Putting Local Knowledge on the Map: How Community-Led Digital Engagement Shaped a Safer, More Connected Cycling Future

Characterised by waterways, bushland, and diverse neighbourhoods, Sutherland Shire faces unique challenges in designing a connected cycling network. With interest in cycling growing, and a local government area covering 370 square kilometres, Council needed a way to meaningfully engage a broad cross-section of the community; from families and recreational cyclists to experienced commuters.

The goal was ambitious: develop a 10 Year Bike Plan that prioritised safety, connectivity, and convenience, while also generating genuine community support and high-quality feedback that could influence real planning decisions.

To achieve that, Council needed more than a static exhibition or traditional survey. It needed a way for residents to show, not just tell, how cycling works — or doesn’t — in their daily lives.

Council launched its Draft 10 Year Bike Plan on its Join the Conversation engagement hub, with the Places interactive mapping tool at the centre of the experience.

Working closely with its Traffic Engineering and Geospatial teams, Council’s Community Engagement team was able to upload detailed, colour-coded shapefiles representing existing and proposed on-road and off-road cycling routes across Sutherland Shire. Residents could zoom from a whole-of-network view down to street level and drop pins directly on the map to provide feedback, identifying preferred routes, safety risks, missing connections, and local cycling “hot spots.”

This approach transformed engagement from abstract to tangible. Instead of interpreting long documents, and many pages of static maps, residents interacted with a single, intuitive map that mirrored how they actually experience the network.

To ensure inclusivity and reach, the digital experience was supported by a targeted multichannel strategy; including social media, e-newsletters, QR-code flyers, site signage, and in-person pop-ups at a local market and bike tune-up event. Large printed versions of the map mirrored the digital tool, allowing in-person feedback to align seamlessly with online insights.

Behind the scenes, Grancius’ survey analysis and reporting tools helped staff efficiently interpret hundreds of detailed responses and close the loop with the community.

The response exceeded expectations, both in scale and substance.

By the close of the public exhibition, the consultation generated:

• 383 survey responses
• 365 map pins dropped, with 416 votes on locations
• 30 formal written submissions
• 210 social media comments
• 64,000+ people reached across social channels, with less than $400 in ad spend
• 5,097 project page visits, including 1,694 interactions with the Places map
• 80+ in-person conversations with residents and businesses

Engagement didn’t end when the survey closed. A consultation results newsletter sent via Sentiment & Feedback achieved a 97% open rate and 60% click-through rate, demonstrating sustained community interest and trust.

More importantly, the quality of feedback directly influenced outcomes. Community insights led to additions, adjustments, and removals of proposed bike routes, informed further on-the-ground investigations, and shaped priorities for safety, connectivity, and e-bike education. The data now provides powerful evidence for future funding, advocacy, and capital works decisions.

As one project lead noted, these insights will be “really useful in grant funding applications” — reinforcing the tangible value of meaningful digital engagement.

“This project shows how smart digital engagement can deliver better results for communities while using funds economically,” said Jack Boyd, Mayor of Sutherland Shire Council. “With modest investment, Council reached thousands of residents and gathered precise, actionable feedback that will guide cycling infrastructure priorities for the next decade.”