historical strategies adopted to address the place-based marginalisation included the establishment of mission stations and community reserves on the East Coast. However, the NSW local government has focused on establishing engagement strategies for the indigenous people. The Aboriginals have been identified as an at-risk community because of the historical exclusions and place-based marginalisation.
The Aboriginals have been excluded from appropriate education systems, housing and infrastructural development (McManus and Connor 170). In the community strategic plan developed by the Office of Local Government (OLG), some of the primary objectives focus on implementing effective community engagement processes to address the social disparities (par. 3). The engagement strategy emphasises the necessity of combining representative and participatory democracy to avoid marginalising or excluding some communities from the mainstream settlement plans. One of the strategies proposed by the local council is increasing the level of public participation by informing them about the engagement plans and empowering them through consultancy, involvement, and collaboration.
According to Hunt, community engagement requires trust and integrity (2). The researcher observes a significant difference between the settlement of Aboriginals and the commitment of developed settler countries. Whereas settler states establish legal frameworks to govern and guide the resettlement process, the NSW strategy is not founded on any legal framework. The informal engagement process requires comprehensive collaboration and integration between the community and the local government.
The strategic plan of the local government breaks down the engagement process into three parts to address the objectives, the delivery program, and the operational plan. Some of the social issues addressed by the council include cultural activities and heritage, access and equity, and the information and communication technologies. The community has held several discussions to address service levels and funding priorities. Additionally, there have been consultations and awareness campaigns on appropriate settlements and housing.
Hunt observes that the community participatory process is founded on the indigenous aspirations and self-determination (4). In some levels, the local government allows the target population to design and initiate its engagement process without external interference. However, the government only provides financial support to facilitate the process. Additionally, the marginalised groups are issued with a list of action plans to discuss and develop their priority list.
The strategy enhances the degree of clarity about expected outcomes and engagement indicators. The strategy of increasing the level of public participation involves the distribution of relevant information with unbiased objectives that address the marginalisation problems. Additionally, the local government consults with elders from the communities to obtain feedback on the prioritised needs and alternatives.
The involvement process focuses on the direct participation of the public throughout the project. Additionally, it ensures that the community makes most of the decisions without external interference. The collaboration process emphasises on establishing a partnership with the local communities by facilitating, providing expertise, and discussing the best solutions for the communities. The last phase of recognising and accommodating social exclusions focuses on empowering the public with long-term decision-making capacities. The strategy eliminates dependency and establishes a high degree of trust with the community.
The engagement plans that have been implemented by the local government focus on addressing some of the social and economic issues caused by place-based marginalisation. The government is trying to involve the public in the decision-making processes by sharing information and consulting with the community elders. The problem of marginalisation, which affected the community’s capacity to participate in decision-making activities, is addressed using effective engagement strategies.
The government is allowing the communities to participate in policy formulation by giving them the freedom to choose and prioritise their social problems. Additionally, the strategy incorporates all the historical, cultural, and social diversities that contributed towards place-based marginalisation and exclusion. Some of the social problems that include access and equity among communities, provision of community facilities, heritage, and affordable housing, were caused by historical place-based marginalisation.
The strategies adopted by the local government focus on establishing equity in resource distribution. Additionally, it involves the public in decision-making to avoid biases and contemporary exclusions. Most of the engagement practices have been successful and effective in promoting cohesion and inclusiveness of the marginalised communities in leadership and resource utilisation. Additionally, they have empowered the communities with information and decision-making capacities. The OLG emphasises on the significance of providing quality, quantity, capacity, and reliability in service delivery (par. 6). These attributes are considered essential for the improvement of community experiences and trust.
In conclusion, the strategies adopted by NSW local government to address social exclusions have been effective in empowering the communities with decision-making capacities. Additionally, they have encouraged public participation in the identification, analysis, and reduction of social-based problems.
Works Cited
Hunt, Janet. “Engaging with Indigenous Australia: Exploring the Conditions for Effective Relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.” Clearinghouse 5, (2013), 1-53. Print.
McManus, Phil, and Linda H. Connor. “What’s mine is mine (d): Contests over marginalisation of rural life in the Upper Hunter, NSW.” Rural Society 22.2 (2013): 166-183. Print.
Office of Local Government. Community Engagement Strategic Plan. n.d. Web.
Prior, Jason, and Jade Herriman. “The emergence of community strategic planning in New South Wales, Australia: Influences, challenges and opportunities.” Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance 7, (2010): 45-77. Print.