Draft Community Engagement Policy

The Rural City of Murray Bridge is inviting community feedback on its Draft Community Engagement Policy.

The Community Engagement Policy is a statutory requirement under Section 50A of the Local Government Act 1999 and outlines how Council will undertake public consultation and engagement activities in accordance with the Community Engagement Charter.

In December 2025, the South Australian Government introduced a new Community Engagement Charter, establishing updated expectations for how councils design, deliver and report on community engagement activities.

As part of these legislative changes, councils are now required to adopt a Community Engagement Policy that outlines the principles, procedures and practices they will apply when engaging with their communities on matters prescribed under the Act.

The Draft Community Engagement Policy has been developed to meet these legislative requirements and sets out how the Rural City of Murray Bridge will fulfil its community engagement obligations under the new Charter.

The Charter introduces four categories of community engagement, based on the significance of a decision and its potential impact on the community. These categories determine the minimum level of engagement Council must undertake. Please see the Further Information panel for further detail of each level of engagement.

Each category has minimum engagement requirements. For example, some matters may only require Council to provide information to the community, while more significant decisions, such as the Annual Business Plan and Budget, require broader consultation, including public notices and opportunities for community feedback.

Community members can view the draft policy and provide feedback via Council’s consultation portal letstalk.murraybridge.sa.gov.au and paper copies can be found at the Local Government Centre and the Murray Bridge Library.  

Feedback on the policy can be provided via:  

• letstalk.murraybridge.sa.gov.au  

• council@murraybridge.sa.gov.au  

• Post: Rural City of Murray Bridge, PO Box 421, Murray Bridge SA 5253  

Consultation on the Draft Community Engagement Policy is now open and closes at 5pm on Thursday 2 July 2026.