Over $20 billion worth of Australian infrastructure projects over the last decade were cancelled, delayed or mothballed due to community backlash. With another $100 billion in projects underway across the country, policymakers and industry leaders can’t afford to get the community offside. On this week’s podcast, host Nicky Lovegrove chats with Sara Bice and Kirsty O’Connell from the Next Generation Engagement Program – a globally unique research initiative aiming to transform the way the infrastructure sector understands and values community engagement. Topics discussed include why there seems to be more community resistance to infrastructure projects now than in the past, whether community engagement should be regulated by government, and why academics should start ‘co-designing’ their research questions with industry.
Kirsty O’Connell is Industry Director for the Next Generation Engagement Program – a globally unique research program hosted by the Australian National University that aims to transform the way the infrastructure sector understands and values engagement.
Dr Sara Bice is a Senior Research Fellow at Crawford School of Public Policy, and leads the Next Generation Engagement Program based at the school.
Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:
Next Generation Engagement Program – Australia’s largest study on engagement and infrastructure delivery
Speak softly and carry economic gifts, by Stephen Nagy
Drug response out of tune, by John Coyne
Podcast: Power to the people? with Duncan McDonnell, Jill Sheppard and Paul Kenny
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This episode of Policy Forum Pod was edited by Edwina Landale.