Deliberative engagement means providing our community with sufficient time and information to enable their critical reasoning, and consideration of options as part of a decision-making process.

Deliberative engagement typically occurs in a group process and may take a variety of forms including a deliberative engagement panel process.

The Deliberative Panel is a group of community representatives coming together to learn about and discuss issues in detail over a series of three sessions.

This approach provides a way for 'everyday citizens' to work through complex matters. The sessions will provide a space for participants to grow their understanding of the Eildon Reserves Redevelopment Project, before working through the options available to determine the way forward for the Project.

This deliberative process will also provide an opportunity to further build a relationship between Council and community.

The Deliberative Panel is selected and managed independently by Capire. The Panel will consist of approximately 20 - 25 participants who represent the diversity of the Eildon community as closely as possible.

Participants who self-nominate through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process are asked key demographic questions. Where a target demographic group was overrepresented in EOI responses, participants of that group were randomly selected. This ensures the membership represents to the best of its ability a ‘mini Eildon’.

To be part of the Deliberative Panel, you need to be available to attend all Panel sessions. There will also be background materials made available to Panel members prior to the first session and potentially more reading will be required between sessions.

The panel sessions will be interactive, with lots of opportunity for discussion and collaboration in deciding the future of the Eildon Reserves Redevelopment Project. The sessions will be facilitated by our independent engagement consultants, Capire Consulting Group.

You and your fellow Options Panel members will work together over three sessions to collaboratively develop recommendations that will inform the way forward for the Eildon Reserves Redevelopment Project.

The discussions to develop these recommendations will be led by an independent facilitator, Capire Consulting group (Capire). This will involve whole group conversation as well as small group work.

Working in a group can be stimulating and inspiring, with lots of views and ideas being shared you might feel excited about the project, but at other times, you might feel frustrated During the sessions you are likely to experience these emotions. This is typical of working in a large group exercise.

Capire are well-versed in facilitating deliberative community engagement sessions and will provide you with the tools to move forward and have productive, thoughtful and respectful conversations. The process may feel a little overwhelming to begin with, but a the end of the process, you’ll walk away with a shared understanding of what needs to be achieved and the best way forward for the Project and your community.

To express your interest in joining the Panel please complete the e-form above

We will be notifying successful panel members the week ending 17 February 2023.

Those who are unsuccessful in their EOI will be kept informed. We will share progress from the Deliberative Panel sessions with the wider Eildon community via this Project page.

If you have any questions about the process or your expression of interest, please email engagement@murrindindi.vic.gov.au.

The Panel will explore:

• the journey so far, from how the project was initially identified as a need, to how designs were developed in consultation with the community
• the connection between the sale of parcels of land and the need to fund elements of the project
• the benefits of selling current underutilised land parcels
• the trade-offs for not selling the land parcels to part fund the project
• recommendations from the community on the way forward for the project