Your voice matters: Improving our engagement

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We're pleased to share that Te Whiringa - Our Engagement Framework was adopted by Council on 16 December 2025.

Thanks to everyone who contributed their feedback in the development of this document, this is all about being able to listen and respond better and we couldn't have done it without you!

From now we will work hard to make the changes laid out in the framework and action plan. We'll keep you updated on our progress through our website and social media, and hopefully you will be able to see and feel the changes as they take root.

We're pleased to share that Te Whiringa - Our Engagement Framework was adopted by Council on 16 December 2025.

Thanks to everyone who contributed their feedback in the development of this document, this is all about being able to listen and respond better and we couldn't have done it without you!

From now we will work hard to make the changes laid out in the framework and action plan. We'll keep you updated on our progress through our website and social media, and hopefully you will be able to see and feel the changes as they take root.

  • Initial feedback on Te Whiringa: Our Engagement Framework

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    Thanks to everyone who contributed their feedback on the draft of Te Whiringa: Our Engagement Framework!

    We're pleased to share an initial summary of the feedback we received, showing the overall thoughts on the various aspects of the framework and action plan. As you can see, there was very positive support for the changes we're proposing. We're now doing a deeper look at the written feedback we received to see what specific suggestions were made and making changes as necessary.

    We'll have an update later going through more specifics of what we heard and how we've responded to that feedback.

  • The Engagement Principles

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    We will…

    Engage when it counts, in ways that work for you

    We’ll share clear, early updates about Council work you can help shape and offer a range of ways to have your say — so you can decide what matters and how you’d like to take part.

    Be inclusive and accessible

    We want to hear from everyone in Lower Hutt, especially people who haven't been heard before or have struggled with Council processes. We will listen at times and places that work for you.

    Be responsible partners under Te Tiriti

    We recognise the unique role that Mana Whenua play and are committed to engaging with Mana Whenua and hapori Māori in good faith, upholding tikanga and our commitment to Te Tiriti.

    Engage genuinely with clear intentions

    We’ll be clear about why we are asking for your input and what influence you have in each decision. We will listen, make room for new ideas, and be upfront when we need to change direction and why.

    Be clear about the impact of your feedback

    We’ll share what we heard and how it shaped our decisions — focusing on key themes and insights. When feedback is not used, we will explain why.

    These principles were endorsed by the Policy, Finance and Strategy Committee on 6 May 2025.

  • Feedback on the draft Engagement Principles

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    Thank you for your feedback on the draft engagement principles.

    Graph of engagement results

    First impressions of the principles show over 70% of responders thought they were at least on the right track, with 37.2% saying they didn't need any changes.

    Since a majority said they had at least a couple suggestions, we went through your comments and made some tweaks.

    What we heard
    		 Our response
    Feedback asked for clarity on "engaging well", and questioned how Council would determine what mattered and who was most affected. We amended the wording to make it clear that we'll engage well by sharing early updates on work that your feedback can help shape, and the different ways you can give that feedback. This also means that you will be able to see and decide for yourself what matters and affects you.
    Some thought we were committing to individual responses to feedback. Following this interpretation was a concern this would be too resource and time intensive. We amended the wording to clarify that we will focus on the key themes and insights of feedback, and share that. This table is a great example of what that looks like!
    Feedback showed a negative interpretation of the wording "hidden agendas". Some interpreted this as an admission of this happening, which was not intended. We amended the wording to be more positive, that we will engage genuinely and with clear intentions.
    Feedback questioning the ordering of the principles, and whether that indicated priority or importance. We re-ordered the principles to align more clearly to the stages of engagement, so the first is about informing on upcoming engagements and the last is about reporting back. We hope this makes it clear that the principles are not ranked in priority or importance.
    Feedback concerned that the commitment to engaging with Mana Whenua could be undemocratic or inequitable. We amended the wording to acknowledge the unique role that Mana Whenua have under Te Tiriti. One of our other principles makes clear that we aim to hear from everyone in our city, which we would hope would address concerns around inequity.
    Feedback that you want more details on how these principles will be achieved. The principles will inform the work to come on the Engagement Framework and Action plan, which will include that level of detail. We will keep you updated on progress, and there will be further opportunities to provide feedback.