The Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy (STRLUS) sets the long-term planning directions for the region. It is a key planning tool to guide land use and development and provide a critical link between state and local strategic planning within the region.
Capire was appointed to develop and deliver a comprehensive Community Engagement Plan to inform the review and redevelopment of the STRLUS. This engagement supported a collaborative planning process led by 12 Southern Tasmanian councils in partnership with the State Planning Office.
Approach
The engagement process aimed to build understanding of strategic land use planning and generate meaningful community and stakeholder input into the future direction of the STRLUS. To reach a broad cross-section of the community, Capire identified potential risks and barriers to engagement – including strategic, social and logistical challenges – and developed tailored mitigation strategies.
To ensure effective participation, Capire recognised the importance of taking a creative approach to engagement, meeting communities where they are – both physically and in terms of their interests, needs and communication preferences. This meant going beyond traditional consultation methods and finding innovative ways to connect with diverse groups, spark curiosity, and make complex planning topics accessible and relevant. By tailoring engagement activities to local contexts and lived experiences, the process aimed to foster genuine dialogue and empower people to contribute meaningfully to shaping their region’s future.
Engagement activities included a project website, a conversation toolkit, a comprehensive survey, social media marketing, and a series of pop-up events held across regional and rural areas. These activities were designed to encourage engagement on critical regional issues, such as:
Outputs
Capire developed a comprehensive report, detailing the input gathered across all engagement activities, to support finalisation of the STRLUS.
The engagement was designed to build community capacity and trust, helping participants understand the need for change and how their input would influence strategic planning decisions.
