Fifty Sunshine Coast residents will soon form a citizen’s panel to ensure community views are heard by Council, with 10,000 invited to apply.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said to find a true cross section of the community, 10,000 households, selected by lottery, would soon receive an invitation letter to register for the panel.
Mayor Natoli said 50 people, who represented the different backgrounds and characteristics of the region, would then be selected for inaugural Sunshine Coast Citizens’ Panel.
She said Council was working with the Sortition Foundation, a trusted independent specialist, to assemble the group.
“This is an exciting opportunity to contribute your ideas and perspectives to help inform Council’s decisions on big issues and to shape the place that you live.
“This is your golden ticket to take part, so if you found this letter in your mailbox, I urge you, and anyone in your household, to take advantage of this unique opportunity.”
Mayor Natoli said the citizens’ panel would be a platform for the unsung voices of the community, who would come together and deliberate on a range of complex problems and key issues.
She said it was designed to gather input from everyday people in the community who may not otherwise participate in engagement processes.
“The Citizens’ Panel will bring real, everyday experiences to the table, with all kinds of people deliberating on the big challenges for our region.
“The panel’s advice and feedback provided to Council will help inform better and more inclusive decisions on behalf of the community.”
Mayor Natoli said the panel would complement information from the range of other consultation activities Council runs, such as the Have your Say website and community pop-ups.
