Projects and Presentations

Project: Reef Guardian Council – Climate Change Module

The Reef Guardian Councils' Climate Change Module required:

• Identifying and engaging with key stakeholders through the use of one on one discussions, focus groups and workshops to determine stakeholder requirements and expectations and to obtain stakeholder support and buy-in for the final product.
• Skills in synthesis, interpretation of data, and the ability to communicate results effectively.
• The ability to understand and utilise the range of corporate tools available to Councils, to achieve the project outcomes – including the Corporate Plan, Planning Scheme, Infrastructure Plans, Local Laws, budgets and community leadership.
• The ability to identify and respond to emerging situations

Client: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Innovation and value add: The project was ground breaking in its approach and leading the policy direction in this area. In achieving the project, environmental and social benefits were also achieved.

Links: www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_issues/water_quality/reef_guardian_councils

Project: Active Healthy Communities Resource

This project was undertaken by Nikki as the local government, planning and engagement specialist and Jerryn Zwart of Zwart Transport Planning as the physical activity, transport and engagement specialist to develop a comprehensive guide for Local Government to create Supportive Environments for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating.

The project was developed in response to feedback from Local Government which indicated that the Councils would be happy to include more planning and operational projects around healthy, active communities, however often there was not sufficient time and resources to specifically focus on these areas. Accordingly Nikki was part of the two person team responsible for best practice research, baseline data gathering, research and development case studies and practical examples, and engaging with Councils on what they were doing in this area and what they required.

The result is a comprehensive resource to assist Council in all levels of planning – corporate, community, project and town planning – for Active Healthy Communalities. The project included identification of:

• Benchmarking and literature reviews.
• Best practice case studies and documenting these.
• Opportunities and strategies for future service provision including joint or partnership models of management, community ownership and social enterprise models.
• Identification of barriers to change and provision of supporting information to foster understanding of ‘why this is important’ and tools to support change.

The resource was designed to represent a good return for effort spent and as it developed it became obvious that in planning for Active Healthy Communities Councils also achieve many other corporate initiatives including:

• A legacy of improved community health, quality of life and infrastructure.
• Economic viability and benefits to the local economy through shopping locally.
• Improved open spaces and community facilities.
• A healthy natural environment.
• Strengthening of inter-governmental and community partnerships.
• Benefits to tourism through infrastructure such as walking trails.
• Contribution to sustainable communities and community building.
• Positive public relations opportunities.

The AHC project:

• Took a body of knowledge and policy direction from a Government Agency and translated it into a series of opportunities and actions for Local Government.
• Utilised the range of corporate tools available to Local Government, to achieve the project outcomes – including the Corporate Plan, Planning Scheme, Local Laws, budget process and community leader.
• Is ground breaking in its approach and leading the policy direction in this area.

In this regard, Nikki has a unique set of skills and experiences that enables her to assist external Government and Community bodies to translate their message into actions that are realistic, adoptable and implemental.

The project has involved extensive training for QH staff, centred on the Resource and also the roles of local government, councillors and the Corporate and Operational Plans. The training has also been developed and rolled out in 14 workshops across the state including Mt Isa, Longreach, Bundaberg, Townsville and Logan and through this training the resource has been delivered to over 75 different Councils.

Client: Queensland Health and the Heart Foundation

Innovation and value add: The project has involved extensive training for QH staff, centred on the Resource and also the roles of local government, councillors and the Corporate and Operational Plans.

Links: www.activehealthycommunities.com.au