ON the back of major developments in the resources and property sectors, and a surging State economy that’s driving infrastructure projects, community consultants in Western Australia have been enjoying an increased demand for their services.
ON the back of major developments in the resources and property sectors, and a surging State economy that’s driving infrastructure projects, community consultants in Western Australia have been enjoying an increased demand for their services.
Further, with an international trend of consultation rather than information delivery, this lucrative area of the consulting market has evolved in recent times to include increasingly sophisticated methods – methods WA is exporting to other States.
This is in stark contrast to recent practice, when a “design, advertise and defend” approach was acceptable to business, if not to the community.
Media savvy communities now, more than ever, expect industry and government to behave in an environmentally sustainable manner and have declining tolerance for manipulation and public relations spin.
This has created a need for an independent facilitator in issues dialogue, planning and development.
While it is difficult to determine exact figures, millions of dollars are spent each year in WA on community consultation, sponsorship and partnering programs by industry and government organisations keen to negotiate a space within the public sphere of acceptance.
Q&A Communications founder and principal consultant Danicia Dutry said the accepted standard for community consultation spends in the resources industry was between 0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent of a total project budget.
Within government it appears to be more of a ‘horses-for-courses’ approach, with each State department and local government determining the relevant requirements on a case-by-case basis.
Ms Dutry established her own independent consultancy after working within the resource sector on some of the State’s largest projects.
Her company now boasts the likes of Woodside, BHP Billiton Iron Ore, the North West Shelf Venture Karratha Gas Plant, Roc Oil and the Water Corporation as clients, and she has been sought out for work in other States.
Ms Dutry said community consultation now employed a variety of methods, often used in other scientific and business disciplines, which measured the qualitative and quantitative impact of major projects on communities.
“It’s not PR in the traditional sense. It’s not marketing. It’s somewhere in the middle,” Ms Dutry said.
“We are really clear that we don’t represent the company.
“It’s really about setting the framework at the beginning. It’s about seeing where the issue that will impact on the community lies and attempting to bring both groups together.”
The Western Australian branch of the Public Relations Institute of Australia in WA (PRIA) estimates that one third of its 200 practitioner members are specialists in the area of community consultation.
“There has been a clear and dramatic growth in the focus on community consultation and stakeholder involvement over the past decade, and especially in the past few years,” PRIA (WA) spokesperson Marie-Louise Sinclair said. “This reflects international trends. Communities have found their voice and organisations are responding to the need to effectively manage social risks – as well as to report against the social bottom line.
“It’s always been a practice area, it’s just that we are getting a lot more work in this area and the practices are more sophisticated nowadays.
“There is more competition in this area from others from different backgrounds such as marketing, environmental, social sciences and psychology, environmental scientists etcetera.”
