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  • Corangamite Shire

Treating Engagement as a Service, Not a Transaction: Corangamite Shire's Award-Winning Strategy

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Overview

When Corangamite Shire Council saw community satisfaction with consultation decline, it took the feedback seriously and treated engagement itself as a critical service in need of transformation. Rather than continuing with static, hard-to-find consultation pages buried within its website, Council reimagined how digital engagement could work for its community.

The result was Conversations Corangamite, a dedicated, welcoming digital engagement platform using Granicus’ Sentiment & Feedback solution (EngagementHQ). Designed as an ongoing space rather than a series of one-off consultations, the platform made it easier for residents to share ideas, provide feedback, and see how their input shaped real decisions. Within months of launch, engagement increased dramatically, youth participation soared, and Council teams gained the insight and confidence needed to deliver services shaped by real community voices.


Project Metrics

  • 4,500+ website views since launch
  • 300+ active engagements
  • 50%+ of engagement is youth participation
Must have Granicus Solutions
"Conversations Corangamite, powered by Granicus Sentiment & Feedback, has completely changed how we listen to and talk with our community — it’s taken us from one-way updates to real, ongoing conversations people actually want to be part of. We’ve already seen stronger participation, especially from younger residents, and it’s helped build trust and confidence that community voices are genuinely shaping local decisions.”
Sarah-Rose Johnson, Communications Coordinator, Corangamite Shire Council

Situation

Corangamite Shire Council has long been committed to listening to its community and ensuring residents have a voice in shaping the future of the region. But it became clear the existing approach to digital consultation was falling short.

“Our old approach using the consultation module on our website wasn’t working as well as we wanted it to,” said Sarah-Rose Johnson, communications coordinator for Corangamite Shire Council. “Our consultation pages were static, they were hard to find, and they didn’t give us much insight into what people really thought or felt.”

Despite strong overall website traffic, engagement on consultation pages remained low, with many projects receiving only a handful of submissions.

“And at the same time, we saw a decline in the community engagement factor of our community satisfaction survey results,” Johnson added. “That was a clear message from our community that we needed to do better and change how we delivered the service.”

Solution

Rather than treating engagement as a transactional task, Corangamite Shire Council redesigned it as an ongoing service experience.

Council launched Conversations Corangamite, a dedicated digital engagement hub built on the Sentiment & Feedback solution. The platform’s name and tone were inspired by Council’s successful “Join the Conversation” campaign used to gather feedback for the Council Plan, carrying forward a sense of warmth, openness, and trust.

“We wanted to create an ongoing space designed to feel welcoming, accessible, and easy to use,” Johnson explained. “Not just something people visit once during a formal consultation.”

Using interactive tools such as quick polls, idea boards, and discussion forums, Council moved beyond traditional surveys and gave residents multiple ways to participate. Behind the scenes, detailed reporting and “close the loop” capabilities improved how staff worked internally; ensuring feedback was acknowledged and outcomes were shared transparently with the community.

Results

The impact of Conversations Corangamite was both immediate and meaningful.

“Since launch, the website has generated over 4,500 views and more than 300 active engagements,” said Johnson. “That’s such a difference compared to our previous consultation pages, which often received very few submissions per project.”

One of the most significant outcomes was breakthrough youth engagement. Council created Youth Voices of Corangamite, a dedicated space designed specifically for young people, using tools and formats that suited how they prefer to engage.

“This initiative now accounts for more than 50% of all engagement on the platform,” Johnson noted. “And it’s given us genuine, valuable input for our Youth Strategy, which was adopted earlier this year.”

Beyond the numbers, the transformation delivered a deeper service impact. Engagement became more inclusive and feedback more actionable. Residents could see how their input informed decisions, and Council teams were better equipped to design services grounded in lived experience.

“Beyond the numbers, the real impact is cultural,” said Johnson. “The engagement has shifted from passive to active. Our community can see that their feedback matters, and our teams are better equipped to respond, reflect, and deliver services shaped by real community voices.”

This story highlights the hard work and innovation that earned Corangamite Shire Council recognition as a winner in the 15th Annual Granicus Digital Government Awards, honouring exceptional achievements in digital government.

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