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Consultation - Confusion or Co-operation?

Vivien Twyford

The Minister for Utilities recently announced that the time allowed for public debate on the desalination plant in Sydney’s southern suburbs would be doubled. Radio advertising suggests to the public that “this is a chance for you to have your say.” Was this a victory for community consultation? I don’t think so. I think it’s yet another example of the frightening confusion about why and when we consult communities.

The question of whether or not a desalination plant should be constructed, and if so, where it should be put, was always going to be a tricky one for the government. In my experience, when a decision maker is faced with a potentially controversial decision they say “We must consult the public here. Let’s find out what the public think about this proposal.” And the public are then “consulted” about a proposal that someone already sees as a solution.

The state government has decided and announced that a desalination plant is to be constructed in Kurnell. So what are they going to consult the public about? Such a “consultation” is typically framed as: “This is what is being proposed. Tell us if you don’t like it.”

What response does this typical “consultation” elicit from the public?

Those who never hear the question, say nothing. Those who hear the question and who like the proposal say nothing. Those who hear the question and don’t like the proposal leap to their collective feet and object loudly. They expect first to be listened to and second to influence decision-makers because they are, after all, being “consulted”.

What actually happens? Not much. Objectors are categorized as “activists” or “the usual suspects”. Those professionals who used their professional knowledge, expertise and experience to make their recommendation in the first place feel that the public’s challenge is out of place. “If they only knew what we know, they would understand and agree with us. They only disagree because they really don’t know enough.” The experts recommend more information is distributed so “the public will understand.”

Regarding the desalination plant we can predict that the government will hear from a lot of people who are unhappy with the proposal. People will say they don’t agree with desalination. They will say they don’t want a plant in their suburb. They will say there are other ways to safeguard our water supply. We know this at the outset. The government knows this at the outset. The public know this at the outset. What will change?

In my view, the public must first be engaged around the identification of the problem that needs to be solved. Is it “whether or not to build a desalination plant?” or is it “how do we provide appropriate cost-effective water supplies to meet the long term needs of Sydney?” Then there must be some clarity about the public’s role in deciding on an appropriate solution to the problem. Can they provide input that will allow any decision made by technocrats or politicians to be better informed or more sustainable? When “consultation” is a genuine process in which the public’s input is used to make decisions, then members of the public can engage with decision-makers, facilitated by practitioners, to help create a solution that is well-informed, owned and implementable.

Sometimes decision makers do have to make the tough and unpopular decisions. Community engagement can help everyone to live with those decisions if the process is carefully designed, framed around the real problem to be solved and allows time for thoughtful deliberation.

Vivien Twyford is an internationally recognized expert in community consultation. As President of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) in 2004 she worked hard to strengthen the association and improve international understanding of what participation means and how it can best support decision makers.

Vivien founded and has managed Twyford Consulting since 1988. She now shares the management role with her four partners

This article was originally published in the December 2005 Twyford Consulting Newsletter, and is reproduced in Bonfire with permission from the author. Twyford Consulting, www.twyford.com.au

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