Media Release: IAP2 Australasia Welcomes the Release of the Community Engagement Review

2 February 2024

IAP2 Australasia, the peak body for the community and stakeholder engagement sector, welcomes the release of the Community Engagement Review undertaken by Andrew Dyer, the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner.

IAP2 Australasia also welcomes the announcement by Minister Chris Bowen that the Australian Government accepts in principle all recommendations.

“The Community Engagement Review demonstrates that engagement practice is now a key strategic consideration in developing projects,” said Marion Short, CEO of IAP2 Australasia.

“Taking authentic engagement factors into account during the selection of sites, projects, developers and approvals is strategic process and a critical part of ensuring social licence for a project. No longer should engagement be simply considered as only operational or a tick-box exercise – it is a critical part of strategic project design and planning which delivers improved outcomes.”

“Integrating engagement considerations during strategic project planning should be applied across all infrastructure projects, not just in the energy sector. We call upon of all levels of government to review the recommendations and see where these can be applied to their projects.”

IAP2 Australasia has recently established an Energy Community of Practice to allow senior practitioners of engagement working in the energy transition to elevate engagement practice across the energy sector, share best practice and resources, and contribute to expanding the IAP2 Quality Assurance Standard for Community & Stakeholder Engagement to support the development of a Developer Rating Scheme.

“IAP2 Australasia and our members look forward to continuing to work with the Australian Government on improving engagement practice for the energy transition,” said Ms Short.