Partnerships can be an important strategy for
promoting ongoing government and community
engagement. All partnerships involve an
agreement to work together to achieve specifi c
outcomes. Partnerships recognise the important
contribution that each party makes to achieving
an outcome. Partnerships can be formal such
as the arrangements negotiated between State
and Commonwealth Government agencies and
various community and industry groups to support
natural resource management. Other partnerships
are informal such as when a government agency
and a community group agree to work together to
host a consultation event. Informal relationships
are increasingly being recognised as signifi cant
enablers of great partnership alliances.
Partnerships can signifi cantly affect communities.
Maintaining relationships within partnerships
depends on practicing the key principles listed
below. Processes such as networking activities,
sharing meals and joint learning activities can play
an important part in developing, maintaining and
sustaining partnerships.
There are several key principles of encouraging
active community participation in partnerships.
These are: