Citizens' Panel
Every year, 50 people from randomly selected households will help shape the future of our Peninsula.
This all started back in 2021, where the community helped shape our future through a new Community Vision to 2040.
Next, we set up our very first Citizens’ Panel to develop this Community Vision. It was such a great success that Council resolved to recruit a new panel each year comprising of all ages and abilities to help them make better and more informed decisions!
How is the panel selected?
Invitations are posted out to 10,000 randomly selected addresses on the Mornington Peninsula from our residential and ratepayer address database.
Of the people who register their interest, we’ll randomly select 50 people to join the Panel.
Anyone 16+ who receives the invitation can apply and we’re happy to help with any technical, mobility, disability or language support.
What does the Citizens' Panel do?
The Panel will discuss and influence a range of issues that impact our community; from how we manage the environment, arts and culture, planning and infrastructure, coastal management, green wedge and transport to how we plan our services and programs such as roads and assets maintenance and community health and wellbeing.
In particular, we want them to see how we are going in the delivery of our new four-year Council and Wellbeing Plan, plus some other long-term planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a citizens' panel?
A citizens’ panel is a randomly selected group of people who broadly represent their entire community. The people on the panel learn about issues, discuss them with one another, and then make recommendations to Council about what should happen in their community and if/how things should change.
What impact does the panel make?
All feedback and recommendations from every panel session is presented to Council for their consideration. Panel feedback is also used to guide other Shire work.
Who can apply?
Anyone aged 16+ who lives at an address that has received this invitation can apply. We encourage everyone eligible to register, but a maximum one person from any single household will be selected.
You will not be eligible if you are an elected representative from any level of government, a previous Councillor at the Mornington Peninsula Shire, a previous Citizens’ Panel member or Council staff.
I haven't received an invitation but I want to be involved. What can I do?
Only the 10,000 randomly selected people who received an invitation can register their interest to be involved in the Citizens’ Panel.
That doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear from you though! We do lots of community consultation of a wide range of projects and issues.
Check out the projects open for community feedback.
2024 sessions
Tuesday 26 March 5:30pm – 7pm
Meet and greet - Safety Beach Sailing Club
This session was held in-person at the Safety Beach Sailing Club and gave all panel members an opportunity to meet each other in person and to hear about the year ahead. The Mayor and CEO, John Baker, welcomed the panellists and spoke about the importance of this unique public forum. Additionally, we had 2023 panel member Hannah O’Loghlin, and the Shire’s Young Citizen of the Year Award winner share her experiences from the previous year. The evening concluded with some light refreshments while panel members mingled with Shire staff and Councillors.
Wednesday 3 April, 6pm – 9pm
Session 1: Get to know your council – online session
The panel members had their first online Zoom session with a few exercises to get the panel comfortable with the online environment and tools. The evening started with a welcome and included an opportunity for the panel to discuss their working agreements for the year and engage in a conversation about deliberative engagement and critical thinking. After a short break, 22 council officers joined the panel for a speed dialogue to talk about their roles, departments, and showcase some of their projects.
Wednesday 1 May, 6pm – 9pm
Session 2: Open Space Strategy
Kicking off our first topic of the year, the Open Space Strategy, panellists were asked to discuss the strategy to meet the needs of our growing and diverse community. The panellists were also introduced to the strategy's themes, which ranged from Biodiversity to Accessible Spaces, to prioritise various aspects of these themes.
Session-2-Open-Space-Strategy-WWS-report-May-2024.pdf(PDF, 1MB)
Wednesday 5 June, 6pm – 9pm
Session 3: Affordable Housing Development Contributions Strategy
Our panellists gathered to discuss the Affordable Housing Development Contributions Strategy. Panellists were asked if the development contribution strategy was a fair way for the Council to address the affordable housing issue. The project team provided background information on the proposed strategy and held a Q&A session for the panel members.
Session-3-Affordable-Housing-WWS-report-June-2024.pdf(PDF, 1MB)
Wednesday 3 July, 6pm – 9pm
Session 4: Community Voices
In the first session on 3 July 2024, panel members collectively nominated and selected topics for discussion, resulting in sixteen proposed topics. These were explored in two 30-minute rounds, with notes captured to summarize key points and their significance for the council. The notes were later used as discussion points during the Mid-Year Check-In on 17 July 2024.
Session-4-WWS.pdf(PDF, 755KB)
Wednesday 17 July, 6pm – 8:30pm
Session 4: Mid-year check-in and Councillor round table discussion.
The Citizens’ Panel had a face to face event held at the Safety Beach Sailing club and were given the opportunity to review the Community Vision 2040. This document was created in 2020 by a similar panel outlining the community’s long-term aspirations. At the Mid-Year Check-In, panel members received a copy of the Vision, followed by a briefing from Cr Despi O’Connor – Mayor at the time of its development, on its background and creation process. The panel then discussed the Vision in small groups, identifying key elements to prioritize in the council's planning for the next four years. Additionally, they had the chance to discuss topics nominated in the previous session directly with councillors and staff members.
Wednesday 7 August, 6pm – 9pm
Session 5: Coastal Management and Protection
The purpose of the session was to give the panel the opportunity to offer informed advice to council on the Our Coast Our Future Strategy. The key question council posed to the panel was: What are the most important factors to consider when developing coastal adaptation plans?
To deepen their understanding of coastal hazards, panellists reviewed hazard maps and held small group conversations. In small groups, panellists discussed the Coastal Adaptation Criteria, and were invited to individually rank a set of 11 criteria based on their perceived importance in the context of the project.
Session-5-Coastal-Strtegy-WWS-report.pdf(PDF, 796KB)
Wednesday 4 September, 6pm – 9pm
Session 6: Community Investment Funding
The purpose of the session was to give the panel the opportunity to offer informed advice to Council on the Community Investment Funding process. The key questions Council posed to the panel were:
“Now that you’ve heard about the grants process, what’s your advice for revising the application process?”
and
“Based on what you know of your community, what themes would you prioritise (for funding) and why?"
To understand the funding application process, participants heard from representatives from Council, along with community members with experience in applying for funding from the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. In small groups, participants wrote advice to Council prompted by the question: “What should Council keep in mind when revising the funding application process?”
Session-6-Grants-and-Subsidies-WWS.pdf(PDF, 798KB)
Wednesday 2 October, 6pm – 9pm
Session 7: Financial Sustainability
The purpose of the session was to understand to what extent the panel would support council
1. Raising user fees,
2. Reducing services and
3. (Making an application to) raise rates, in order to address the shortfall in funding.
Thirty-three panel members attended, as well as CEO John Baker, CFO Bulent Oz, Patrick Dillon - Manager Customer & Transformation, Mark Schubert - Manager Finance, Kelly Gillies - Acting Director of Corporate Strategy and Business Improvement. Several questions were asked of the panel, and the panel members were extremely engaged in this topic! Please read the below report for full details of discussion and findings.
Session-7-Financial-Sustainability.pdf(PDF, 923KB)
See what the 2023 panellists achieved See what the 2022 panellists achieved