Got a Citizens’ Panel letter? Time’s running out!
Did you receive an invitation in the mail to the first Sunshine Coast Citizens' Panel? Respond by August 17!
If you live in one of 10,000 lucky households that received a Sunshine Coast Citizens’ Panel invite, you have just days left to register your response.
Sunshine Coast Council is establishing the Citizens’ Panel, a group of community members who will come together and deliberate on a range of complex problems and key issues for our region.
The Citizens’ Panel is designed to gather input from everyday people in the community who may not otherwise participate in engagement processes.
To find a true cross section of our community, 10,000 households, selected by lottery, received an invitation letter to register for the panel.
Those registrations close at midnight this Sunday, August 17.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said registration numbers so far had been strong with hundreds of responses received, and she hoped more young people from invited households would also step forward.
“Young people are among those groups who are less likely to participate in our usual consultation processes,” Mayor Natoli said.
“Theirs is an unsung voice we need to hear – after all, young people are our future.
“So, if you’re aged 16 to 25 and your household received an invitation to register, I urge you to sign up.
“This isn’t just your chance to make a difference, it’s an opportunity to grow your knowledge and skills, gain real experience and make impactful connections.
“And of course, it’s your chance to earn $700 by discussing your experiences and opinions.”
Mayor Natoli said multiple people in an invited household could register.
“If you’ve received an invitation, make sure any young adults living in the home also know about this opportunity and how they can benefit,” she said.
The panel’s advice and feedback provided to Council will help inform better and more inclusive decisions on behalf of the community.
This will complement information from the range of other consultation activities Council runs, such as the Have your Say Sunshine Coast website and community pop-ups.
Establishing the Citizens’ Panel
Council is working with Sortition, a trusted independent specialist, to assemble the Citizens’ Panel.
Anyone aged over 16, who lives in a household that received an invitation, can register their interest.
Once registrations close, Sortition will then choose 50 people by lottery who represent the different backgrounds and characteristics of our community, according to data.