What direction for Redland City?

Point Redland City in the right direction

Over the Christmas period, Redland City Council  is inviting residents to spend up to 40 minutes completing on-line surveys.

The survey results will help Council identify important activities to be included in the draft Corporate Plan for the five year period 2015-2020.

Despite the survey period coinciding with the Christmas holidays, Redlands2030 urges readers to participate.

A high level of community involvement in this survey should help make the Council’s draft Corporate Plan reflect  the community’s values and priorities as set out in the Redlands 2030 Community Plan.

The deadline for completing these surveys is 5 January 2015.

Survey method

Example of a survey question (click to enlarge)

Example of a survey question (click to enlarge)

The Corporate Plan Survey is an opt-in exercise which may give Council information depending on:

  • how well the survey questions are worded
  • the number of responses to the survey
  • the extent to which respondents are representative of the City’s community.

Unlike the opt-in surveys conducted by some private companies and politicians, there are no prizes or other incentives for completing the Corporate Plan survey.

Inaccuracy of opt-in polls is discussed in: Study Finds Trouble for Opt-in Internet Surveys.

These surveys includes some confusing questions which are likely to provide less accurate survey findings than a well designed unbiased survey.

As long as Councils method limitations are recognised, these surveys offer the potential for obtaining community input at minimal cost.

Completing the Corporate Plan surveys

These on-line surveys can be found on the Redland City Council webpage. A link is provided at the end of this post.

There are 8 different on-line surveys. The Council estimates that each survey would take on average less than 5 minutes to complete. Each survey can be done separately, so you can do them all or just the ones that you are interested in completing.

The surveys can be completed anonymously but Council gives respondents the opportunity to provide an email address if they wish to receive further information.

Survey topics

Redlands 2030 Community Plan

Redlands 2030 Community Plan

The eight survey topics are the vision outcomes of the Redlands 2030 CommunityPlan:

  • Survey 1 Healthy natural environment
  • Survey 2 Green living
  • Survey 3 Embracing the bay
  • Survey 4 Quandamooka country
  • Survey 5 Strong and connected communities
  • Survey 6 Wise planning and design
  • Survey 7 Supportive and vibrant economy
  • Survey 8 Inclusive and ethical governance

 Examples of statements

The first survey topic is “Healthy natural environment”. For this topic the following statements are to be rated:

  1. Opportunities to unlock the potential of public/private lands through low impact commercialisation (e.g. short term accommodation) are fostered through a program of long-term collaboration and partnerships.
  2. Redland’s waterways are healthy.
  3. Threatened species are maintained and recovered.
  4. Visitor’s experiences of Redland’s natural areas are enhanced.
  5. Liveability for residents is improved through better access to and connectivity of Redland’s natural areas.
  6. Community stewardship of the environment is fostered and supported via programs to involve volunteers, develop partnerships, educate the community and other extension programs.
  7. Redland’s natural assets including flora, fauna, habitats, biodiversity, ecosystems and waterways are protected, enhanced and restored.

These statements do not clearly relate to the existing Redlands 2030 Community Plan’s goals (pages 10-11), or its measurement indicators and targets.

Rating the statements and making comments

People are asked to rate statements (from 1 – 7) according to:

A)  Where is this issue currently?

B)  Where should it be?

C)  How important is this issue to the future of the community?

Some issues may be difficult to respond to. For example, in Survey 3 – Embracing the Bay, respondents are asked to rate the statement:

Relevant Priority Development Areas (PDAs) support equitable outcomes for island residents such as access to affordable parking.”

Assuming that people completing the survey are familiar with PDAs, they will have to decide if the question relates to current arrangements (where free parking is available) or what might happen if the areas are redeveloped by Walker Corporation.

Be aware that if you are doing a particular survey, all questions must be completed and there is no option of saying “don’t know”.

In each survey, the final page gives you an opportunity to make comments. This should be used to address issues you consider are not covered by the survey statements. It is also a way of clarifying your views if you have difficulty rating any statement(s).

Link to Council webpage

If you want to know more or complete the surveys go to the Council website at this link:

Have your say: Redland City Council Corporate Plan

Remember that the deadline for completing surveys is 5 January 2015.

Again, Redlands2030 urges readers to complete these surveys.

Current Corporate Plan

Here, for reference, is a link to the current Redland City Council  2010-2015 Corporate Plan.

11 Comments

Malc, Jan 05, 2015

Makes you wonder how much this waste of time cost Redlands ratepayers

Jan Smith., Jan 03, 2015

I have filled in most of this ridiculous survey and like others continued with it so I could comment on the last page of each section. Council is trying to change the Redlands 2030 Community Plan, that is quite obvious.

Bruce Hinton, Jan 04, 2015

This survey is of the type that companies get an external auditor to do as part of a Quality System. This one is obviously not for public comment but a management tool to assess how Council employees rate their current policies.
It is an insult to Redland ratepayers to even suggest that this survey will enable them to provide valid input. We would be much better off sending emails to Council & Redland City Bulletin & Redlands2030 outlining our grievences with RCC.

funkygrooovy, Dec 28, 2014

Survey 3 “Embracing the Bay” is not saving my response despite 5 attempts. Maybe the Council really, really, don’t want to hear my views on the PDAs and their shabby attempts to justify the devastation of the bay.
Agree with other comments. Whatever the survey contains on the closing date they can and will only produce what they want to see and there’ll be a Council / Robinson / Lamming backslapping photofest and “how well the survey results show that everything is hunky dory” articles.
Sad really.

Examinator Ant, Dec 24, 2014

Having done the survey I’m not impressed how can an average citizen without unfettered access, skills and time meaningfully answer some of the questions.
The size and the timing is the oldest trick in the book, they are designed to get minimal response that can be spun as proof of what ever ‘they’ want.
It’s know as the distraction effect. Pollies often sneak things through like this….while the public are distracted.
ask yourself what is the most busy time of the year so who is going to sit down for 40 minuted to answer questions that are predicated on giving binary answers on binary options?

They state clearly that they’re aware of the short comings but the hard facts are that neither the developers or the council want to discuss other alternatives rather their attitude is “how to get this ( what it is is unclear) agenda through”
I’ve responded to several of these in the past and they simply ignore the comments or use a set of pre written and numbered responses. I submitted 19 objections and included reasons and argument. Their response was to reinterpret my objection to suit a numbered response.
Don’t forget that the LNP has form for changing council ( ratepayers ideas) see Seeny’s instructions and rationalising re the Morton bay’s council preempting the expensive clean up and law suits problems caused by Climate Change. The other bizarre factor is “injurious affection” unique to Qld ( legacy of Joh’s very flawed paternalistic regime). Realistically this is no more than the Government indemnifying the risks to developers and or speculators. See section on CLIMATE change effects.
This is relevant as the council will be mindful that if this survey comes back negatively it will engender Monumentally expensive law suits , and lobbing of a state government particularly an LNP one.
I have considerable concern about the knowledge and skill levels of the current council regime when it comes to some of the developer related unfriendly issues. The mayor and others have demonstrated their lack of comprehension or interest in issue beyond the political immediacy.

Yvonne Beckett, Dec 24, 2014

Why is this an on-line survey only?
Not all rate payers have internet, but they are land owners and voters.

Malc, Dec 24, 2014

Peter, I take your point re the comments section – you can certainly make a mark there, BUT only if council allow public access to the comments. I believe this is a council with seriously toxic anti-democratic elements who have demonstrated a desire to withhold information, goodness only knows if staff or even councillors are bound by non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements, so how can we be assured that any comments will be seen by the public?

Malc, Dec 24, 2014

It’s classic and reprehensible politics from “professional” politicians. – try to slip legislation or proposals through that you deem to be potentially troublesome at a time when its most difficult for voters to get a handle on it all.

I’d love to see certain elements of this council get their marching orders come voting time – send them back to regular jobs. Jeez, it’s bad enough that we have to endure streets named after them.

Dave, Dec 24, 2014

Has Council published an evaluation of the previous Corporate Plan? That might be a useful start so we can build on what we know and learn from the past . That way we can use the past experiences to make meaningful contributions to the Corporate Planning process.

But why is the consultation crammed into the holiday period ..closing on the 5th January…most of the Council is on holidays, they should respect our time with families and friends too.

Malc, Dec 24, 2014

Had a look at this and gave up almost immediately. How do you answer a loaded question that states:

“Opportunities to unlock the potential of public/private lands through low impact commercialisation (e.g. short term accommodation) are fostered through a program of long-term collaboration and partnerships.” ?

It begins with the word “opportunities” which is a skewed attempt to give the question a positive vibe from the get-go, then throws in “low impact” and a few other sneaky terms This survey is too long, many people will be put off even starting it, or will give up halfway through. It’s designed to be ignored so that LNP stooges on the council can interpret it whatever way they want.

Peter, Dec 24, 2014

Malc, I made a similar observation but decided to continue on just so I could comment on the last page. You can lie with statistics, but it is difficult to hide the actual comments made by those wanting to be heard.

Even though I believe important issues like these, that go into the strategic planning of our Councils future actions, are best done at community workshops and forums where we can all be seen to debate our concerns. This anonymous and preset (and ambiguous) polling is disturbing.

I am concerned that Council appears now to be trying to reset the goals that we all believed in the 2030 Community Plan – the goals which Council were suppose to uphold, but haven’t. The latest Annual Financial Strategy no longer says anything about the Community Plan or even having to report back to the Community – that is not very transparent or accountable is it?

I also think Dave is onto something – I have not seen any evaluation of the current Corporate Plan yet either.

Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net

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