Getting back to grassroots engagement

While there are multiple ways to engage stakeholders, sometimes we get to do the tried and tested face-to-face engagement and sit around kitchen tables having a cup of tea and a biscuit with farmers in remote, rural communities.

While this is time-consuming and can involve driving hundreds of kilometres, it can be of immeasurable value when a potential project or initiative is planned for a regional area.

There may be enormous benefits to communities and the local economy when new projects come to town, but it is important to engage early and authentically with local residents to address any concerns they may have about potential impacts.

We got the opportunity to do some grassroots, regional engagement with several lovely farming families and local government stakeholders in the Midwest region for a client recently.

We flew to Geraldton and drove over 650kms in four days in the picturesque Yandanooka area, meeting farmers on their land and capturing their feedback on a proposed power supply upgrade project. It was a good reminder of the importance of engaging stakeholders in a way which works for them.

We were very grateful for the time they gave us and for their warm hospitality. We were also grateful for the fact that they had finished, or had almost, finished seeding when we were there. Timing is always important for this type of engagement and fortunately, it was on our side.

We were even treated to a rare strawberry full moon on our last night in Three Springs, which a mobile phone photo could not do justice.

Thank you to the Mingenew Caravan Park and the Three Springs Barracks Motel for the lovely accommodation and to the famous Mingenew Bakery for being an unexpected delight.

Here is a slideshow of a few photos from the trip: