Impressive results from community consultation workshops22nd May 2014 Wild Migration has released the report of the community consultation design process, A community consultation model for offshore petroleum exploration proposals, it has been running on Kangaroo Island, Australia, this year.
Wild Migration decided to harness the difficult community experiences of the past 24 months of engagement with the oil and gas industry about an offshore proposal west of Kangaroo Island. Wild Migration gathered community perspectives about what an ideal consultation process for future ‘offshore petroleum exploration proposals’ should be.
The report has now been submitted to the Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environment Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to influence their forthcoming guidelines about consultation.
Wild Migration was surprised by the level of islander interest. “The workshops and interviews took peoples time, usually between one and two hours. They had to wrap their heads around some significantly technical detail. It was very gratifying to hear what over 60 members of this small rural community thought” Geoff Prideaux, Wild Migration Technical Director, said.
Margi Prideaux, Wild Migration Policy Director, added, “around the world the community’s views about consultation really should inform any large scale decisions, not just relating to the oil and gas industry. In too many regions poorly informed decisions are having lasting impacts on communities at a fundamental level. It is time consultation was made real instead of lip service.”
The summary findings of are that:
1. Consultation processes should be run by a local body or independent consultant.
2. Consultation should be real. Proposals should adapt and change to accommodate community concerns and information.
3. Industry should recognise that communities represent a diversity of interests, perspectives and needs.
4. Consultation should allow enough time for the community to absorb, discuss and find agreement on positions.
5. The community is able to understand complex issues if given the opportunity if supported with sufficient impartial information.
6. Community comment should be respected.
“We all instinctively know these principles, but so often we find they are overlooked. It is still useful to capture the impressive depth of the community’s views in a formal way so that decision-makers pay attention.” Geoff concluded.
Wild Migration thanks the generous contribution of all the participants.
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A community consultation model for offshore petroleum exploration proposals is a sister to Wild Migration's previously released: Seismic Seas: Understanding the impact of offshore seismic petroleum exploration surveys on marine species
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