The last two weeks have been spent focusing on helping the Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA, and the Office of Hawkesbury Nepean, with ideas and approaches for engaging with their communities.  I spent a great day at Sydney Airport (very quiet due to the ash cloud) with Amanda Bigelow and Wendy Miller from the Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA, brainstorming ways to ensure that their upcoming Catchment Action Plan consultation processes really ‘hits the mark’ in terms of getting people involved in thinking about and planning for their catchment’s future.

Following my meeting with the Border Rivers-Gwydir team, Nerida finally got back from Los Angeles where the ash cloud had meant an extra two day stay (!), and we were off  to the Office of Hawkesbury Nepean, based in Penrith.  We had a good day facilitating and working with the Office of Hawkesbury Nepean’s new Stakeholder Committee, exploring how this group of committed individuals can work together as a team and effect real change in their catchment.   We developed a number of different strategies and actions with the Committee that will ensure the group can be an  effective advisor, communicator and knowledge broker with the Office of Hawkesbury Nepean.

If you want to know more about the work we have been doing in the area of community and stakeholder engagement, drop us a line.  We also intend to develop some new resources for you as a result of these meetings, so stay in tune for more knowledge sharing ARRC style!

Siwan and Nerida