Kempsey Shire Council is delivering a once-in-a-generation water and sewer program of works across the Macleay Valley. The program is a multi-year, multi-project investment designed to improve water security, public health and environmental outcomes for current and future generations.
Overview
Kempsey Shire Council is delivering a once-in-a-generation water and sewer program of works across the Macleay Valley. The program is a multi-year, multi-project investment designed to improve water security, public health and environmental outcomes for current and future generations.
Baartz & Co was engaged by Beca Hunter H2O as the strategic communications and community engagement advisor within the program management team at a critical point in the program’s evolution. While the technical and delivery frameworks were well advanced, there was no overarching communications and engagement strategy in place to explain the program as a whole.
Our role was to establish the strategic foundations for how the program would be communicated, understood and experienced by the community, and then support delivery as individual projects moved from planning into construction.
Client: Beca Hunter H2O
Location: Macleay Valley
Services: Strategic communications and community engagement
Challenge
When Baartz & Co joined the program, several challenges were emerging:
- No overarching communications and engagement strategy for the program of works
- Limited website content to explain the scale, timing and purpose of the investment
- Multiple projects progressing concurrently, increasing the risk of confusion and consultation fatigue
- The need to support funding bids, regulatory processes and public milestones with consistent messaging
The program risked being experienced as a series of disconnected projects, rather than a coordinated investment in the future of the Shire.
Solution
Baartz & Co led the development of a whole-of-program communications and engagement framework, supported by tailored plans for individual projects as they progressed.
Key elements of the approach included:
Establishing the strategic foundations
- Development of an overarching Communications and Community Engagement Strategy for the water and sewer program
- Clear articulation of program objectives, audiences, key messages and engagement principles
- Alignment with NSW Government engagement guidelines and IAP2 principles
Translating strategy into delivery
- Creation of project-specific communications and engagement plans
- Development of clear, plain English website content explaining the program and individual projects
- Production of video content featuring the Mayor, Councillors and senior staff to humanise the investment and build trust
Community-focused engagement
- Face-to-face and virtual engagement with local communities as projects progressed
- Targeted engagement with schools and community groups
- Responsive issues management as construction impacts emerged
Funding and media
- Active participation in funding bid teams
- Supporting relationships with state and federal funding bodies
- Coordination of sod-turn events, joint media releases and milestone announcements
This approach ensured communications were delivery-aligned, proactive and consistent, rather than reactive.
The Impact
The program-wide communications and engagement framework delivered tangible outcomes:
- A strong and accessible online presence explaining the full program of works
- Extensive video content used across Council channels
- Regular media coverage supporting project milestones and funding announcements
- Well-attended community meetings and engagement activities
- Multiple successful funding applications supported by clear program narratives
- Relatively strong community understanding and support across a complex, long-term program
Most importantly, the program shifted from being perceived as “lots of separate projects” to a cohesive, long-term investment in the Shire’s future connected projects, rather than a coordinated investment in the future of the Shire.
Key Takeaway
Large infrastructure programs don’t earn trust through volume of communication, they earn it through clarity, consistency and timing.
By establishing an overarching narrative first, Kempsey Shire Council was able to engage communities more meaningfully, manage expectations more effectively, and support delivery across multiple projects without overwhelming stakeholders.
