Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution
May – July 2024
The Challenge
The Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution (RFBI) identified an opportunity to expand their aged care facility in Holt, ACT to enable them to accommodate more of the aging ACT population and offer better facilities and better access to services to its residents.
In order to expand their offerings on the site’s footprint, redevelopment is necessary. In order to allow for the necessary developments, RFBI and their builder HT Building recognised a need to apply to the ACT Government for the site to be rezoned. The current, outdated zoning did not allow enough scope for RFBI to make the changes that they identified would help them meet their goal of accommodating more residents and offering a higher standard of facilities and services. The goal was to initiate an amendment to the Territory Plan, which would rezone the RFBI location, meeting the ACT Government's approval. To ensure that the community were consulted and heard throughout this process, HT Building sought the expertise of Strategic to conduct comprehensive consultations with stakeholders and locals. Engaging the community effectively was vital to the success of the rezoning initiative.
The Solution
In response to the challenge, we developed a consultation and engagement strategy that outlined a clear path forward. This strategy was multi-faceted, beginning with a structured sequence of engagement steps necessary for the application for rezoning. We identified the necessity for rezoning, highlighting that narrative throughout, while also identifying potential risks and issues related to community engagement and providing mitigation strategies.
Our comprehensive framework included stakeholder mapping to assess influence and impact, pinpointing key stakeholder groups, and determining the best tools and tactics for meaningful consultation. We also created a detailed project timeline listing key milestones, deliverables, and responsibilities.
To facilitate the outreach process, we produced various collateral such as postcards, an online survey, FAQs for the RFBI website, and letters to residents. Our team managed the distribution of the postcards, secured a venue for community consultations, and organised in-house sessions at the RFBI village. By gathering feedback through community drop-in sessions, residents’ meetings, and online survey results, we synthesised this information into an engagement report.
The Outcome
The collaborative effort resulted in a well-structured consultation and engagement strategy that effectively addressed the needs of the community and stakeholders. We successfully drafted and distributed informative letters to residents and staff, inviting them to take part in the consultations. Attractive postcards were created and disseminated, directing local residents to upcoming drop-in sessions and promoting the online survey.
Our team facilitated two consultation sessions on-site at RFBI, catering to both aged care residents and independent living residents, along with a community drop-in session in Holt. Feedback collected during the consultations and survey responses were thoughtfully integrated into the engagement report, which was a necessary addition to the application for an amendment to the Territory Plan (rezoning application).
This project exemplifies successful community engagement and stakeholder consultation, ultimately supporting an important redevelopment for the Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution to expand the services they offer in the aged care sector.
